Newsroom University of ��Թϱ��

Reluctance to rely on China for green technology could slow climate action

Thu, 12 Mar 2026 08:00:00 +0000

New research suggests that concerns about relying too heavily on Chinese manufacturing are shaping climate policy - and could even delay the adoption of green technologies around the world.

The study by Dr James Jackson from ��Թϱ��, working alongside Dr Mathias Larsen from the London School of Economics, examined how China’s rapid rise as a clean-technology powerhouse has transformed the global energy transition.

While Chinese investment and industrial policy have helped reduce the cost of renewable energy technologies, the research - published in the journal - found that geopolitical tensions are increasingly influencing how governments respond.

For households and businesses, the impact of China’s manufacturing boom has been clear - solar panels, electric vehicle batteries and other low-carbon technologies are far cheaper than they were a decade ago. According to the researchers, this is partly because China has built enormous production capacity through long-term industrial planning, state investment and support for domestic manufacturers.

Those policies helped create the global supply chains that many countries now rely on to roll out renewable energy systems, making the technologies needed for climate action more accessible worldwide - but the study argues that this success has also created new political tensions.

As Chinese firms dominate key sectors of the clean technology economy, governments elsewhere are increasingly concerned about dependence on overseas supply chains for critical infrastructure. Solar panels on rooftops, batteries in electric cars and components used in renewable energy systems often trace back to factories in China.

According to the researchers, this has changed how climate policy is debated. Instead of focusing only on environmental targets, policymakers are also asking where the industries of the green transition will be located - and which countries will benefit economically.

The result is a push in some countries to build domestic clean technology industries, including batteries and electric vehicles. Governments in Europe and North America are investing heavily in new factories and supply chains to try to compete with China’s industrial strength.

While these policies aim to boost economic security and protect local jobs, they can also create tensions in climate policy. Producing technologies domestically can be more expensive and slower than importing them from established global suppliers, creating a difficult balancing act.

“The fastest way to cut emissions may be to deploy the cheapest technologies available, many of which are produced in China - however, political pressure to reduce reliance on foreign manufacturing may encourage governments to prioritise local production, even if this delays deployment” said Dr Jackson. “As the world works to replace fossil fuels with renewable energy, the success of climate action may depend not only on technological innovation, but also on how countries manage growing competition over the industries that power the transition.

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Five ��Թϱ�� academics become Fellows of the Academy of Social Sciences

Mon, 09 Mar 2026 12:34:02 +0000

The Academy of Social Sciences has elected five experts from ��Թϱ�� as Fellows in recognition of their significant contributions to social science, highlighting the relevance of the social sciences in understanding and addressing the many varied societal challenges facing the UK and the world today.

Professor Lucy Frith is a leading bioethicist whose work spans socio-legal studies and health research. She is internationally recognised for her work in empirical bioethics and her research on the social and ethical implications of reproductive donation, and the governance of emerging reproductive technologies.

Lucy is Co-Director of the University’s Centre for Social Ethics & Policy, and she serves on the Executive Committee of the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology (ESHRE). She has held visiting professorships at the Centre for Medical Ethics and Law at The University of Hong Kong and at Charles University, Prague, and is Co-Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Medical Ethics.

“I am delighted to be elected a Fellow of the Academy of Social Sciences, and I am grateful to the Society of Socio-Legal Studies for the nomination,” said Lucy. “I am looking forward to working with colleagues across disciplines and further integrating bioethical analysis into the social sciences, as such interdisciplinary research is increasingly vital to addressing complex global challenges.”

Professor of Politics James Pattison is an international political theorist specialising in ethical issues relating to peace and conflict. His research examines moral responsibility in war, including humanitarian intervention, private military force and economic sanctions, with his current work focusing on ethical responses to rising global authoritarianism and the challenges posed by a shifting international order.

James is the author of several influential books that have shaped both academic scholarship and policy debates on global peace and security. His work is widely recognised across political theory and international relations, contributing significantly to contemporary debates on war and intervention.

“I’m delighted and honoured to receive this award,” said James. “It means a lot to me to become a Fellow of the Academy of the Social Sciences and I look forward to working to promote the social sciences further in my work, highlighting the vital role of social science in shaping the ideas and ethical frameworks that guide global responses to war, authoritarianism, and mass atrocities.”

Professor of Innovation Studies Elvira Uyarra is a leading expert on innovation policy, regional development, and public procurement. Her research examines how public policy can foster innovation, support economic transformation, and enable sustainability transitions.

Elvira has played a key role in major interdisciplinary research programmes and contributed extensively to academic and policy debates on innovation and regional growth. Her work has helped inform government strategies on innovation-led development and strengthening regional innovation systems.

“I’m honoured to be elected a Fellow of the Academy of Social Sciences,” said Elvira. “This recognition reflects not just my own work, but the value of collaborative research on innovation, place, and public policy. I look forward to continuing to contribute to the social sciences community.”

Professor of Politics and Development Sam Hickey is a leading scholar of the political economy of development. His research examines how political institutions, governance and elite incentives shape poverty reduction, social protection and inclusive growth, particularly in Africa.

Sam has played a major leadership role in international research programmes, including the Effective States and Inclusive Development Research Centre, and has advised organisations such as the World Bank and UNICEF. He has also contributed to influential books and policy debates on governance and development, helping shape contemporary approaches to inclusive development.

Professor of International Relations Oliver Richmond is a leading figure in peace and conflict studies. His research focuses on peacebuilding, international intervention, and post-conflict political order, and he is known for developing critical approaches that emphasise local agency and “hybrid peace.”

Oliver has authored numerous influential books which have helped reshape scholarly and policy understandings of peacebuilding. His work has had a major global impact on debates about how sustainable peace is formed and maintained.

The Ethics of Intervention in Iran

Mon, 09 Mar 2026 12:29:43 +0000

In justifying the joint United States-Israel airstrikes on Iran, , claiming that their action will enable the liberation of the repressed Iranian population. The leader of the Iranian opposition in exile, Reza Pahlavi (the son of the deposed Shah of Iran), has called the action a “”, suggesting that its “target is the Islamic Republic, its repressive apparatus, and its machinery of slaughter”.

In light of the awful brutality by the Iranian government against the uprising in late December 2025, the case for humanitarian intervention in Iran is not obviously implausible. The Iranian writer, Hamidreza Zarifinia, argued in early January 2026 that “” and “can be considered entirely legitimate and humanitarian”. In similar vein, writing shortly before the strikes, the Volt party in Europe argued that the Iranians “deserve” intervention “in the face of a ”, although cautioned about a US-led military intervention without the authorisation of the Security Council and in contravention of the requirements of the Responsibility to Protect (R2P) doctrine.

In this respect, there are echoes of the justifications presented in the buildup to the 2003 War in Iraq, where those supporting the action highlighted the brutality of the Saddam Hussein regime to help defend the war. Like the 2003 War in Iraq, moreover, the intervention in Iran is . It is also not the last resort, given that diplomacy was starting to work in exerting pressure on the Iranian regime, and it lacks legitimate authority, without any attempt to seek the approval of the United Nations Security Council. Indeed, like Iraq, the intervention in Iran fails to meet all the traditional criteria of Just War Theory. But I want to argue that the action in Iran is even worse, having even weaker grounds to be deemed humanitarian than the War in Iraq.

1. Humanitarian Regime Change?

The United States and Israel’s actions suggest that . Regime change generally has a bad rap. Yet it would be an error to claim, as some did in response to the intervention in Libya and the debate around the War in Iraq, that regime change can never be humanitarian. The removal of a repressive regime can potentially be humanitarian – and a legitimate goal of humanitarian intervention, to the extent that it facilitates the end of a humanitarian crisis (which is rare). But for regime change to be humanitarian, it needs to be likely that the regime will be replaced by something better – by a stable liberal democracy, for instance.

