The idea of a peace lecture at �������Ƶ dates back even further. Records show that the first such lecture was proposed on the eve of the Second World War, in 1939, at the University. However, it was not until much later, when former university lecturer and his colleagues secured institutional support and funding, that the series was formally established. The inaugural lecture was delivered by former Prime Minister , setting the tone for decades of thought-provoking contributions from speakers such as , and .

Churcher, a psychology Lecturer at the University, formed the Peace Lecture Appeal committee to raise the funds needed to launch the series. Prior to this, he had worked with colleagues to establish the �������Ƶ University Nuclear Disarmament Group (MUND), which collaborated with Greater �������Ƶ Council to assess and communicate the potential impact of a nuclear attack on the region.

Reflecting on the legacy, Churcher said:

The will take place on Wednesday, 8 October, featuring Madeleine Rees OBE, Secretary General of the Women's International League for Peace and Freedom. The latest lecture, organised by , Lecturer in Peace and Conflict Studies, will centre on Rees’s talk titled The Continuous Struggle: Women’s Rights in the Last Four Decades and the Backlash Against Progress, exploring the evolving fight for gender justice and the global forces resisting change.

Speaking on the series, Ramovic said:

Over four decades, the International Peace Lecture has become a cornerstone of �������Ƶ’s public engagement, amplifying voices from conflict zones, social movements, and international diplomacy. It continues to challenge audiences to think critically about the conditions for peace and the courage it takes to pursue it.

• Tickets are available for the hybrid event on .

Professor Javier Garcia Oliva, from The University of �������Ƶ Law School, has received a prize for his contribution, throughout his career, to furthering freedom of conscience and belief. 

He has written widely on the topic, including a monograph, with Professor Helen Hall as co-author, entitled “Religion, Law and the Constitution: Balancing Beliefs in Britain”. 

He has advised Non-Government Organisations (NGOs) on issues relating to conversion therapy and exorcism, and discussed questions relating to education, wearing and displaying religious symbols and freedom of expression in both academic circles and the media.

The prize was awarded by the Foundation for the Improvement of Life, Culture and Society, a well-known Spanish NGO whose input has been noted by the United Nations. The Spanish Ministry of Presidency, Justice and Relationships with Parliament participated in the ceremony, with Mr Jose Daniel Pelayo, General Secretary of Coordination and Promotion of Religious Freedom, joining this event. There were contributions from representatives of various faith communities (eg. Hinduism and Buddhism), academics from various disciplines and members of civil society (eg. the Madrid police force).

Javier was extremely honoured that this work in protecting and enhancing these fundamental rights has been recognised, and he was particularly pleased to join other prize winners, who are committed to maintaining a plural, safe and respectful culture for all people.

On the top floor of �������Ƶ Museum, participants gathered for “Stitching at the End of the World,” a workshop that paired hands-on textile making with discussion of privacy, surveillance, and autonomy in the digital era.

Led by , a PhD researcher in Social Anthropology, and part of the open-source artwork Kill Your iPhone, the session guided attendees in creating phone pouches from Electromagnetic Shielding fabric. This material blocks the device from communicating with the technological infrastructure. Once inside, they are cut off from the mobile network and effectively become a “dead phone.”

Supported by funding and , the workshop was not only about making a practical tool. As participants stitched their pouches, conversations unfolded about cybersecurity, personal autonomy, and the role of ‘smart textiles’ in shaping everyday life. Sewing became a way to reflect on how digital systems structure our choices, and how creative practices can open space to challenge them.

The session bridged STEM research, future-fabric technologies, anthropology, and creative education, showing how textiles can serve both as functional objects and as critical methods of inquiry. By linking material practice to large-scale debates on surveillance and digital dependency, the workshop demonstrated how interdisciplinary and material methods can address pressing social questions surrounding civil liberty and privacy.

Textiles, with their slowness and tactile qualities, stand in sharp contrast to the invisible speed of digital infrastructures. Making a shielding pouch thus became more than a technical exercise: it was an invitation for participants to imagine how they might reclaim agency in a hyper-connected world, offering them the choice to connect or to disconnect.

Through its blend of craft, theory, and public dialogue, “Stitching at the End of the World” offered a fresh perspective on how we can reimagine autonomy in an increasingly connected world.

You can read the paper, “”, online.

Political elites in the US are ideologically divided over climate change. We identify two perspectives: 

• The intrinsic view on ideological climate polarisation views climate beliefs as entrenched parts of an actor’s identity and posits that ideological positions have factually shifted towards ever more extreme positions over time.
• The instrumental view, in contrast, emphasises that polarisation entrepreneurs mobilise their constituency to participate in the climate policy debate by amplifying ideological differences over climate-related focusing events when they arise, leading to fluctuations in visible polarisation, rather than a steady trend. 

This study examines which of the two perspectives holds in US Congressional and subnational media debates by analysing time trends of polarisation and phases of structural stability. We distinguish between endogenous events, which can be attributed to the political process, and exogenous focusing events, such as extreme events or those related to the international climate regime, and investigate which type of event tends to be associated with changes in polarisation. 

Applying two novel time series measures for discourse networks - structural polarisation and the detection of phases of structural stability - to the climate debate during the 112th to 114th Congress (2013–2017) and subnational print media in four swing states, we find that exogenous events are largely irrelevant while endogenous political dynamics increase the polarisation of the debate considerably. 

We find ups and downs of polarisation corresponding to distinct structural phases in which polarisation is linked to participation. This temporal fluctuation of polarisation around endogenous political events is consistent with the instrumental perspective.

Drawing on their expertise in population data, large scale social surveys, and the use of data to inform fair and effective health policy, the �������Ƶ academics highlight the vital role of robust evidence in ensuring policy keeps pace with societal change.

