News and Blog

New research on civil society, welfare and the rights of persons with disabilities in the former Soviet Union

New research by WISERD Co-Director, Professor Paul Chaney, analyses civil society organisations’ perspectives on the implementation of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) in nine former Soviet republics, latterly renamed the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS). Namely, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Russian Federation, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan. Over the past…

COVID: Unemployed young people in Wales ‘face scarring’

Dr Sioned Pearce highlights the impact of COVID-19 on youth unemployment. In an interview with BBC Wales, she said the pandemic had “exacerbated issues of uncertainty” for young people with zero hour contracts, part-time work and low-paid jobs.  

New study explores civil society perspectives on the implementation of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in India

New research by WISERD Co-Director Professor Paul Chaney analyses civil society organisations’ perspectives on the implementation of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) that was ratified by India in 2008. This is a benchmark study; the first to systematically examine the implementation of the UN Convention on the Rights…

New study on the electoral politics of refugees and asylum seekers reveals distinctive approaches to welfare in the different countries of the UK

New research by WISERD Co-Director, Professor Paul Chaney analyses political parties’ policy record on refugees and asylum seekers in party manifestos for post-war Westminster, and post-1998 Scottish, Welsh and Northern Irish elections. A refugee is someone who is outside her or his country of nationality due to a well-founded fear of persecution and who is…

Research highlights suppression of civil society and human rights violations of LGBT+ people in Bangladesh

New research by WISERD Co-Director, Professor Paul Chaney, Dr Sarbeswar Sahoo (Indian Institure of Technology, Delhi) and Dr Seuty Sabur (BRAC University, Dhaka) analyses civil society organisations’ perspectives on the contemporary situation facing LGBT+ people in Bangladesh. Until now largely overlooked in academic work, it is an issue needing attention because of the country’s poor…

Are banks doing enough to model the impact of branch closures on communities?

We have long become accustomed to the concerns expressed in the letter pages of local newspapers or on various online forums from those members of the public forced (if fortunate to have access to a car) to drive greater distances, or to make alternative and more costly arrangements, to access services such as health, educational,…

The rural dilemma: how to restart tourism and reassure residents

As Wales seeks to navigate a safe path out of the coronavirus lockdown, one of the biggest challenges for the Welsh Government is how to re-open the rural economy whilst avoiding a surge of new cases in the countryside and panicking an anxious rural population. First Minister Mark Drakeford has signaled that restrictions on the…

WISERD Insight 2020 annual report now available

      This report provides an overview of our research activity in 2019 – a year that has marked the end of one chapter and the beginning of another, and has strengthened WISERD’s position as an important national research centre. Read more about our latest income profile, the work we’re doing to strengthen our…