Yet, in the case of Iran, it seems that, even if there were successful regime change, it is questionable that any alternative regime would be much better. The Shah’s son has been mooted as a potential successor, but it is unclear that he would have sufficient support within Iran. It’s also dubious that there is a clear path to regime change. The Ayatollah was not the regime; the removal of the Iranian Revolution Guard Corps will be extremely difficult, with most commentators suggesting it would require boots on the ground or a major internal uprising. As , “[t]here are good reasons why previous presidents were reluctant to become embroiled in a War in Iraq. Trump has ignored all the caveats”.

2. Motives and Intentions

Moreover, the motives of Trump and Netanyahu for undertaking the action seem to be far from humanitarian, with that their motives are to help them with their upcoming elections, and, in the case of Trump, to help to provide a distraction to relieve some of the pressure about his ties to Epstein. Likewise, the motives for George W. Bush’s actions in the War in Iraq were widely suggested to ultimately be about securing oil, as well as to fulfil the legacy of his father, who had failed to remove Saddam Hussein 12 years previously.

But the motives of those undertaking intervention don’t determine whether it’s a humanitarian intervention. Motives are far too difficult to determine reliably, given the difficulty of knowing another’s mindset. This is for assessing the violations of the law; it uses them only to determine sentencing, and even then only when they are apparent. Instead, we look to intentions to help define actions – to the purposes of actions rather than underlying reasons.

How does one determine an intervener’s intentions? There are . On all three indicators, the action against Iran scores very poorly – and even worse than Iraq.

a. General rhetoric

The first is to examine the general rhetoric of the actors and the role that humanitarian justifications are playing. In the case of the intervention in Iran, the rhetoric is generally inconsistent. At best, humanitarian claims are largely an afterthought. With Iraq, there was a clear plan for the combat phase to achieve the stated objectives – the removal of Saddam Hussein’s regime. (As is well known, there was no plausible post-war plan, leading to carnage). With Iran, there is not even a clear plan for achieving the objective of regime change, given that bombing alone seems unlikely to lead to this. So, even if the stated goal of regime change were potentially humanitarian, there is no clear plan for this.

b. Actions

The second indicator is to examine the ongoing or likely actions. Are they indicative of a humanitarian response, such as by attempting to minimise civilian casualties? Here it seems extremely unlikely. Already there are that an elementary school has been hit, killing 165 people, most of them girls aged between 7 and 12. There are also (a strike followed by another one once aid workers arrive) and attacks on civilian infrastructure. An intervener with a humanitarian intention would surely take much more care.

It was that there would be major humanitarian blowbacks with action, with warnings that the Strait of Hormuz could be shut, leading to a potential food crisis as the region lacks sufficient fertiliser, as well as harm to the global economy – which typically greatly affects the most vulnerable, who bear much of the costs. It was also expected that Iran would strike civilian targets and those of allies of the United States and Israel. Although Iran is clearly responsible for such harm, and is itself fighting a hugely unjust war of self-defence, its intervening agency does not completely abrogate the responsibility of Israel and the United States, given that the harm was foreseeable, and agents are still responsible for mediated harms. My point, then, is that the likely disproportionality of the action – the likely severe humanitarian effects – demonstrates a lack of humanitarian intention.

c. Past behaviour

The third test is previous behaviour. Has the agent undertaken humanitarian action previously that suggests that this is a pattern of behaviour? It might be thought that only legitimate states can undertake humanitarian intervention. But the history of humanitarian intervention has been littered with cases of seemingly illegitimate states – of states that are far from being liberal democracies – intervening for humanitarian purposes in other states, such as Tanzania’s intervention in Uganda in 1979 and the Nigerian-led interventions in Sierra Leone and Liberia in the early 1990s.

What matters for this assessment is not the intervener’s treatment of its own population, but its record of external behaviour. The human rights violations and growing authoritarianism of the Trump and Netanyahu regimes internally don’t discount the possibility that their states could in principle undertake humanitarian intervention. But their external behaviour – their recent foreign policy – clearly suggests that this is highly unlikely. There’s no need to belabour the point that this indicator is clearly not met, given the and beyond, and ongoing US support for , as well as the destruction of the humanitarian aid regime by the Trump administration.

3. Justification versus Classification

Some might hold that whether the action in Iran is a humanitarian intervention is beside the point. Indeed, it’s important to separate the classification of an action from its justification. There have been humanitarian interventions that were unjustified; some claim that was true of the 2011 intervention in . There are also some nonhumanitarian interventions that have been justified, such as those that aim to ensure self or other-defence against serious external aggression. Yet it’s quite clear that the intervention in Iran is hugely morally problematic, even if it were somehow deemed still ‘humanitarian’. Indeed, it seems even worse than the War in Iraq in another way.

The War in Iraq demonstrated deep hubris and led to hundreds of thousands dying, as well as wider regional instability. The intervention in Iran threatens this – indeed, this seems a likely outcome at the time of writing. And, like the War in Iraq, the intervention causes huge damage to the laws and norms governing the resort to force. But, in Iraq, there was at least a commitment to attempt to stay and sort out the mess, even if this did lead to a hugely problematic post-war occupation. Colin Powell famously invoked the Pottery Barn Rule – ‘you break it, you own it’. For all its problems, the Pottery Barn Rule at least demonstrates a sense of duty to redress wrongs and to attempt to ensure beneficial consequences over the long term. With the intervention in Iran, by contrast, there seems to be the opposite to the Pottery Barn Rule – break it and run. There is no commitment to the population, to fulfil the remedial duties to fix the likely major mess.

We can see then not only is the war in Iran far from being humanitarian intervention and a just war, it’s even worse than the 2003 War in Iraq, the quintessential unjust war of the past three decades.

James Pattison is Professor of Politics at the University of ��Թϱ�� and an expert on ethical issues in global peace and security. He is the author of several books on war, intervention, and global justice, including Humanitarian Intervention and the Responsibility to Protect: Who Should Intervene? (OUP, 2010) and The Alternatives to War: From Sanctions to Nonviolence (OUP, 2018).

Notes:

Trump that “[f]inally, to the great, proud people of Iran, I say tonight that the hour of your freedom is at hand…when we are finished, take over your government. It will be yours to take. This will be probably your only chance for generations.” Various Republican figures have come out strongly in support of the action and some have invoked humanitarian justifications. For instance, Don Bacon that “[a]fter the regime just murdered approximately 50,000 Iranians, it is time to help the Iranian people get rid of the Ayatollah once and for all”.

The UN Secretary-General, António Guterres, has described the US-Israeli strikes as .

Marc Wellar on Iran.

The on intervening agency is that responsibility for harm is only somewhat diminished and agents are still responsible for bringing about reasonably foreseeable harms.

Trump’s move away from the Pottery Barn rule is by one commentator.

Disclaimer: Any views or opinions expressed on The Public Ethics Blog are solely those of the post author(s) and not The Stockholm Centre for the Ethics of War and Peace, Stockholm University, the Wallenberg Foundation, or the staff of those organisations.

This blog post was originally shared to and has been shared with permission. You can access the original blog here: .

University of ��Թϱ�� to lead accelerated research project tackling violence against women and girls

Wed, 25 Feb 2026 14:18:01 +0000

Content warning: References to sexual violence, domestic abuse, sexual harassment and homicide.

Violence against women and girls (VAWG) remains a widespread and underreported issue across the UK. According to official statistics, more than 200,000 sexual offences were recorded by UK police in England and Wales in 2024/25, and 2.2 million women aged 16+ experienced domestic abuse in the year ending March 2025.

In response to this crisis, – a new project hosted by , and – has been awarded £625,000 from to accelerate national efforts to prevent and respond to VAWG. Bringing together leading researchers, practitioners and policymakers, RISE will feed in to the delivery of the and recent which aim to halve VAWG within a decade.

The project will consist of four team‑led research projects covering primary prevention (working with men and boys), women’s safety in public spaces, management of domestic abuse perpetrators and child-parent homicides. RISE will also provide to enable researchers and practitioners across policing, third sector and policymaking to collaborate and pilot new approaches.

RISE draws on the expertise of and , whose influential research on abuse of women runners was recently cited in Parliament, , a leading authority on domestic abuse and masculinities, and , co‑director of and specialist in crime data analysis.