Launched in 1991, the Health Survey for England, has been the backbone of health policy evidence for more than three decades, providing annual, nationally representative data to monitor the nation’s health and guide healthcare delivery. At the June 2025 conference, the government confirmed that NHS England would no longer run the survey. While details of any replacement are yet to be confirmed, discussions are under way on the future of population health surveys in England.

Since the conference, The UK Data Service has acted swiftly to ensure researchers’ voices are heard in the national debate:

• Boosting consultation responses – negotiating with (DHSC) and the (ONS) to re-open a user consultation on the future of population health surveys for three weeks in July, generating a further 140 responses from health survey users.
• Showcasing impact – collaborating with a key health survey user to publish a Data Impact blog highlighting the importance of the survey: .
• Supporting decision-makers – at DHSC/ONS’s request, preparing a written summary of the Health Survey for England’s value and impact, including user testimonies, to feed into their internal report (due end of September), and advising on an expert peer-reviewers.

Through this work, �������Ƶ academics and the UK Data Service are playing a pivotal role in shaping the future of the Health Survey for England, influencing how health data will be collected to meet the challenges of a changing world.

At The University of �������Ƶ Law School, , Suzanne Gower, and Nicola Campbell, along with volunteer students from the , have contributed pro bono research to support the Task Force’s efforts. Their briefing materials recently informed a report submitted to the HRC in August against the treatment of incarcerated individuals in Vietnam.

The HRC report strongly reflects the Task Force’s central message: international law requires a mechanism to prove innocence and secure exoneration, alongside the right to appointed legal counsel and access to essential resources for pursuing such claims. Additionally, compensation must be provided upon exoneration.

As more experts encourage UN bodies to endorse these principles, the case for recognising them as universal human rights grows stronger. A critical mass of support is steadily taking shape. The �������Ƶ Innocence Project is helping lead the way as part of the Task Force.

Claire McGourlay reflects:

The University of �������Ƶ is globally renowned for its pioneering research, outstanding teaching and learning, and commitment to social responsibility. We are a truly international university – ranking in the top 50 in a range of global rankings – with a diverse community of more than 44,000 students, 12,000 staff and 550,000 alumni from 190 countries.  Sign up for our e-news to hear first-hand about our international partnerships and activities across the globe. 

You can listen to our Talk200 podcast with Nazir Afzal on the limits to equality – access to justice and scandal here.

Read the or access the .

The authors use the UK asylum system as a case study to show how institutional stress can affect memory. They argue that the system itself—through long waiting times, hostile environments, and public protests—can cause or worsen trauma, which in turn affects how people recall and communicate their experiences.

The report recommends reforms to reduce stress and improve fairness, including better living conditions, trauma-informed interview practices, and training for officials to understand how trauma affects memory. The authors stress that these changes are essential to ensure that people seeking asylum are treated with dignity and that their rights are respected.

Practical sessions included the implementation of Cox Proportional Hazards models and Kaplan-Meier estimators using R. A highlight was a constructive meeting with Professor Yabiku and colleagues concerning future work and collaboration on research on migration.

KOSTAT-UNFPA Summer Seminar on Population

The Summer Seminar on Population was first launched by the East-West Center (EWC) in 1970 and quickly gained recognition as a leading population seminar series. In 2013, responsibility for population activities was transferred to Statistics Korea (KOSTAT), which hosted the first KOSTAT Summer Seminar on Population in 2014.

Since 2017, the seminar has been co-hosted annually by KOSTAT and the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), continuing its mission to advance population studies and statistical capacity building.

The seminar serves as an international platform for government statisticians, graduate students, and population experts to exchange ideas, share research, and strengthen statistical capacity in population-related fields. Over the years, participants from more than 20 countries have taken part in the programme.

Niamh Walsh, BA (Hons) Economics student, was recognised as the third best-performing intern across the nation during her year in industry with Enterprise Mobility.

Niamh was selected as the best performer in the South East, representing the region at the company’s Intern of the Year Finals 2025 where she came third.

Over 450 students took part in the scheme nationwide.

Niamh said:

The competition involved Niamh pitching her business improvement ideas to a panel of senior leaders at the company’s European Head Office.  

She was celebrated for her achievement earlier this summer, with a member of the School’s Curriculum and Programmes team accompanying her to the awards ceremony. 

Niamh added: 

The EDI Officer plays a vital role in leading BISA’s strategy to ensure that the association reflects and supports diversity in all its forms: demographic, intellectual, pedagogical, methodological and institutional. The role also involves embedding inclusive practices across BISA’s policies, processes, governing arrangements and activities. 

In response to the appointment, Jamie shared:

This appointment reflects Dr Hagen’s ongoing commitment to advancing inclusive values within the wider academic community.

The title recognises Roan’s extensive contribution to criminal justice through his multiple roles in the Innocence Project, Bar Society and International Wrongful Convictions Task Force. 

Claire McGourlay, Professor of Legal Education who nominated Roan for the award, said: 

Roan’s commitment to supporting victims of miscarriage through the Innocence Project earned him and his team the �������Ƶ Law Society’s Pro Bono Award. As the project’s student manager, he mentors students on handling cases and ensures the public knows of the project’s impact and work. 

Roan also leads on helping students pursue careers as barristers in his role as the Bar Society’s Treasurer. Through his membership in the International Wrongful Convictions Task Force, he works with students, lawyers and academics to develop the international law on wrongful conviction rights.

Niamh Cashell, a PhD student, has also been recognised as the Faculty’s Postgraduate Research Student of the Year. 

Niamh has made significant contributions to academic leadership, public engagement, and responsible innovation. As Secretary of the Political Studies Association’s Early Career Network, she provided strategic leadership and administrative coordination, organising a virtual conference with over 70 early career researchers and co-leading an in-person Early Career Day at the PSA Annual Conference in 2024. 

