News and Blog

Professor John Morgan gives seminars in Moscow

Professor John Morgan, Leverhulme Emeritus Fellow, gave two seminars in Moscow during October. Professor Morgan, who was on a research visit to the Russian State Library as part of his Leverhulme project on UNESCO and other UN Specialized Agencies and the Cultural Cold War, spoke first at the Institute of Sociology, Russian Academy of Sciences….

Findings from ‘Successful Futures for All’ presented at Senedd

This week, Dr Nigel Newton presented findings from our ‘Successful Futures for All’ project to members of the Children, Young People and Education Committee of the National Assembly for Wales. The project explores the way the new curriculum is being developed in Pioneer Schools and the potential impact on children from disadvantaged backgrounds. Curriculum for…

Better evaluation and funding can improve plans to promote minority languages

Efforts to promote minority languages among children and young people would benefit from improving the way projects are evaluated, and from adequate funding. These are among the key findings of research into minority language promotion activities in the Celtic nations. Academics at Aberystwyth and Edinburgh Universities conducted research into the activities of organisations in Scotland,…

Appetite for Change

In October 2019 WISERD co-hosted a collaborative workshop with the Sustainable Places Research Institute and the Wales Governance Centre to discuss the environmental and social justice considerations of food systems in Wales. The event brought together a range of experts – including policy makers, civil society activists and other stakeholders to assess the major challenges…

Urgent Appeals: Data and Shared Learning

WISERD researchers will continue to support the development of data repositories for strategic use within NGOs, having successfully obtained funding from the ESRC under the NGO Secondary Data Analysis Call. Dr. Jean Jenkins and Dr. Katy Huxley will build on previous work with partners the Clean Clothes Campaign (CCC), who campaign for decent work and…

WISERD publishes new research on civil society, welfare and governance in China

  Over the past three years, WISERD has been part of a successful international Newton Advanced Fellowship scheme with the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS) and funded by the British Academy. This has been led by Professor Sin Yi Cheung (School of Social Sciences, Cardiff University), Dr Xiao Lin (Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, Beijing), Professor Paul…

WISERD Civil Society goes to Canada: comparisons from Wales, Manitoba and Québec

In September, we returned from a research exchange trip to Canada. The aim of the visit was to locate recent Civil Society project findings in an international context and develop greater insights through comparative reflection going forward. Canada, as a Federal state, develops and delivers much of its social policy at a Provincial level. This sub-state…

What maps reveal about the impacts of austerity

Following nearly a decade of austerity, local authorities face funding challenges that are having major impacts on the ways public services are delivered. Financial pressures, combined with increasing demand and expectations from the public for accessible and timely services, are having a detrimental effect on those social groups most reliant on essential facilities. In our…

Welsh towns receive boost for grassroots planning

People working and volunteering in Welsh towns and communities will benefit from a new resource to help them identify opportunities in their areas.  Understanding Welsh Places is a bilingual website built by a team of researchers at WISERD and coordinated by the Institute of Welsh Affairs. It presents information on the economy, demographic make-up and…