The project is further strengthened by NSEC and SALIENT Principal Investigator , who will support the team in securing complex multi‑agency research data, and privacy expert and SPRITE+ director, who will lead stakeholder engagement and lead an in-depth evidence review of primary prevention strategies.

More information on RISE

Website:
Email: spriteplus@manchester.ac.uk

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‘The Plastic Divide’ - how carrier bag bans impact the poorest communities

Tue, 24 Feb 2026 13:11:00 +0000

A new study from ��Թϱ�� has shed light on an unexpected consequence of plastic bag bans in East Africa, and why well-intentioned environmental laws may actually be making life harder for the people they aim to protect.

Anthropologist Dr Declan Murray spent nine months in Tanzania’s capital city Dar es Salaam, following the everyday journeys of plastic bags from small shops and street food stalls to people’s homes and workplaces. Tanzania banned plastic carrier bags in 2019, joining more than 120 countries around the world attempting to tackle plastic waste – but six years later, the ban has produced surprising results.

Despite the law, small thin plastic pouches - used to package everyday essentials like flour, oil and cooked snacks - remain a lifeline for millions of residents. For many families who live day-to-day, buying small amounts of food is the only affordable option. Without these cheap pouches, there is no practical way for shopkeepers to portion out food.

The research - which has been published in the - shows that the ban has removed large plastic bags from supermarkets and wealthier neighbourhoods, but the poorest communities have been left with few real alternatives. Paper, cloth and woven bags are too expensive, too big, or not suited to carrying wet or hot foods. As a result, small plastic pouches continue to circulate quietly, helping people to manage the daily “search for life” - a Swahili phrase many Dar es Salaam residents use to describe the struggle to earn enough money each day.

The study introduces the idea of “The Plastic Divide” - the gap between those who can easily switch away from plastics, and those whose livelihoods depend on them. Well-off residents can afford reusable bags and buy pre-packaged goods from supermarkets, but low-income families rely heavily on small shops, street food vendors and local markets - all of which depend on these plastic pouches to function.

It also highlights how many people make a living from plastics. Small-scale manufacturers, market sellers and bicycle-riding wholesalers all depend on selling the pouches. Others reuse plastic creatively - as fuel for cooking fires, rain protection, or even as a way to keep insects away from food. For these groups, plastics are not simply waste - they are tools for survival.

“Plastic pollution is a real problem, but these findings show that bans which don’t consider everyday life can hit the poorest communities hardest,” said Dr Murray. “People aren’t using plastic because they want to harm the environment - they’re using it because it’s the only option that works for them.”

The study raises important questions for governments, charities and environmental groups worldwide. It suggests that reducing plastic waste must go hand-in-hand with supporting people’s daily needs - whether through affordable alternatives, changes to food supply systems or involving low-income communities in designing solutions.

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Law Professor invited to the United Nations UNCITRAL Colloquium harmonizing law in the age of digital trade and finance in New York

Thu, 19 Feb 2026 15:29:02 +0000

, Professor of Commercial and a former Fulbright Scholar in the United States of America, recently spoke at the United Nations Colloquium in New York, on the possible updates to the rules of the UNCITRAL Model Law on Secured Transactions.

His talk to the concentrated on making a security interest effective against third parties (perfection) and priority by registration or a less transparent method of control in relation to new emerging types of assets and their impact in the case of the grantor’s insolvency. These new asset types include data and digital assets.

The talk suggested, in the light of emerging new asset classes, revisions to the Model Law in perfecting security interests over digital and other types of emerging assets and how priority may be established between creditors.

The Model Law is used as a template for law reform of secured transactions around world. It is a modern law, but not contemporary, and needs revisions in the light of developments in law and finance. If the revisions are agreed by the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law, Professor Akseli’s recommendations on revising the rules on perfection and priority, and the effect on grantor’s insolvency in relation to new asset types will contribute to the debate by influencing and shaping the reform and the Model Law on Secured Transactions.

MA Visual Anthropology graduate film showcased in Second World War museum

Thu, 19 Feb 2026 11:24:22 +0000

Marianna Łoboda, 2025 MA Visual Anthropology graduate, was invited to showcase her graduation film, (Dis)connnection, earlier this year at the Second World War museum in Gdańsk.

Based on her final MA project, (Dis)connnection highlighted the issue of unpaid labour at a Polish petrochemical investment project. Following the screening, the film was discussed by a national labour inspector, and a representative from the Polish Migration Forum.

Marianna was also invited to screen her film in other major cities across Poland, including Warsaw, Wrocław, Kraków.

To address the cases of unpaid labour during her fieldwork, Marianna approached journalists for news coverage, filed official complaints with the National Labour Inspectorate and the Polish Ombudsman and contacted the Ministry of State Assets.

She also approached politicians and distributed brochures to raise awareness about the rights of migrant workers in Poland.

Since the film’s release, the company administering the project changed its subcontractor agreement practices to address the issues highlighted in the film, and the national labour inspector has imposed financial penalties on companies that withhold salaries from migrants. Marianna also learned that the affected workers received their outstanding salaries.

Visit the to read more about the Marianna’s graduation film and its impact.

Gorton and Denton by-election: Reform could benefit from split vote on the left

Fri, 30 Jan 2026 16:55:05 +0000

A by-election has been set for February 26 in the ��Թϱ�� constituency of Gorton and Denton. This will be a big test for Keir Starmer’s Labour party and a temperature check on the state of multi-party politics in the North. Although Labour won the seat comfortably in 2024, some early polls are could win.

By-elections are awkward beasts and don’t necessarily follow the usual rules. What makes things harder in this case is that Gorton and Denton is a new constituency. It was in 2024 from parts of three different constituencies (Gorton, Denton & Reddish and ��Թϱ�� Withington).

When we try to understand what might happen in a by-election, we rely on the constituency’s past election results as a marker, which is obviously limited to just one election in this case. Gorton and Denton is also “a bit of a Frankenstein’s monster”, .

It has an elongated shape and combines areas with huge socio-demographic differences. Its Tameside wards are predominantly white, with a sizeable working class while its ��Թϱ�� wards have a much higher student and Muslim population.

Labour has everything to lose

Ordinarily, this would be a constituency which Labour should easily win. ��Թϱ�� is a Labour heartland through and through. Its other five constituencies are all held by Labour MPs, it boasts all but a handful of seats on the City Council and Andy Burnham trounced his opponents in the city’s last mayoral elections .

But by-elections are difficult for governments and Keir Starmer’s track record so far is not good. Labour lost a by-election in the Cheshire constituency of in May 2025 to Reform’s Sarah Pochin. Pochin won on a narrow margin of just six votes but had managed to . That makes Labour’s majority of 13,000 in Gorton and Denton look less than secure.

The real danger here is that Labour finds itself in the squeezed middle. It risks losing voters to Reform on the right and the Greens on the left. This is what happened in the in November, which saw Labour pushed back into third place behind Reform and winners Plaid Cymru.

Reform has everything to prove

Nigel Farage’s party has the momentum at the moment. Polls suggest they are outperforming Labour nationally right now and the recent high-profile defections of and have increased the size of their parliamentary group to 8 MPs.

The Reform candidate in Gorton and Denton, former university academic and GB News presenter Matthew Goodwin, may be the most recognisable candidate to voters, but his political views may not go down well throughout the constituency.

His views on the white working class being may resonate in some of ��Թϱ��’s Tameside wards, but his and what it means to be British will not play well in others, something the Greens in particular are trying to capitalise on.

Pitching the by-election as a “referendum” on Starmer’s leadership is a sensible strategy by Goodwin, especially as a recent YouGov poll showed that think the prime minister is doing a bad job. Reform may struggle to bring together enough voters ready to sign up to all the party stands for, but may be able to borrow the votes from those who nevertheless want Labour out and would benefit from a split on the left.

Victory in Gorton and Denton would not only mean that Reform will equal the SNP in party group size in the Commons, it will be a further pull for disgruntled or panicking Conservative (or Labour) MPs, ahead of the Farage has imposed on MPs thinking about defecting to his party. But there is a sizeable chunk of voters across the UK , and who could vote tactically for Labour just to keep Reform out.