Niamh's commitment to research impact extended beyond academia, completing an ESRC-funded internship with the BBC’s Responsible Innovation Centre, where she produced a report on AI-generated images in UK political contexts.   

Rachel Gibson, Professor of Political Science and Niamh’s PhD supervisor said: 

She has also won the �������Ƶ Doctoral College Excellence Award for Research Impact.  

This study examines the heterogeneous labour market effects of family leave policies for single and partnered mothers. 

Longer family leave has been shown to weaken women’s labour market positions and some studies have found heterogeneous effects across population groups. However, whether the effect differs by partnership status remains unexplored. 

Using Finnish register data from 1989 to 2014 (ca. 2.5 million person-years) and controlling for selection into single motherhood by comparing estimates from OLS and FE models, this study compares single and partnered mothers’ unemployment and earnings consequent to extended family leaves. In line with predictions that single mothers may face greater work-family reconciliation issues or cumulative disadvantage leading to greater labour market penalties, the results showed that longer leave increases the length of unemployment for single mothers more than for partnered ones. 

This is not solely because of selection into single motherhood. Earnings penalties after family leave (net of employment status) are the same for single and partnered mothers. 

We conclude that similar long- lengths of family leave are penalised more among single mothers in terms of employment, which increases and reproduces social inequalities. This means that existing inequalities are reinforced by labour market absences supported by leave policies.

The interns were tasked with creating a short documentary about community arts projects in North �������Ƶ. This year's focus was on a mural project, where shop shutters and walls in Moston and Harpurhey were transformed into vibrant pieces of art. The goal was to reframe the negative perceptions of the area and highlight the resilient and positive community spirit.

During the project, the students faced various challenges, including technical issues and the need to quickly learn new skills. Despite these hurdles, they found the experience rewarding and gained valuable insights into filmmaking and community engagement. The documentary aimed to showcase the positive aspects of the community and what can be done to further support it.

The students expressed their gratitude to the Moston and Harpurhey communities for their cooperation, and to the SICK! team for their guidance. They also acknowledged the support of their mentors, Fresh RB who played a crucial role in the project's success.

The documentary was presented to staff and students from the University of �������Ƶ and members of the SICK! and Fresh RB teams. The interns received positive feedback for their commitment and the quality of their work. The project not only provided them with practical skills but also a deeper understanding of the importance of community and storytelling.

One of the interns reflected:

Each student intern was asked at the presentation to choose one word to describe their experience:

• Enlightening
• Lesson
• Collaborative
• Meaningful
• Hopeful
• Inspiring

The SICK! continues to be a platform for creative collaboration, and this project exemplifies the positive impact that such partnerships can have on both students and the local community.

Dr Claire Fox, SoSS EDI Director, expressed her enthusiasm:

Dr Sheena Kalayil, SALC EDI Director, also praised the interns:

The ESRA Outstanding Service Award acknowledges sustained and high-level contributions to European survey research, either of a methodological, substantive or infrastructural nature.  Nominations are made and voted on by members of the ESRA Committee.

Natalie publishes widely in areas of survey statistics and survey methodology, including survey design and estimation, adaptive survey designs, small area estimation, non-probability sampling, data linkage and integration, confidentiality and privacy. 

She is an elected member of the International Statistical Institute (ISI), a fellow of the Royal Statistical Society, a fellow of the Academy of Social Sciences and President 2023-2025 of the International Association of Survey Statisticians.  She also serves on editorial boards and international Methodology Advisory Boards at National Statistical Institutes.

In her acceptance speech for the award, Natalie noted that survey methodology and survey statistics are becoming increasingly important. She emphasised the need for high-quality randomised probability-based survey data to evaluate accuracy and mitigate biases in non-survey data sources, such as administrative data, big data and non-probability samples. She mentioned that only through the knowledge and understanding of the theoretical underpinnings of statistical methods and inference can we truly move forward into the digital and AI era.

The event provided a platform for key stakeholders and policymakers to discuss the findings from the , focusing on key areas of risk and priority actions moving forward.  

The discussions centred on aligning existing frameworks such as Environmental Land Management schemes and Biodiversity Net Gain frameworks, in order to preserve ecosystems, support climate adaptation, and balance competing land-use.  Sessions also addressed the challenges for sustainable and reliable food production, maintaining habitats and supporting the farming community. Further discussions included improving water resources and the practical steps needed to accelerate habitat restoration and species protection.

Other notable speakers at the conference included Dame Glenys Stacey, Chair, Office of Environmental protection, Georgie Barber, Countryside and Land Use Lead, Food, Farming and Countryside Commission who also delivered keynote addresses. The House of Lords was represented by the Earl of Devon.  

Ada Wossink reflects:

Methods@�������Ƶ is a Faculty-funded initiative developed to highlight the University’s strength in research methods across the social sciences. The jam-packed event not only offered attendees the chance to receive support from leading experts carrying out cutting-edge research but also created a supportive network of researchers who can continue to learn from one another.

Delegates had the opportunity to attend one of six specialised courses throughout the week, including training in Nvivo software, Qualitative Interviewing and Longitudinal Data Analysis, showcasing the considerable expertise in the Faculty across a range of methodological areas.

Some courses on offer were taught in collaboration with centres across the University. For example, the  offered a team-taught course focused on Creative Approaches to Qualitative Research and the  team ran a course focused on Digital Methods. New for this year, experts from the  offered a course in AI Driven Analytics, providing the opportunity for participants to explore pioneering methods using AI.

Students were particularly engaged and keen to deepen their research throughout the week, with course lead for Longitudinal Data Analysis, Thiago Oliveira, commenting:

During the event, delegates shared positive feedback on the course so far, appreciating the interactivity of the sessions and how engaging the facilitators were. One student reflected on the event, saying:

Another student commented: 

Alongside the practical courses, Methods@�������Ƶ also organised a series of social activities for delegates, including a walking tour around the city, helping to foster connections between researchers.

