WISERD 2014 Annual Conference

One of the most important events in the social science Wales will take place at Aberystwyth University this week (3-4 July).

Now in its fifth year, the Wales Institute of Social & Economic Research, Data & Methods (WISERD) Annual Conference brings together practitioners, policy makers and social scientists to discuss and debate themes such as health; social care; wellbeing; education; culture & values; environment; labour markets; devolution; and civil society. 

Established as an important event in the social science calendar, academic and non-academic researchers from a diverse range of disciplines will share their research at the conference.  The event is a must for anyone concerned with social, economic and political issues in contemporary Wales, with over 70 papers being presented this year. 

Headlining the two-day conference this year are two keynote speakers: Professor Bob Jessop, Distinguished Professor of Sociology and Co-Director of the Cultural Political Economy Research Centre (CPERC) at Lancaster University; and Professor Karel Williams, Director of the ESRC funded Centre for Research on Socio Cultural Change (CRESC) and a Professor at Manchester Business School. 

There is also an opportunity for an exclusive look at Dr Jon Anderson’s forthcoming book: Page & Place: Ongoing Compositions of Plot at the pre-conference event ‘Aberystwyth’s Literary Cartographers: exploring the relationship between literature & place’ taking place on Wednesday 2 July at Aberystwyth Arts Centre.  The event will explore the relationship between literature and geography, focusing on some of Ceredigion’s best contemporary writers. 

This year attendees will have the unique opportunity to view the WISERD / Civil Society research poster exhibition.  WISERD / Civil Society is a new £7 million ESRC funded National Research Centre, undertaking a five year programme of policy relevant research addressing Civil Society in Wales, the UK and Internationally.  The conference also includes featured sessions from the Public Policy Institute for Wales (PPIW), the ESRC Wales Doctoral Training Centre, the Administrative Data Research Centre Wales (ADRC Wales) and WISERD Education.

WISERD Director, Professor Ian Rees Jones, explained,  “We are delighted to welcome such distinguished and notable keynote speakers to what has become one of the most important events in the social science calendar in Wales. 

“The inclusion of sessions by the Public Policy Institute for Wales, WISERD Education and the Administrative Data Research Centre Wales is particularly exciting, as it further evidences the strength of social science research within Wales.

“The conference also contains a series of papers showcasing research into civil society, this is an important area and one in which WISERD is developing further research in future, with the establishment of the WISERD / Civil Society Research Centre. We are also pleased to see that the conference continues to grow and look forward to welcoming attendees from a range of sectors and disciplines.” 

WISERD was established in 2008 to draw together and build upon the existing expertise in quantitative and qualitative research methods and methodologies at the universities of Aberystwyth, Bangor, Cardiff, South Wales and Swansea.  Based at Cardiff University, WISERD undertakes research and capacity building activities that underpin research infrastructure in the economic and social sciences across Wales and beyond. 

The WISERD 2014 Annual Conference will take place on Thursday 3 and Friday 4 July at the Medrus Conference Centre at Aberystwyth University.  Visit the website for more information: www.wiserd.ac.uk/training-events/annual-conference-2014/

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