Green performance could be key

The Greens did not perform brilliantly in Gorton and Denton at the 2024 elections, but nationally the party received 7% of the vote and they hold over 800 seats on local councils. Since the election, they have , Zack Polanski, who has been instrumental in raising the Green voice in the media.

Their candidate is Hannah Spencer, a councillor in the region who stood for mayor in 2024 and finished in fifth place, behind Reform.

Polanski is confident that only the Greens can beat Reform in Gorton and Denton. And while that’s a bold claim, his supporters will be buoyed by the in a Derbyshire local by-election last year.

And even if they don’t win, a solid Green performance could be very bad news for Starmer.

, Senior Lecturer in Politics
This article is republished from under a Creative Commons license. Read the .

UK expert in energy and climate governance joins ��Թϱ��

Mon, 26 Jan 2026 11:04:51 +0000

��Թϱ�� has appointed Professor Rebecca Willis as Chair of Energy and Climate Governance – a role which bridges the Faculty of Humanities and the Faculty of Science and Engineering through the and the for Climate Change.

A leading academic and thought leader in environment, climate, energy policy and politics, Rebecca will also bring a team of highly regarded researchers and academics to join her at the University. Rebecca leads the Climate Citizens research group, which investigates public engagement and citizenship. She is a co-investigator for the Centre for Joined-Up Sustainability Transitions (JUST), the Energy Demand Research Centre, and a new initiative, PACT (Production and Consumption Transformations) which provides decision support to government departments.

Rebecca Willis has previously been a professor at Lancaster University and is an expert advisor to the Climate Change Committee and Innovate UK’s Net Zero Living Initiative.

Speaking on her appointment, Rebecca said: “The wealth of expertise based here at ��Թϱ�� is highly valued around the world. I am excited to be part of a community working on global challenges with practical outcomes for people, planet and society.

Professor Claire Alexander, Head of the School of Social Sciences added: “We’re delighted to be able to welcome Rebecca and her team to the University of ��Թϱ��. Rebecca brings significant insight and expertise in terms of applying policy to innovation in the challenging fields of energy and climate governance. She will be working closely with colleagues in the Sustainable Consumption Institute, a collaboration between the School of Social Sciences and Alliance ��Թϱ�� Business School, who are leading the way in terms of the economic and social and policy dimensions of climate justice and environmental sustainability.”

Professor Sarah Cartmell, Head of the School of Engineering said: “Through the Tyndall Centre, Rebecca will strengthen our capacity to link cutting-edge engineering, climate science, social science and governance insights with policy that works in practice. Her expertise will help accelerate the impact of our work, deepen our partnerships and enhance ��Թϱ��’s role as a leading contributor to the UK and global climate policy landscape.”

Lack of coordination is leaving modern slavery victims and survivors vulnerable, say experts

Thu, 15 Jan 2026 08:30:00 +0000

Researchers at ��Թϱ�� are calling for stronger, coordinated partnerships to tackle modern slavery and human trafficking, warning that gaps between organisations risk leaving victims and survivors without consistent protection and support.

Their appeal comes in a new review commissioned by , which examines how organisations across the city region work together to identify, safeguard and support people affected by modern slavery and human trafficking. The review focuses on partnerships involving local authorities, statutory services, law enforcement, housing providers and voluntary and community sector organisations.

The authors argue that tackling modern slavery depends on robust, long-term collaboration rather than ad hoc arrangements. While organisations across Greater ��Թϱ�� have developed innovative partnership approaches, the review finds that these are not always embedded consistently across the system. Among the review’s key recommendations, the authors are calling for:

- Clearer strategic governance to strengthen modern slavery and human trafficking partnerships at a Greater ��Թϱ��-wide level.
- More consistent roles and responsibilities across organisations, so victims/survivors do not fall through gaps between services.
- Improved information-sharing and referral pathways, ensuring concerns are acted on quickly and safely.
- Sustainable funding and resources to support partnership working, rather than reliance on short-term arrangements.
- Stronger links between safeguarding, housing, immigration advice and criminal justice responses, reflecting the needs of victims.

The review suggests that where partnerships are well established, outcomes for victims are more likely to be improved. Such embedded collaboration enables earlier identification of exploitation, better safeguarding responses and coordinated support to help individuals recover and rebuild their lives. Strong partnerships also support disruption of criminal activity by improving intelligence-sharing and joint working.

However, the authors highlight challenges which can weaken partnership arrangements including variations in local practice, capacity pressures and funding uncertainty. Frontline professionals reported that without clear structures and shared accountability, collaboration often relies on personal relationships, making it fragile and difficult to sustain.

The researchers also note that victims and survivors of modern slavery often face overlapping vulnerabilities including insecure housing, mental ill-health and immigration insecurity. Without joined-up working across sectors, these complexities can delay support and increase the risk of re-exploitation.

The authors stress that the findings have national relevance due to a relatively cohesive modern slavery partnership approach in Greater ��Թϱ��. As awareness of modern slavery grows, public bodies across the UK face pressure to demonstrate good quality partnership responses. The review positions Greater ��Թϱ�� as a potential leader, but cautions that this requires investment in governance, coordination and shared learning.

New book highlights human toll of the Kenyan property boom

Wed, 07 Jan 2026 12:28:37 +0000

As Nairobi’s skyline climbs ever higher, life for those living on the city’s edges is being transformed - and not always for the better.

In a powerful new book, , Dr Peter Lockwood of ��Թϱ�� tells the human stories behind Kenya’s rapid urban expansion and the families being left behind.

Based on years of living and working alongside residents in Kiambu County - an area just north of Nairobi where farmland is giving way to housing estates and shopping malls - Lockwood’s book captures a quiet but profound social upheaval. It reveals how fathers, once proud smallholders, are selling off ancestral plots of land, leaving their sons landless and adrift in a volatile economy.

“Land in Kiambu has become unimaginably valuable,” says Lockwood. “For some families, it’s a ticket out of hardship. For others, selling land means losing not only their home but their history.”

Through vivid portraits of everyday lives - farmers, young jobseekers, mothers struggling to make ends meet - Peasants to Paupers explores what happens when the dream of a stable, middle-class future collides with the harsh realities of unemployment, soaring land prices and changing family values.

The book opens with Mwaura, a young man watching his father sell their family’s land to a private developer. What follows is both a personal tragedy and a reflection of a wider trend: as land becomes a commodity, generations of Kenyans are being cut off from the security that once defined rural life.

The book tells a deeply human story of hope and heartbreak. It shows how moral ideas about family, work and responsibility are being tested as young people face shrinking opportunities and elders grapple with impossible choices between survival and legacy.

Lockwood, a Hallsworth Research Fellow in Political Economy at ��Թϱ��, brings a journalist’s eye for storytelling to his anthropological research. His work has previously been published in leading journals, and he co-curated Nairobi Becoming (2024), an ethnographic portrait of the Kenyan capital.

Peasants to Paupers is published by Cambridge University Press as part of the prestigious International African Library series and is freely available online under open access, ensuring that readers in Kenya and around the world can engage with its findings.

Hidden bias gives ‘swing state’ voters more influence over US trade policy

Thu, 18 Dec 2025 13:08:02 +0000

Americans living in political “swing states” have a significantly louder voice in national trade policy - effectively making their votes worth more than others - according to a new study published in the .

Professor Karim Chalak from ��Թϱ��, Professor John McLaren from the University of Virginia and Professor Xiangjun Ma from Liaoning University found that US governments of both parties tend to shape their trade policies to favour industries based in states that could decide presidential elections.

Using decades of economic and political data - from the Clinton years through to the Trump trade wars - the team found that US tariffs are consistently biased toward industries located in swing states such as Florida, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin.

According to their estimates, the welfare of a voter in a non-swing state is treated as being worth just 82 percent of that of a voter in a swing state when national trade decisions are made.

“Our research reveals the extent to which US policymakers cater to the welfare of swing-state workers relative to others with similar jobs elsewhere,” explains Professor Chalak. “This bias is a byproduct of the US’s electoral system - economic policies are shaped partly by political geography.”