Students came away from the week feeling uplifted and motivated, with one student commenting:

To find out more about the Summer School and the courses that were on offer, visit the Schools and courses section of the .

Derry Duffy and a co-founder, Herbie Warner (a Theoretical Physics graduate) created ‘Cause’, the first online giving platform built specifically for small charities, making it easier for them to connect with donors, raise funds, and grow. Cause removes the barriers that small charities face when fundraising such as high advertising costs, low visibility and lack of digital expertise. Through the ‘app’, donors and charities can easily connect, either organically through data driven recommendations or through affordable, accessible and targeted marketing. Allowing small charities to have maximum impact is central to the mission of the ‘app’ so there are no platform fees or fees on donations for donors or small charities.

In Derry’s summer after his first year at university, he became aware of how the coming Cost of Living Crisis was likely to affect people, especially those who were already facing fuel and food insecurity. In response he thought it would be a good idea to set up a charity to support people in �������Ƶ through the Winter. However, the issue he couldn’t find an answer to was how to connect with local donors. He assumed a platform where small charities and local donors could connect would exist but it didn’t. Derry and co-founder Herbie decided to create that platform, an ‘app’ that allows donors to find small charities that are doing work close to their hearts.

Derry reflects on receiving the award:

Sarah will work collaboratively with an interdisciplinary group to provide decision-makers with the independent evidence they need to better understand arguments for and against extensions to the 14-day limit on human embryo research. The project, which is funded by a grant from Wellcome, will consist of four phases and will result in insights intended to support government in making evidence-based decisions on whether to review the current law.

The project will be completed in approximately 18 months and any insights will be shared as they are gathered.

When Professor re-designed the Miscarriages of Justice undergraduate module with Suzanne Gower, they did so with a clear purpose: to bring the law to life through real-world stories and to inspire students to think critically and compassionately about the justice system. But even they could not have anticipated the profound ripple effects that the assignments would create.

As part of the module’s assessment, Claire invited students to explore the theme of wrongful convictions in a creative format.  One student, Fatin Najwa Fadzli, deeply moved by what they had learned, chose to create a video blog (vlog) and dedicated it to , a former sub-postmaster who had been wrongly convicted during the infamous Post Office Horizon scandal.

Tom had previously visited the module to speak candidly to students about the devastating impact of being wrongly accused, tried, and convicted. His honesty, humility, and quiet strength left a lasting impression on everyone in the room. But for this student, Tom’s story did more than resonate, it sparked a calling.

The vlog was a heartfelt tribute, not just to Tom’s personal resilience but to the broader need for justice, reform, and accountability. Moved by the student's dedication, Claire reached out to Tom to share the vlog and the powerful message behind it. True to the compassionate spirit that defines him, Tom responded by writing a personal letter to the student, thanking them, encouraging them, and reminding them that their voice matters in the ongoing fight for justice.

That one moment, a connection between a student, a teacher, and a survivor of injustice, may have changed the student’s life. Inspired by both the academic experience and Tom’s courage, the student is now considering pursuing a , aiming to become part of the next generation of legal professionals working to prevent such tragedies from ever happening again. This would of course be alongside Najwas national team ice hockey appearances!

This is more than just a story of one student and one assignment. It is a reminder of the extraordinary power of education when it is rooted in empathy, real-world relevance, and human connection. It shows the importance of giving students the space to respond creatively and emotionally to the law and how, in doing so, they may just find their life’s purpose.

Professor Claire McGourlay continues to lead the way in innovative legal education, but stories like this remind us that her true legacy lies not only in curriculum design, but in the lives Claire shapes, one student, one story, one act of justice at a time.

Claire McGourlay reflects: 

The award was presented during the BISA 2025 annual conference, held in Belfast, and celebrates initiatives that have made a tangible impact on fostering inclusive academic environments. The University of �������Ƶ team who received the EDI prize consisted of , (both from the Politics department) and (Sociology department).

The Decolonial Praxis project, that the awardees co-lead, challenges colonial legacies in Higher Education, while ensuring a more ethical and social justice-oriented approach to international partnerships. It is a transformative initiative that embodies the principles of Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI). Its working method is to evolve the approach in collaboration with colleagues from other universities (so far that includes universities of Ghana, Nairobi and Pretoria).

The initiative has sought to rethink modes of decolonising by including a wider range of participant: students, staff including academics and research support staff, and artivists. It convened at the universities but also in local communities and art-spaces giving importance to locally produced knowledge and knowledge-practice. 

Over the last two years, activities have included mapping courses and degree programmes to highlight the ways in which structural inequalities persist as an evidence base to drive change within our School. Moreover, by engaging with colleagues from other universities and across disciplinary boundaries (in Nairobi the Faculty of Education; in Ghana the Interdisciplinary Institute for African Studies and in Pretoria the Department of Politics), the initiative has facilitated peer learning with implications for critical pedagogy, research and research support.

This initiative enhances diversity by amplifying marginalised voices and perspectives, through collaborative workshops and knowledge exchange. Through this initiative the project created an important space for critical dialogue and co-production of tools that advance decolonial praxis. This approach not only validates Indigenous knowledge but also ensures its relevance to socio-economic and cultural contexts, promoting sustainable development. The project’s long-term impact is secured through the ongoing development of a decolonial archive, and a number of publications.

This recognition underscores The University of �������Ƶ’s leadership in social responsibility and its commitment to inclusive excellence in higher education. The project has been funded by the International Science Partnerships scheme and the Faculty of Humanities at �������Ƶ.

Centred around the newly published book (Palgrave Macmillan), the event challenged traditional notions of leadership by highlighting the often-unrecognised influence of incarcerated individuals. These leaders, shaped by survival and solidarity rather than hierarchy, offer critical insights into reforming a prison system in crisis.

