Major social science conference comes to Bangor

One of the most important events in the social science calendar for people concerned with social and economic issues in Wales is travelling to Bangor next week.

The third annual Wales Institute of Social & Economic Research, Data & Methods’ (WISERD) Conference will bring together social science researchers, politicians, postgraduate students and public sector representatives to explore topical themes that impact society in the context of devolution, place and change.

The wide range of themes covered at the two-day conference reflects WISERD’s interdisciplinary research. They include: Labour markets in Wales and the UK, Environment and Sustainability in Wales, Health and Care, Identity and Place, Theory and practice of Devolution, Poverty and Ethnicity, Education and Children in Wales, Migration and Mobility, Crime and criminology, and Citizenship and Language.

Headlining the programme of more than 55 talks and roundtable discussions are three high profile keynote speakers: the Rt. Hon Lord Dafydd Elis-Thomas AM, Professor John Curtice from the University of Strathclyde and Costa Rican politician and former presidential candidate Ottón Solís.

Lord Dafydd Elis-Thomas’ keynote address on how to legislate for sustainability will open the conference.  WISERD Director, Professor Gareth Rees, said:” We are delighted to welcome such a well respected figure to the WISERD conference. Dafydd Elis-Thomas is one of the major figures in contemporary Welsh politics and I’m sure that his contribution will be well-informed and thought-provoking”.

To launch the event there will be a special poetry reading on the eve of the conference with renowned local poets Menna Elfyn and Zoe Skoulding presenting their work under the title of ‘Ffin a Frontier’ (boundary and frontier)

WISERD is a collaborative venture between the Universities of Aberystwyth, Bangor, Cardiff, Glamorgan and Swansea.  Funded by the Higher Education Funding Council of Wales (HEFCW) and the UK Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC), WISERD has established itself as a leading centre for social science research excellence since its creation in 2009.

Publication date: 19 March 2012