The researchers describe how this pattern was illustrated clearly in the 1990s, when the Clinton administration negotiated special tomato trade protections for Florida ahead of a tight election. Similar patterns reappeared during later trade disputes involving steel and manufacturing tariffs.

“People often claim that the Electoral College protects small states, but the evidence is that it just penalizes people for not living in a swing state,” said Professor McLaren, “and even for swing states, the best evidence is that small states do not benefit from the bias.”

By combining theoretical modelling with real-world data on tariffs, industries, and voting patterns, the team developed what they call the “Swing-State Theorem.” The theorem predicts that in majoritarian systems like the US, policy naturally tilts toward the interests of swing regions - even without explicit lobbying.

The findings shed light on how political incentives can distort economic policy in ways that are both inefficient and hard to justify as fair, and they may help to explain why trade wars and protectionist measures often appear inconsistent with broader national welfare. The authors suggest the same logic could apply to other areas of policy, from infrastructure spending to defence contracts.

First global study finds young people redefining sexuality around the world

Fri, 12 Dec 2025 13:24:58 +0000

A major new global study led by a researcher at ��Թϱ�� has found that younger generations around the world are embracing a more diverse and fluid understanding of sexual identity than ever before.

The research - which analysed data from over 900,000 users of the queer women’s and nonbinary dating app Zoe - offers one of the first truly global pictures of how people identify their sexuality in 122 countries, from the UK and the US to Brazil, South Africa and Taiwan.

The study, published in , found that lesbian and bisexual are the most common identities - but it also shows that younger users are far more likely to describe themselves using newer or broader terms such as queer, pansexual or asexual, suggesting that traditional labels are evolving rapidly.

“Younger generations are showing us that sexuality is not a fixed category - it’s a spectrum,” said Dr Francesco Rampazzo, lead author and Lecturer in Social Statistics at ��Թϱ��. “Across the world, more young people are comfortable describing their identities in diverse and fluid ways.”

The research highlights how openness about sexuality often depends on cultural and social context. Countries in Europe, North America and Oceania show the greatest diversity of identities, while users in some parts of Africa and Asia were less likely to share information about their sexuality - likely reflecting differences in social acceptance or legal protection.

“Where people feel safe, they are more likely to express who they really are,” said Dr Canton Winer, co-author from the Northern Illinois University. “In places where LGBTQ+ identities remain stigmatised or even criminalised, that freedom is much narrower.”

The team emphasises that the study is not just about numbers - it’s about visibility. Behind each data point is a real person choosing to be seen.

The findings also show a small but visible proportion of users identifying as asexual, an often-overlooked orientation that’s now appearing beyond Western contexts. This hints at a growing global recognition of lesser-known identities.

By working directly with Zoe, which shared anonymised, aggregated data for research, the study marks a new frontier in demographic research. Rather than relying only on national surveys - which often miss sexual minorities - digital data from dating apps can help paint a more inclusive global picture.

“At Zoe, we have always believed that responsible collaboration between industry and academia can produce insights that genuinely benefit LGBTQ+ communities,” said Milan Kovacic, the former CEO of Zoe. “Studies like this show how data, when handled with care and respect, can deepen our understanding of people’s experiences and help create safer, more inclusive digital spaces. We are proud to support research that contributes to that goal.”

The study was conducted by researchers from ��Թϱ��, Northern Illinois University and the Zoe App, and is part of ongoing efforts to build a more global understanding of LGBTQ+ identities.

School of Social Sciences awarded Advanced HE Athena Swan Silver award

Thu, 04 Dec 2025 12:49:43 +0000

We are proud to announce that the has been awarded the Athena Swan Silver award, by , for advancing gender equality, improving senior representation, and embedding inclusive practices in teaching, research, and leadership. The award is testament to the school’s commitment to equality and inclusivity and to building a diverse, inclusive and supportive environment in which students and staff can thrive.

The is a framework which is used globally to support and transform gender within higher education and research. The school will now build on this to make even greater progress towards equality and inclusivity.

Claire Fox, Director of EDI reflects “To be honest, it was about time SoSS applied for this award, given the progress and achievements we’ve made in recent years. Achieving Silver is a real credit to all our colleagues who have put in the unglamorous work behind the scenes. I’m delighted the awarding panel recognised this.”

Claire Alexander, Head of School stated: “This is a prestigious award, which recognises a commitment to advancing gender equity in Higher Education and a tremendous achievement. The Award is also a stepping stone on a longer journey to embed gender equity throughout the School of Social Sciences”.

Study highlights rise of ‘authoritarian peacemaking’ and its implications for Ukraine

Fri, 28 Nov 2025 09:00:00 +0000

As Donald Trump’s White House places huge pressure on Ukraine to sign a peace deal, a team of experts has published a new study examining what they describe as a worldwide shift towards “authoritarian peacemaking” - a model of conflict resolution shaped not by international institutions or liberal democracies, but by authoritarian and semi-authoritarian states whose interests lie in control, influence and geopolitical advantage rather than long-term solutions.

The study, set to be published in journal Washington Quarterly, traces how traditional peacemaking - rooted in international law, rights and negotiated compromise - has been eroded over the last two decades. According to the authors, the Iraq War, the post-9/11 security paradigm and growing global competition have weakened the norms that once governed international conflict resolution. This has opened space for powerful states to broker deals that prioritise strategic gain over accountability or the wishes of the affected population, as seen in the Ukraine peace plan drawn up by the USA and Russia.

The research draws on the concept of “Revisionist Conflict Management,” a framework relying on transactional bargaining, economic incentives and top-down deals that freeze conflicts rather than resolving their causes. The authors argue that these patterns are increasingly visible in conflicts across the Middle East and Africa - and now in Europe too.

The findings have particular resonance for the current efforts to end the war in Ukraine. The proposals floated by the USA give greater weight to Russian territorial “realities on the ground”, and involve conversations where Ukraine’s role is more limited than expected for a state whose sovereignty is at stake. This reflects concerns highlighted in the research - that peace deals in the current climate risk being shaped by external actors, not those living with the consequences.

The study compares this dynamic to earlier conflicts where authoritarian or centralised governments acted as mediators while pursuing their own agendas. In the authors’ view, this risks creating “victor’s peace” arrangements that halt fighting but entrench dominant states’ interests, leaving questions of justice, accountability and democratic legitimacy unresolved.

The researchers note that public opinion in Ukraine remains strongly opposed to ceding territory, and that Ukrainian society continues to insist on a settlement that restores borders and addresses wartime abuses. The tension between these expectations and geopolitical pressure, they argue, is emblematic of the broader global transition their study describes.

“By examining the Ukraine case through this lens, our research offers a wider warning about the international system - as global power becomes more fragmented and traditional norms weaken, the nature of mediation itself is changing,” said Oliver Richmond, Professor in International Relations, Peace & Conflict Studies at ��Թϱ��.

Why China’s central bank is quietly leading the world on climate action

Wed, 12 Nov 2025 13:04:20 +0000

While Western central banks such as the Bank of England, the European Central Bank and the US Federal Reserve often talk about the dangers of climate change, new research has shown that China’s central bank is the only one that has actually taken major, concrete steps to shift money toward green industries.

The findings come from an in-depth project led by Dr James Jackson from ��Թϱ�� and Mathias Larsen from London School of Economics (LSE).

Their research - which has been published by LSE’s - involved 93 interviews across China’s financial system, including with staff inside the People’s Bank of China (PBoC), the country’s central bank.

Their conclusion is striking: China’s central bank isn’t independent from its government, and this may be the key reason it has been able to act faster and more boldly on climate change than its Western counterparts.

“There’s a common belief that central banks should stay out of politics and focus only on inflation. But climate change affects everything including food prices, energy bills and economic stability,” said Dr Jackson.

The study found that the PBoC uses its financial tools in very practical ways to support China’s green industries. For example, it offers cheaper loans for renewable energy projects and allows banks to borrow more easily when they invest in approved green sectors. Since 2021, one programme alone has supported more than £120 billion in green lending.

By contrast, the Bank of England and European Central Bank have focused mainly on encouraging banks to think about climate risk, rather than shifting financial markets directly. The researchers describe this as an “indirect” approach that has little real-world impact.