Guest speaker (former Professor, University of �������Ƶ) underscored the importance of recognising lived experience as a legitimate and powerful form of knowledge. The event called for a shift from tokenistic inclusion to genuine collaboration across sectors—between academics, policymakers, and those directly impacted by incarceration.

The organisers emphasised that real reform must be rooted in humility, shared leadership, and a commitment to justice that listens to those who have lived it.

The visit resulted in MPs and Justice Select Committee representatives asking that the presented Policy recommendations based on the book’s findings be translated into law, illustrating how research-led impact can emerge in decision-making spaces.

Learn more about how Prisoner Leadership is reimagining justice from the inside out in our latest .

While serving on the Centre’s Board of Trustees, Megan identified a communication gap affecting service users whose first language is not English. Drawing on her role within the School of Social Sciences’ Social Responsibility Committee, she proposed a new volunteer project specifically for individuals with second-language skills. With the committee’s backing and in collaboration with the Booth Centre, the pilot programme launched in 2024.

Megan has played a key role in coordinating between the University and the Centre – scheduling training, creating information sheets and leaflets and setting up volunteer recruitment. “It has been a pleasure to help with this, and I can already start to see the incredible impact it has had,” she said. “The Booth Centre is such a wonderful organisation and benefits the wider community, so anything I can do, however small, to help them help others, I’ll do it.”

Reflecting on the award, Megan said:

Megan received her award at the MDC Excellence Awards ceremony, which took place on Tuesday 17th June. The event celebrated the exceptional contributions of postgraduate researchers across the University, and Megan’s recognition highlights the power of community-focused research and the meaningful impact students can have beyond academia.

It finds a ‘dose-response relationship’ between racial discrimination and poor mental health (ie the negative impact on mental health increased with increasing number of times and areas in which racism was experienced).

The authors also examine the impact of experiencing racism over many years. Recent experiences of racial discrimination (within the past 5 years only) had a stronger effect on mental health compared to experiences of racial discrimination that happened over five years ago. Chronic experiences of racial discrimination over someone’s life (both past and recent experiences) had the strongest effect on mental health.

Drawing on data from , the largest and most comprehensive survey to document the lives of ethnic and religious minorities in Britain during the pandemic, the report also shows how experiences of racial discrimination were associated with testing positive for COVID-19, financial concerns, feelings of loneliness, and a reduced sense of belonging. Racial discrimination also indirectly contributed to poor mental health, through these experiences.

The report is written by Patricia Irizar, Dharmi Kapadia, Harry Taylor, Gertrude Wafula, Albert Kwansa, Charles Kwaku-Odoi, Laia Bécares and Srinivasa Vittal Katikireddi.

This report summarises published in 'Sociology of Health & Illness' (open access).

The three BA (Econ) students, Irene Madu, Vania Ahiakwo and Sonia (Germaine) Garba Enyai, worked on the app alongside their studies to create a supportive resource for young people.

They said: “At the start, we were just bouncing around ideas between lectures, trying to find common ground on something we believed could actually make a difference. Building Clarify meant juggling exams, research projects, and tight deadlines — but we kept pushing.

Drawing insights from a recent Santander finding that 79% of young people report feeling unprepared for financial realities, the app offers courses, videos and features on taxes, pensions, warranties and other areas often underrepresented in traditional education.

The Clarify team added: “Many lack knowledge about legal rights or how to access help. We've spoken with peers, surveyed students, and collaborated with professionals — all pointing to the same insight: there’s a clear, urgent demand for accessible, inclusive life-readiness education.”

The app team is currently inviting students to and help shape the platform into a meaningful and accessible resource for young people across the UK.

Me neither, but that’s where we ended up in this recent innovative and energising session with , a Sociologist of Everyday Life and a member of the .

We started the session with a useful but whistle stop tour of thematic analysis, which set the scene for a reflection on what is really meant by themes in the interpretation of data, and how this process might change if we allow for a more reflexive approach which allows us to consider more carefully the ways we ‘work’ with data and our emotional connections with that data.

According to Andy, data is lively, and opening up to that liveliness entails recognising data’s many shapes and forms, rather than the ‘straight lines’ of themes so beloved of procedural-focused approaches to analysis, and the ways that we ‘live with’ data in our everyday lives as researchers.

The workshop then moved on to a practical encounter with our data through painting on our transcripts or making data poetry with them. 

Whether used as an end in itself or a tool to see data differently, perhaps surmounting an interpretation impasse, 38 workshop attendees eagerly embraced brush strokes and poetry. Analysis and interpretation were re-imagined and re-shaped, our data came alive, we read and saw it differently.

You can find out more about Andy’s ‘painting with data’ technique in and I will be eagerly awaiting the Morgan Centre book due to hit the shelves in Autumn, which Andy is co-authoring with Morgan Centre colleagues (Sophie Woodward, James Fletcher, James Hodgson and Jess Mancuso).

In the meantime you could satisfy your creative thirst with the Morgan Centre’s ‘creative approaches to qualitative research’ course, but do hurry as we are at near -full capacity!

Methods@�������Ƶ workshops and activities

To keep up-to-date with Methods@�������Ƶ events and activities see our and do let us know if there are particular innovative and advanced methodological approaches you would like to suggest for inclusion in next year’s workshop programme.

Policy subsystems are comprised of competing advocacy coalitions, in which public and private political actors with shared belief systems learn from each other and coordinate their strategies in the pursuit of influencing policy making in their favour. 

While numerous studies have focused on the longevity and structural stability of advocacy coalitions, there is scant theory and evidence on how nascent policy subsystems bifurcate into stable, competing coalitions. 

This article proposes a three-stage model of problem discovery, differentiation, and consolidation. 

We apply discourse network analysis to the nascent subsystem of the UK's COVID-19 response in order to study these phases and discuss their applicability and implications for other institutional and issue contexts.

