WISERD Fellow, Dr Alexandra Plows, is one of two Bangor University academics involved in piloting Academic Fellowships with the National Assembly for Wales, by sharing expertise to enable Assembly Members to develop policy and practice for the benefit of the people of Wales.
Dr Alexandra Plows of Bangor University’s School of Social Sciences and Dr Catrin Hedd Jones of the School of Healthcare Sciences have been working on specific projects alongside the Assembly’s Research Service. The Academic Fellowship Scheme is funded by Bangor University and the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) Impact Acceleration Account (IAA).
As a result, Dr Alexandra Plows has delivered a scoping study to address the economy of north Wales. This work with the National Assembly’s Research Service will supplement the existing evidence base for Assembly Members to contribute to the scrutiny of the Welsh Government’s approach to developing the North Wales economy.
Dr Plows explains: “I have worked with the team to explore the opportunities and threats for jobs and growth presented both within north Wales and in relation to developments under way in the north of England; and the interventions required to exploit these opportunities to the fullest. The report sets out a number of initiatives focused on developing the north Wales economy, and also identifies some “critical friend” critiques and concerns related to these initiatives. The report also explores ideas for alternative, complementary economic approaches with the aim of improving the north Wales economy.”
Read the full report.
Image credit: Llandudno, by Chris, via Flickr (CC BY-SA 2.0)