What makes the Chinese case unique is how the government sets the direction - such as its pledge to reach carbon neutrality by 2060 - and then expects the central bank to help deliver it. The PBoC still has technical freedom to design its own tools, but its mission is clear. One PBoC staff member told the researchers: “The government sets the goal. We decide how to get there.”

Dr Jackson says this offers an important lesson for the climate era. “We’re not saying countries should copy China’s political system, but we are saying that central banks around the world may need to rethink how they work with governments. In order to tackle climate change and adapt to its impacts, we need financial systems that can move quickly - not slowly.”

New report calls for comprehensive overhaul of UK counter-terrorism policies

Tue, 11 Nov 2025 17:06:22 +0000

The University’s is among 14 experts who compiled the of the Independent Commission on Counter-Terrorism Law, Policy and Practice, which was published today by the Bingham Centre for the Rule of Law.

The report is based on extensive research and evidence from over 200 experts, practitioners, policymakers, academics and community representatives.

Professor Pilkington’s remit was to scrutinise the evidence around the Government’s Prevent programme - which aims to identify and rehabilitate people at risk of radicalisation - drawing on her research expertise in youth engagement and the societal drivers of extremism.

Referrals to Prevent increased markedly after 2015, when it became a legal duty for teachers, social workers, nurses and other frontline professionals to report people they believed to be at risk of being drawn into terrorism or extremism. Referrals jumped from a few hundred a year before 2015, to an average of 6,458 per year since 2015 and to a record number of 8,517 in 2024-25.

More than two thirds of these referrals were for concerns that had no - or no clear - ideological dimension, meaning that a counter-terrorism intervention was not an appropriate response. Almost half of referrals were for children aged 11-17, and a third had at least one mental health or neurodivergence condition.

“We have lost a lot of trust in communities over the Prevent programme,” said Professor Hilary Pilkington. “The whole of society has to live better together, and that requires social cohesion for all communities.”

“It should constitute one element of a broader, more holistic and better resourced multi-agency safeguarding approach that addresses diverse drivers of violence and to which individuals are referred via a ‘big front door’,” Hilary added.

The Commission sets out 113 recommendations to modernise the UK’s counter-terrorism framework and strengthen its fairness, focus and accountability.

The report concludes that while the UK’s counter-terrorism system remains world-leading, it has grown complex and overbroad. Key reforms are needed to ensure it remains effective, proportionate, and rooted in democratic values. As well as the recommendations concerning the Prevent programme, it also recommends that the government:

Narrow the legal definition of terrorism, ensuring clarity and proportionality.
Reform proscription powers, introducing time-limited reviews and stronger parliamentary and judicial oversight.
Tighten terrorism offences, ensuring prosecutions are fair, proportionate, and grounded in clear intent.
Restore equality in citizenship law, limiting deprivation powers and ensuring fair treatment under the law.
Invest in social cohesion, recognising that inclusion and trust are vital to long-term security.

Social gender norms deepen elderly care burdens for Thai women

Thu, 06 Nov 2025 12:45:08 +0000

As Thailand has experienced a rapid increase in its elderly population, a new study published in has found that “social gender norms” - shared beliefs about how “altruistic” women or men should be in society - are overburdening women in the country with elderly care.

Alongside Dr Minh Tam Bui from Srinakharinwirot University in Thailand and Professor Ivo Vlaev from the National University of Singapore, ��Թϱ��’s Dr Katsushi Imai analysed national time-use survey data covering over 70,000 Thai adults to see how men and women care for their elderly family members. The study shows that women offering elderly care spend 2 to 2.5 hours on unpaid elder care each day - far more than men.

This imbalance is partly due to the social norm about how “altruistic” women or men should be in society. In many communities in Thailand - particularly in rural areas - this social norm often forces women to be more altruistic than men as caregivers, because men are supposed to work outside. In areas with stronger gender norms, men spend much less time on elderly care than women do. Dr Bui emphasised the importance of digging deeper into the roots of caregiving inequality:

“We all know that there is a persistent gender care gap - women carry more of the burden in childcare, elder care and household work nearly everywhere in the world - but the underlying reasons for this are often understudied. We wanted to find out why and how this happens by looking at social gender norms around altruistic behaviour.”

“We found that women swap paid work for elderly caregiving, but men do not. This unequal division of care responsibilities can lead to gender gaps in employment and wellbeing, and is worrying in terms of achieving both equality and efficiency in Thailand,” she added.

The research team urges policymakers to recognise the value of unpaid elderly care, allocate more budget for long-term care insurance, and introduce nationwide campaigns to encourage men to engage in family care duties. This would help the country achieve UN Sustainable Development Goal 5 on gender equality by offering critical insights for building more equitable care systems and behavioural change in ageing societies.

The study informs a process that takes place in many countries worldwide where women are overburdened with care responsibilities. As populations age and family structures change, how societies value and share care work may become one of the defining social issues of the century.

The authors also raise concerns over the discontinuation of the Thai national time-use survey by the National Statistical Office. They advocate for its urgent resumption, stressing that time-use data is critical for understanding gender inequality, strengthening the care economy, and helping the government monitor its progress toward the SDGs. Without such data, key dimensions of unpaid care work remain invisible in policy design and economic planning.

Professor Toni Haastrup shares expertise on Feminist Foreign Policy

Mon, 03 Nov 2025 16:20:00 +0000

, Chair in Global Politics, at ��Թϱ��, recently moderated a plenary session on regional perspectives and participated in an expert panel at the (FFP) in Paris.

The event aimed to identify strategies to strengthen and expand international coalitions to preserve the rights of women and further progress gender equality.

Whilst in Paris, Toni was also invited, by the , to contribute to a side-event focusing on localisation in FFP contexts.

Toni’s expertise on FFP includes recent publications ( and ). This work is also being developed as an online archive FFP, in a collaboration with academics at the Universities of Birmingham and Bath as an essential research and policy tool, which will be the first of its kind.

Outdated Westminster rules undermine democracy by excluding smaller parties

Thu, 30 Oct 2025 15:48:26 +0000

The 2024 General Election was one of the most dramatic in British history, as voters turned away from the two traditional giants - Labour and the Conservatives - in record numbers. Thirteen different parties and six independents won seats in the House of Commons, making this the most fragmented Parliament ever.

This trend has continued in the recent Caerphilly byelection, where the Labour and Conservative votes collapsed - but while the ballot box is reflecting a new era of multi-party politics, inside Westminster it is still business as usual for the main parties.

New research published in by Dr Louise Thompson from ��Թϱ�� shows how outdated rules in the House of Commons shut smaller parties out of key decisions, leaving millions of voters effectively unheard.

“Parliament is still operating as if it were the 1950s, when two big parties dominated,” Dr Thompson explains. “Smaller parties are treated unfairly in parliament’s rules, even though their MPs represent a growing share of the electorate. That creates a real democratic deficit.”

Currently, only the government, the official opposition and the third-largest party enjoy guaranteed speaking time, committee chairs and opportunities to hold the government to account. Everyone else - from the Greens and Reform UK to Plaid Cymru and the DUP - has no such rights.

That means these MPs often spend hours waiting in the chamber for a chance to speak, sometimes never being called at all. Even when they represent national movements like the Greens, or entire regions like Northern Ireland parties, they remain sidelined.

The problem isn’t just symbolic. Without a seat on select committees, smaller parties cannot properly scrutinise new laws. Without guaranteed debate slots, they cannot speak to issues that matter to them. In Dr Thompson’s words, “All MPs are elected equally, but inside Westminster, some are definitely more equal than others.”

At present, smaller parties rely on handshakes and goodwill to be heard. The Speaker sometimes makes space for their questions, and on rare occasions, bigger parties share their committee or debate time - but these arrangements are inconsistent and can be withdrawn at any moment. This patchwork system also favours parties that have good relationships with the big players, while leaving others with nothing. It is, Dr Thompson argues, no way to run a modern democracy.

Her study recommends that Westminster should modernise its rulebook to reflect today’s multi-party politics. She calls for formal guarantees in the Commons’ Standing Orders, giving smaller parties fair speaking rights, seats on committees and access to debates.