Born in 1938 in the ‘white’ highlands of Kenya - the heart of the colonised landscape - the colonial regime shaped his family’s life. His lifelong dedication as a scholar and activist has left an indelible mark on the global decolonisation movement, particularly for the African diaspora.

Since 1964, he was honoured with numerous awards, honorary doctorates and prizes in recognition of his enduring efforts against the adverse impacts of colonisation. He was one of the few remaining scholars and activists whose work defines the grand eras of decolonisation of the African and global diasporic mind.

Our School was fortunate to host Professor wa Thiogn’o when he delivered our prestigious annual Arthur Lewis lecture in October 2023. This series of lectures commenced in 2015 to mark the 100th anniversary of the birth of the economist Arthur Lewis, who became Britain’s first black professor when he was appointed as a professor at the University of �������Ƶ in 1948.

In his lecture, chaired by , Ngũgĩ discussed the harms caused by imperialism and colonialisation, focusing on their lasting impact on native languages, African knowledge, memory, the environment and human rights. The lecture was then followed by a conversation with Esther Stanford-Xosei, community advocate and international expert on reparatory justice, addressing African-centred solutions to these lasting legacies. The event was attended by over 500 people – a recording of the event can be located on our .

The day after the lecture, Professor wa Thiong’o discussed the importance of continuing decolonial and reparatory work with colleagues from our School, guests from our partner institution, the University of Nairobi, and local community leaders. Particular emphasis was given to the role universities have in continuing decolonial work and building equitable partnerships. His visit also marked an important moment in School’s formal collaborations with African universities.

For example, the (ISPF (ODA) funded project on Decolonial Knowledge Production in HE and the British Academy funded project (EP for AfRICa) contributes to the school's approach. EP for AfRICa in particular acknowledges that all partner universities bring unique perspectives and can learn from one another.

Through joint learning, peer exchange, and inclusive institutional strategies, partner universities are building capacity across the entire research lifecycle. By centering equity and local ownership, the initiative aims to reshape international collaboration into a model of co-leadership and long-term adaptability.

The day concludes with Creative �������Ƶ’s Solstice and Equinox event and an exclusive DJ set by Jazzie B himself. 

The summer solstice event brings together two remarkable cultural figures against the backdrop of the UNESCO World Heritage site of Jodrell Bank, home to the iconic Lovell telescope. This unique combination of research and public engagement events contributes to Creative �������Ƶ's ongoing mission to foster dialogue between different creative disciplines and cultural perspectives.

The conversation, chaired by Dr Sophie Everest, Lecturer in Film Practice and Filmmaker, will explore the intersections of music, history, and cultural heritage in a setting of scientific discovery and innovation.

Coach transport to and from Jodrell Bank and admission to the Solstice and Equinox event are included in the conference ticket. 

Celebrating Jazzie B's legacy

Trevor Beresford Romeo OBE, known as Jazzie B, is a DJ, music producer, entrepreneur and founding member of the iconic music collective, Soul II Soul. Born in London to parents of Antiguan descent, Jazzie began DJing in the 1980s on pirate radio and holding parties adapting the reggae sound system. This evolved into the formation of the Soul II Soul Collective and signature sound, a number one single, global success, two Grammy Awards, and the sale of millions of records.

Soul II Soul and Jazzie B have left an indelible mark on British culture, not only through their music but also via legendary club nights, fashion lines, retail ventures, and radio shows on both pirate station Kiss FM and the BBC. Jazzie was awarded an OBE in 2008, and in 2024, Soul II Soul received the MOBO Lifetime Achievement Award in recognition of an enduring impact on British music and culture.

Archival Collaboration with The University of �������Ƶ

The event is part of an ongoing collaboration between Jazzie B and researchers at The University of �������Ƶ, who are working together to document his extensive personal archive. This archival project represents an important effort to preserve and study the cultural impact of Soul II Soul and the broader musical and cultural movements they influenced.

Following their conversation, the evening will culminate in a special DJ set from Jazzie B himself, bringing his signature sound to the First Light Pavilion—a rare opportunity to experience his musical artistry in such a unique scientific setting.

The Solstice and Equinox Series: Bridging Arts and Sciences

The evening event is part of Creative �������Ƶ's Solstice and Equinox series, which brings innovative creative artists to The University of �������Ƶ's four Cultural Institutions. Each of our unique cultural institutions – the Whitworth, the John Rylands Research Institute and Library, �������Ƶ Museum and Jodrell Bank Discovery Centre – focus on building civic, national and international partnerships to advance the social, environmental and individual wellbeing of our communities.

 will chair the Sociology panel and  has been appointed deputy chair of the Music, Drama, Dance, Performing Arts, Film and Screen Studies panel.

They will lead their units of assessment through the criteria setting phase, beginning later this year, and on through to the final assessment.

Their appointments take the total number of University colleagues with REF 2029 roles to eight.

Six colleagues are members to the REF People, Culture and Environment (PCE) pilot panels:

• , Professor of Health Sciences, for Unit of Assessment 3 – Allied Health Professions, Dentistry, Nursing and Pharmacy; 
• , Professor of Inclusive Researcher and Academic Development, for Unit of Assessment 5 – Biological Sciences; 
• , Professor of Medical Biophysics, for Unit of Assessment 11 – Computer Science and Informatics;
• , Research Culture and Assessment Manager, for Unit of Assessment 17 – Business and Management Studies; 
• , Vice-Dean Research, Humanities and Chair in Drama, for Unit of Assessment 28 – History; 
• , Senior Lecturer in Theatre and Performance, for Unit of Assessment 33 – Music, Drama, Dance, Performing Arts, Film and Screen Studies, as well as her new deputy chair role. 

