Professor Alan Renwick

Leading academic to discuss democratic reform in Aberystwyth

The prospects for political reform in Britain will be discussed at Aberystwyth University this month, when Professor Alan Renwick delivers the annual Welsh Politics and Society Lecture. The lecture, ‘Do the UK Public want Democratic Reform?’, will be held on Thursday 25th May at 6pm in the International Politics Main Hall, Penglais Campus. Entry is free…
Derek Walker

Volunteers’ role in tackling community divides discussed by Commissioner

The role of voluntary organisations in tackling polarisation in local communities will be discussed by the Future Generations Commissioner in Aberystwyth next month. Aberystwyth University academics from the Wales Institute of Social and Economic Research and Data (WISERD) will jointly host a symposium with partners from the Voluntary Sector Studies Network on Wednesday 24 May…

Research on rural support for disruptive political movements wins major European grant

The relationship between voter discontent in rural areas and support for disruptive political movements in Europe and the United States will be explored in a major study by an Aberystwyth University professor, following the award of a prestigious grant. Professor Michael Woods has secured funding of nearly €2.5 million from the European Research Council (ERC)…

Aberystwyth University academic appointed to Natural Resources Wales Board

Professor Rhys Jones from Aberystwyth University has been appointed to the board of Natural Resources Wales by the Climate Change Minister. Natural Resources Wales is the statutory body responsible for the sustainable management of Wales’ natural resources. Its Board has the task of establishing its vision, strategic direction and maintaining oversight. Rhys Jones FLSW FAcSS…

CWPS-WISERD December Newsletter

Happy holidays and season greetings from the CWPS-WISERD team!  Our academic elves have been busying themselves throughout the new term and we are pleased to be able to share our newsletter with you. Here you’ll find some exciting stocking fillers to start your holidays, including the 2021 CWPS report, upcoming events, news and links to…

IMAJINE Scenarios presented to EU Cohesion Policy Conference

Professor Michael Woods presented findings from the CWPS-WISERD-led Horizon 2020 project IMAJINE to the Third Joint EU Cohesion Policy Conference in Zagreb in November. Jointly organized by the European Commission Directorate-General for Regional and Urban Policy (DG-Regio), the Regional Studies Association and the Croatian Government, the conference brought together 150 academics, EU policy-makers and member…

New paper on ‘Refugees, race and the limits to rural cosmopolitanism’ in Wales and Ireland

CWPS-WISERD Co-Director Professor Michael Woods has published an open access paper in the Journal of Rural Studies which examines the settlement of refugees and asylum seekers in three small towns in Wales and Ireland, including Aberystwyth and Newtown.  The paper builds on an earlier article that introduced the idea of ‘precarious rural cosmopolitanism’, arguing that…

New paper highlights the impact of industrial transformation in rural areas

A new paper in the Journal of Rural Studies reports on research from the ERC Global-Rural project led by CWPS-WISERD to examine the industrial transformation of a village in eastern China in the context of globalization. Co-authored by CWPS-WISERD Co-Director Professor Michael Woods with former CWPS-WISERD post-doc Dr Francesa Fois (now at Salford University), Professor Hualou Long of the…

A cuppa and 7 digestive videos on the voluntary sector

Dr Amy Sanders of Aberystwyth University & Wales Institute of Social & Economic Research & Data (WISERD) has created a series of bitesize videos aimed at practitioners that share her research on the relationship between the voluntary sector and Welsh Government in the time that it takes to have mug of tea.  Amy’s background in…

New chapters for CWPS-WISERD academics on language policy and planning

Three Aberystwyth University academics have written chapters in a new book that celebrates Professor Colin Williams’ contribution to the field of language policy and planning.  Language, Policy and Territory contains 18 chapters by Williams’ former students, colleagues and collaborators, including Professor Rhys Jones, Dr Huw Lewis and Dr Elin Royles, who are based at the Centre for Welsh Politics and Society (CWPS). The…