She also suggests borrowing ideas from devolved parliaments, such as minimum thresholds for party rights, and promoting more guesting” on committees so small party MPs can contribute where they have expertise. These reforms, she stresses, wouldn’t overhaul the system but would make it more transparent, consistent and fair for all MPs - regardless of their party.

��Թϱ�� hosts leading experts to explore the power of dangerous writings

Wed, 22 Oct 2025 13:20:52 +0100

Led by ��Թϱ��’s in partnership with the the (30 September 2025) brought together leading academics, archivists, and curators to examine how texts - from prisoners’ letters, politicians’ and military men’s diaries during wars, missionaries’ photographic pictures and reports, blogs and tweets, and anatomy controversial books - can empower, unsettle, and endanger in equal measure.

By fostering cross-disciplinary dialogue, the symposium, co-organised by , and , encouraged participants to share diverse perspectives, uncover new insights, and explore the ethical responsibilities of engaging with these powerful writings.

Across panels and performances, participants grappled with questions of care, responsibility, and solidarity: How do we preserve and share texts that are powerful but can be painful? What duties do researchers and curators hold towards their participants? What about audiences and the broader community – can they be traumatised by what they read too? And how can the voices of the marginalised be honoured without causing further harm?

The programme ranged from suppressed memoirs to protest theatre, to prison blogging and the fragile preservation of refugee diaries. Presentations by and (University of ��Թϱ��) explored prisoners’ diaries and the ethical complexities of engaging with them, while international contributors highlighted struggles faced by writers across Europe.

Emphasising the ethical challenges at the heart of the discussions, event organiser, Dr Marion Vannier, Senior Lecturer in , shared:

Research shows that land can’t buy security for young Kenyans

Wed, 22 Oct 2025 10:30:12 +0100

An anthropologist from ��Թϱ�� has uncovered the hidden struggles of young men on the edges of Nairobi, who inherit land but lack the means to turn it into the financial security they desperately need.

Published in , Dr Peter Lockwood’s research reveals how land ownership in Kenya’s booming peri-urban areas provides young men with a vital safety net - but also traps them in a cycle of dependence and uncertainty.

Through long-term fieldwork in Kiambu County, Dr Lockwood followed the lives of men like Cash, a 28-year-old who inherited three acres after his father’s death. Cash dreams of becoming a landlord, imagining apartment blocks rising from his family land. Yet without money to build, he admits: “I have the land, but it’s not money.”

The research highlights a dilemma faced by many young Kenyans. On one side, inherited land offers security - a place to live, a potential asset and a symbol of adulthood. On the other, without access to credit or investment, it becomes what Dr Lockwood calls a “dead asset” - valuable on paper, but unusable in practice.

Some young men choose to break away from their family land altogether, pursuing work in Nairobi’s informal economy as a way of proving independence. Others remain at home, clinging to their inheritance in the hope it will one day transform their lives. Both paths are fraught with difficulty.

The study also reflects a global concern. As house prices rise faster than wages in cities across the world, young people from ��Թϱ�� to Nairobi are being told that property is their route to security. Yet many find themselves excluded from ownership or holding assets they cannot make use of.

“This research shows how property has become both a promise and a trap,” Dr Lockwood added. “It offers the illusion of escape from precarious work - but for many young people, it never delivers.”

The findings shed new light on how land, property and housing shape the futures of young people in rapidly urbanising regions, and they raise urgent questions about inequality, opportunity and the future of work worldwide.

What you study in school can shape your politics, study finds

Thu, 09 Oct 2025 10:30:46 +0100

Groundbreaking new research led by ��Թϱ�� has uncovered a significant and lasting link between the subjects young people study in secondary school and their political preferences.

The study, led by Dr Nicole Martin from ��Թϱ�� alongside Dr Ralph Scott from the University of Bristol and Dr Roland Kappe from University College London, uniquely tracked thousands of English students from adolescence into adulthood.

It revealed that studying arts and humanities subjects such as History, Art and Drama during their GCSEs makes students more likely to support socially liberal and economically left-wing parties like the Green Party or Liberal Democrats.

In contrast, students who studied Business Studies or Economics at GCSE level showed increased support for economically right-wing parties like the Conservative Party. Technical subjects also influenced views, leading to greater support for socially conservative and economically right-wing parties.

Crucially, these relationships between subjects and political support were found to persist into adulthood.

Published in the journal , the research marks the first time such effects have been observed within compulsory secondary schooling, moving beyond studies that traditionally focus on university education.

By combining English administrative school records with a unique panel of adolescents, the study provides compelling evidence on the importance of secondary school subjects for political socialisation during the 'impressionable years' of adolescence.

“Our research demonstrates that education’s influence on our political beliefs is far more nuanced than simply the level of education attained,” said Dr Martin. “The specific subjects that young people take in school - particularly at GCSE - plays a profound role in shaping their political compass. This might be because of the content, or because of different peer groups or role models.”

The Lost Decade: why Australia is playing climate catch-up

Wed, 08 Oct 2025 10:12:21 +0100

For ten long years, Australia earned an unenviable reputation as one of the world’s climate change ‘laggards’. From 2013 to 2022 its governments weakened environmental rules, cut renewable energy funding and fought against international climate agreements - climate scientists and activists dubbed it the nation’s ‘Lost Decade’.

Now, new research by a group of experts from ��Թϱ�� and the University of Melbourne has revealed how Australia went from that era of inaction to passing its most ambitious climate law in a generation - and why its transformation still hangs in the balance.

The study published in the tracks how the election of a centre-left government in 2022 sparked big changes. Within months, Australia passed the Climate Change Act, promising to cut emissions by 43% by 2030 compared with 2005 levels and reach net zero by 2050.

The government launched plans for 82% renewable electricity by 2030, and pitched Australia as a ‘Renewable Energy Superpower’ thanks to its rich reserves of minerals like lithium and cobalt, which are essential for electric cars and solar panels.

But the researchers warn that this transformation is far from complete. Australia, they argue, is stuck on a ‘dual track’: expanding green energy on one hand, while doubling down on fossil fuel exports on the other. In fact, in 2024 the government unveiled a new ‘Future Gas Strategy’, signalling plans to keep supplying global gas markets well past 2050.

The research highlights that rather than setting bold new directions, the country copies climate policies from elsewhere (like the UK and New Zealand) and has to accept the prices set by bigger economies for its critical minerals. By waiting so long to act, Australia missed the chance to shape the global market.

It also demonstrates the human cost - experts interviewed described how climate scientists and renewable energy experts left the country in frustration, a ‘brain drain’ that left Australia short of skilled workers just as the green economy began to boom.

“Australia’s story is a warning for all countries, especially those heavily tied to fossil fuels,” said co-author Dr Paul Tobin. “Delay now means paying the price later, not only in rising climate impacts like bushfires and floods, but also in lost opportunities for jobs, innovation and global influence.”

“If countries want to shape the future rather than scramble to catch up, they need to act boldly and early. Climate change isn’t just an environmental issue - it’s about economic competitiveness, national identity and fairness to the next generation.”

Research shows cities must do more to support older residents

Tue, 30 Sep 2025 12:17:13 +0100

To mark the upcoming , a new study from ��Թϱ�� is calling for cities to do more to support older people who want to stay in their own homes and communities as they age.

The research published in the looks at the idea of ‘ageing in place’ - the policy focus on enabling older adults to live well in their own home and neighbourhood of choice for as long as they wish. While this approach is often seen as positive, the study highlights that many urban areas do not provide the necessary supports to make this a reality.

According to the research team, the pressures of rising inequality, cuts to public services, and the privatisation of spaces in cities mean many older people struggle to access the support they need. Poorer neighbourhoods in particular face declining facilities such as libraries, community centres and affordable housing – resources that are crucial for wellbeing in later life.

“Most people want to stay in their homes as they grow older, but this is only possible if the communities around them are supportive,” said lead author Dr Tine Buffel. “At the moment, too many older residents are left isolated or feel invisible in their own neighbourhoods. We need new ways of organising community life so people can rely on each other, rather than just on families and/or overstretched services.”