In October, , Professor in Global Politics, was appointed to the REF People and Diversity Advisory Panel, while Dr Cathal Rogers, Research Culture and Assessment Manager, was .

Vice-President for Research, Professor Colette Fagan said:

REF Director Rebecca Fairbairn said:

Further information

The Research Excellence Framework (REF) is the UK’s system for assessing the excellence of research in UK higher education institutions (HEIs). The REF outcomes are used to inform the allocation of around £2 billion per year of public funding for universities’ research. The REF is a process of expert review, carried out by sub-panels focused on subject-based units of assessment, under the guidance of overarching main panels and advisory panels.

To find out more, visit: 

The award-winning series follows the pair as they retrace the steps of the Grand Tour across Europe, exploring art, culture, and identity with warmth and wit. The programme has been praised for its engaging storytelling and emotional depth, earning widespread acclaim and now, one of television’s highest honours.

Rob Rinder studied at the University of �������Ƶ, graduating with a double first in Politics and Modern History, a joint honours degree spanning both the and the . His academic achievements laid the foundation for a distinguished career in law, broadcasting, and public engagement.

The success of Rob and Rylan’s Grand Tour has seen it renewed for a second series, where the duo will travel to India and retrace the steps of Rob’s favourite author E.M. Forster.

We are proud to celebrate this achievement and to count Rob among our inspiring alumni.

Our colleagues, Eduardo Fé & Mario Pezzino, have published a study in Decisions in Economics and Finance. Read the paper: .

Co-creation - where students help design teaching materials - has clear short-term benefits for engagement and soft skill development. But our new research shows it also creates powerful intertemporal peer effects: students exposed to co-created materials become more motivated, feel part of a learning community, and are more likely to co-create themselves.

We develop a dynamic model of how co-created resources influence student effort over time and test this through a behavioral experiment in an intermediate microeconomics course. The results suggest that co-creation not only deepens learning, but can gradually reshape education culture—boosting what we call "education morale."

Findings

• Co-creation promotes responsibility, reciprocity, and intrinsic motivation
• Exposure to peer-created materials increases future engagement
• Even small interventions (e.g., emails from former students) can create measurable, lasting effects.

The is judged on service to British sociology and was given to Claire for her outstanding contributions to the discipline and extraordinary life as a sociologist, having researched and published on race, ethnicity, youth and migration in the UK for over thirty years.

Claire’s work has been centrally concerned with understanding and challenging racial and ethnic inequalities in Britain, and she has been researching Black and Asian youth identities in Britain for over 25 years, from an ethnographic perspective.

In 2024, she completed , in which she re-interviewed the original participants of her 'Asian Gang' (2000) research, 15 years after the original ethnography.

Claire is also a member of the  and a trustee of the Esmee Fairbairn Foundation and Active Communities Network.

The conference celebrated the work of sociology and its positive influence on individual lives and social transformations, exploring the nature of and responses to local and global challenges and changes. It was attended by leading scholars who are passionate about understanding and influencing social change.

On receiving the award, Claire said:

Affect Theatre is an interdisciplinary method of research analysis and curation that decentres text and engages directly with the material elements of fieldwork.

A recent event introduced the method of Affect Theatre, offering a new way to engage with empirical research material, organised by researchers Meghan Rose Donnelly and Pete Carruthers, and led by the method’s creators, Cristiana Giordano and Greg Pierotti.

When writing up our fieldwork in academic outputs, it can be too easy to follow the conventions of text - and to lose some of the essential liveness of research along the way.

Affect Theatre is an interdisciplinary method of research analysis and curation that addresses this problem. By decentering text and engaging directly with the material elements of fieldwork—sounds, objects, lighting, dress, architecture, etc.—the method helps researchers explore the affective qualities of their subject matter, before boxing them into a linear analysis. Designed with anthropologists and ethnographers in mind, the method also provides a way for artists to create meaningful performances out of empirical research, true stories, and real people.

The workshop

In March 2025, participants in �������Ƶ had the opportunity to experiment with Affect Theatre in a workshop led by the method’s creators: Cristiana Giordano and Greg Pierotti.

Giordanno and Pierotti have been for over a decade to develop the method, presenting workshops around the world and producing two full-length plays (one on police violence in the US and another on illicit migration into Italy). on the method was recently published with Bloomsbury.

Over 3 days in �������Ƶ, Giordano and Pierotti walked participants—researchers and students, anthropologists and artists—through the steps of Affect Theatre. Participants created short theatrical ‘episodes’ highlighting the affective and material qualities of research elements. How does a scarf sound when you snap it through the air? How does light shift from warm to cool on a person’s skin?

After being presented to the group, each episode was then analysed both for its affective qualities and for the kinds of stories it seemed to tell.

On the final day of the workshop, participants began to join multiple episodes together to make short sequences that transitioned into each other. 

They also added another level of detail and context by having Meghan Rose read out small sections of text from her field notes, relating to her anthropological research on the lives of Catholic nuns on the Indonesian island of Flores. In the photos you can see the participants working in small groups to create one of these sequences.

The first episode was connected to a description of nuns at evening prayer, where some of the nuns had a fit of giggles whilst ‘praying the rosary’. 

The three panel lights and the Indonesian scarves, brought by Meghan Rose to the workshop, were used to create a sense of ritual, structure and repetition, evoking the formality and choreography of the liturgy, contrasting against the giggles of the nuns.

This episode transitioned to another previously unrelated episode, which the group connected to an extract from a story about a trip to the beach, where the nuns were required to cover their heads as they watched children splashing in the sea.

Feedback from attendees of the full workshop, as well as from those who only attended the masterclass at the end of day 3, was universally positive, with many people expressing a desire to learn more about the Affect Theatre method and apply it to their own research in the future.

Here are just a few examples of the written and verbal feedback from the workshop:

What’s next?

The workshop on Affect Theatre galvanised the University of �������Ƶ’s anthropology department’s research focus on performance and highlighted the interest in interdisciplinary methods between anthropology and drama amongst researchers and students across the North West. We can expect future explorations, including a longer workshop, next academic year when Giordano returns to �������Ƶ as a Simon Visiting Professor.

Participants in the workshop are already beginning to work Affect Theatre into their projects, including a Masters’ project on taxi drivers in �������Ƶ, a PhD engaged research project on mental health training for nurses, and a faculty-led collaborative project bringing ethnographic research to the stage. You can catch that show, .

Meghan Rose and Pete will reflect on the workshop at a as well as in the School of Social Sciences (SoSS) Scholarship Showcase on 25 June. Come along to find out more and to register your interest in future workshops.

To find out more about methods@manchester and connect with us, visit our or email methods@manchester.ac.uk. 

. 

Key findings

• There was a significant fall in the Christian population, from 37.3 million (72%) in 2001 to 26.2 million (46%) in 2021.
•  At the same time the number of Muslims (1.5 million to 3.8 million), Hindus (0.5 million to 1 million) and those with no religion (7.2 million to 20.7 million) has more than doubled.
• There has been a significant drop in the percentage of White British, White Irish and mixed ethnicity groups (e.g. in 2001 82% of White British respondents identified as Christian compared with 49% in 2021). Most other ethnic categories saw a more gradual decline. 
• Across most ethnic categories, younger people are less likely to say they are Christian. 
• Looking at migration history, some ethnic categories (White British, White other, Indian, Asian other and black African and Caribbean, recent arrivals are more likely to be Christian than those born in the UK)
• Migration has contributed to the growth in the Christian population recently with 1.2 million Christians migrating to the UK between 2001 and 2011 and 1.9 million between 2011 and 2021 compared to only 0.4 million between 1991 and 2001. The majority of Christian migrants between 2011 and 2021 came from Europe. 

See the report for more detailed data from each region of England. The report is written by .

The paper “Goodbye human annotators? Content analysis of social policy debates using ChatGPT” can be .

Content analysis is a valuable tool for analysing policy discourse, but annotation by humans is costly and time consuming. ChatGPT is a potentially valuable tool to partially automate content analysis for policy debates, largely replacing human annotators. 

We evaluate ChatGPT’s ability to classify documents using pre-defined argument descriptions, comparing its performance with human annotators for two policy debates: the Universal Basic Income debate on Dutch Twitter (2014–2016) and the pension reforms debate in German newspapers (1993–2001). We use the API (GPT-4 Turbo) and user interface version (GPT-4) and evaluate multiple performance metrics (accuracy, precision and recall). 

ChatGPT is highly reliable and accurate in classifying pre-defined arguments across datasets. However, precision and recall are much lower, and vary strongly between arguments. These results hold for both datasets, despite differences in language and media type. Moreover, the cut-off method proposed in this paper may aid researchers in navigating the trade-off between detection and noise. 

Overall, we do not (yet) recommend a blind application of ChatGPT to classify arguments in policy debates. Those interested in adopting this tool should manually validate bot classifications before using them in further analyses. At least for now, human annotators are here to stay.

The paper “When does discursive change happen? Detecting phase transitions in discourse networks of sustainability transitions” can be found

Sustainability Transitions Research (STR) confronts complex societal challenges by examining societal shifts and their trajectories. An emerging perspective in STR is discursive approaches, which analyse the role of discourses and discourse coalitions in shaping sustainability transitions. However, discursive approaches face challenges regarding the analysis of sustainability transition processes as complex, temporal processes of stability and change. 

We discuss the nature of these challenges and extend the method of discourse network analysis (DNA) by measuring distinct temporal states (phases of stability) in discourse networks and detecting phase transitions (significant changes) between these discursive states. 

Whereas most approaches analyse discursive changes in a top-down way, we introduce a method for the bottom-up detection of discursive stability and change. This facilitates a more accurate tracing of how sustainability transitions unfold over time. An empirical application of this extension to the discursive networks around the introduction of a Low Emission Zone demonstrates how and when discourses and actors display significant structural shifts. This methodological innovation addresses the need for measuring stability and change in the complex, discursive, temporal dynamics of sustainability transitions.

Highlights

• Identification of 3 challenges of discursive approaches to energy transitions.
• Discourse Network Analysis is extended by drawing on mathematical network science.
• Bottom-up detection of temporal phases, states, transitions in discourse networks.
• Energy transitions should be analysed through the lens of temporal networks.
• Case study on the changing debate on a low emission zone in Ghent, Belgium.

You can read the paper, “Multiregional Population Forecasting: A Unifying Probabilistic Approach for Modelling the Components of Change”, on.

Regional population forecasts are important for planning and understanding how populations are changing and redistributing. To forecast regional population changes, one must have a mechanism to capture different sources of population growth. In low fertility and developed societies, the main factors driving population redistribution are internal migration and immigration, for which both tend to concentrate people towards large metropolitan areas. 

In this article, we extend the multiregional cohort-component population projection model developed by Andrei Rogers and colleagues in the 1960s and 1970s to be fully probabilistic, by using Bayesian inference. We apply the model to forecast population for eight states and territories in Australia. 

The projections are based on forecasts of age-, sex- and region-specific fertility, mortality, interregional migration, immigration and emigration. The approach is unified by forecasting each demographic component of change by using a combination of log-linear models with bilinear terms. 

This research contributes to the literature by providing a flexible statistical modelling framework capable of incorporating the high dimensionality of the demographic components over time.

Forecasts of a population totals by sex for states and territories in Australia, b total population. States or territories: NSW—New South Wales, VIC—Victoria, QLD—Queensland, SA—South Australia, WA—Western Australia, TAS—Tasmania, NT—Northern Territory, ACT—Australian Capital Territory.