The study looked at innovative examples from around the world that could help tackle the problem. These include:

The Village model – neighbourhood organisations run by older people themselves, pooling resources to provide services like transport, home repairs and social activities.
Naturally Occurring Retirement Communities – areas where large numbers of older people already live, supported by tailored health and community services.
Cohousing – intentionally created communities where residents share spaces and provide mutual support.
Compassionate Communities – grassroots networks that help people facing illness, end of life or bereavement.

Each model has benefits, from reducing hospital admissions to strengthening social ties, but also face challenges such as funding pressures and a tendency to leave out more disadvantaged groups.

The researchers argue that the next step is to think about ageing in place as a collaborative venture – something built on collective action, shared resources and planning with the direct involvement of older people themselves. They also call for urban planning to be less ageist, pointing out that too many urban regeneration projects prioritise young professionals over older residents.

The study concludes that ageing in place can only succeed if communities, councils, charities and older residents work together. Without this, many people risk not being able to live independently, or being “stuck in place” in unsuitable housing and unsupported communities.

New research finds that ‘Levelling Up’ left many southern areas behind

Mon, 15 Sep 2025 13:18:44 +0100

Communities in the South of England were systematically underfunded in the government’s flagship ‘Levelling Up’ programme, according to new research using a Community Resilience Index (CRI) developed at ��Թϱ��.

The study, published in , analysed how £8.64 billion of Levelling Up funding was distributed across 307 local authority districts in England. Using a new Community Resilience Index (CRI) to measure need, researchers discovered that while many northern and coastal areas received more than their “fair share” of investment, the South of England was consistently underfunded.

The findings challenge the dominant narrative of a simple “north-south divide” and reveal that southern communities - particularly in inland areas - were frequently left behind in funding allocations.

Only 36.2% of local authorities received support proportionate to their need - the research shows that 30% of Levelling Up funding would have needed to be reallocated to ensure an equitable distribution across the country

“Levelling Up was designed to help all places build on their strengths and reach their potential - yet our resilience-based analysis shows that many southern communities were overlooked in funding allocations,” said Dr Christine Camacho, lead author of the study. “These areas face significant challenges but did not receive the support needed to strengthen their resilience.”

Among the starkest cases was Havant, in the South East, which received just £12.45 per person in Levelling Up support - 94% less than the £200 per person it would have received under a fair allocation model.

By contrast, several northern districts received far more than their modelled “fair share”. Redcar and Cleveland, for example, secured £469.70 per person - more than double its needs-based allocation. The researchers argue that this unevenness highlights deep flaws in the competitive, ministerial-driven allocation process.

The study emphasises that competitive bidding and ministerial discretion meant funding often flowed to areas with stronger institutional capacity, rather than those with the greatest social and economic need.

The researchers argue that without systematic, needs-driven allocation of investment, future regional policies risk repeating the mistakes of Levelling Up - leaving vulnerable communities in both the North and the South behind.

The authors stress that as the new Labour government moves beyond the Levelling Up brand, future place-based policies must adopt transparent, needs-based criteria. The Community Resilience Index, they argue, offers a robust tool for ensuring resources go where they are most needed.

Not white, not seen: study uncovers France’s racial blind spot

Mon, 08 Sep 2025 16:20:34 +0100

A groundbreaking new study from ��Թϱ�� has challenged traditional ideas of race and national identity in France, revealing how French citizens of Indian descent are navigating their identities in a society that often ignores them.

The research, led by Dr Manuela Latchoumaya from the University’s Department of Sociology and published in leading journal , explores the lived experiences of French people whose families come from former French colonies in India and the Caribbean island of Guadeloupe via the system of Indian indentured labour in the 19^th century.

Despite holding French passports and speaking fluent French, many of these citizens feel excluded from what it means to be “truly” French.

Using interviews with 21 people, the study paints a powerful picture of what it feels like to be treated as invisible in your own country - and how people push back.

“It’s not just about being seen as different,” said Dr Latchoumaya. “It’s about being completely left out of how the French think about who belongs.”

The study found that many French Indians are misidentified as Black or North African, two established categories in France that covertly operate to minoritise people with roots in the French Empire. Others are judged by outdated stereotypes - like being overly traditional or even exotic - based on ideas left over from colonial times. These experiences often begin in childhood and continue into adult life, especially in education, work and healthcare.

But rather than staying silent, many people are speaking up and taking control of their identity. Some proudly reclaim the label Black as a category of visibility, while also identifying as South Asian. Others challenge people who use offensive or outdated terms, and several participants said they now openly name ‘whiteness’ - the idea that being white is the default or “normal” in France - as part of the problem.

The study also highlights the deep impact of colonial history, showing how the French Empire shaped today’s ideas about identity, and how some communities - like those with Indian roots - have been left out of the national story.

This research is one of the first studies to centre the voices of French citizens of Indian descent, a group rarely studied in academic or public discussions about French imperial history. It is especially relevant today as France - and many other countries - grapple with their colonial past and while having increasingly diverse populations.

This research was published in the journal .

Full title:

DOI:

Three ��Թϱ�� experts become Academy of Social Sciences Fellows

Mon, 08 Sep 2025 11:05:39 +0100

Three academics from ��Թϱ�� have been recognised as leading experts in their fields by being named as Fellows of the Academy of Social Sciences.

New Fellows are named in recognition of their excellence and impact, and their advancement of social sciences for the public good. Through leadership, research and policymaking, they have deepened understanding of major societal challenges. The Academy comprises over 1,700 Fellows from academia, the public, private and third sectors as well as 46 societies and affiliates, forming a 90,000-strong network that cements the UK’s global leadership in social sciences.

Academy Fellows - who are selected through an independent peer review which recognises their excellence and impact - are elected for their excellence in their fields and their substantial contributions to social science for public benefit.

Joining them is Professor of Public Administration and Head of Politics Liz Richardson, an expert who advances democratic and inclusive policymaking through her knowledge of participatory urban governance, local politics, public services and innovative research methods. Recognised among the Local Government Information Unit’s Top 25 Thinkers, Liz bridges academic insight and civic practice to tackle complex local and global policy challenges. She has co-authored pivotal reports in the UK’s Public Design Evidence Review, shaping how design thinking can reinvigorate public services.

“I am delighted to be an ambassador for social science,” Liz said. “Academic research has the potential to create a more equitable society - such potential is greater when knowledge fosters scientific rigour as well as respect for the experiential expertise of participants.”

Also named as a new Fellow is Professor of Public Policy David Richards, an internationally recognised scholar who specialises in British politics, governance, democracy and institutional reform. His research investigates the relationship between political institutions, public policy and democratic accountability. He has co-authored influential works, including Institutional Crisis in 21st Century Britain, and leads major projects on Treasury–Whitehall financial relations and productivity governance. Widely published and frequently cited in national debate, he bridges academic insight and public discourse, shaping critical conversations about the challenges facing British democracy and the future of effective, accountable government.

Our third new Fellow is Professor of Urban Economics & Real Estate Anupam Nanda, an award-winning expert in the economics of property markets, urban and regional dynamics, real estate finance, investor sentiment, cross-border investment, ESG issues, and the role of technology in real estate. A prolific researcher, his papers feature in top journals such as Journal of Urban Economics, Real Estate Economics, Regional Studies, and Energy Economics. Alongside his academic research, he works with policymakers and industry to develop solutions for sustainable, resilient and fair urban and housing systems.

“I am pleased to be nominated to join the Academy and contribute to its crucial work in promoting the role of social sciences in my field and across other related fields,” said Anupam. “I look forward to working with other fellows of the Academy.”

President of the Academy, Will Hutton FAcSS, said, “It’s a pleasure to welcome more leading social scientists to the Academy’s Fellowship. Their research and practical applications have made substantial contributions to social science and wider society in a range of areas, and we look forward to working with them to promote further the vital role the social sciences play in all areas of our lives.”

Major new book asks whether addressing climate change requires stability or conflict

Mon, 08 Sep 2025 09:00:00 +0100

A landmark new book is set to change how we think about tackling the climate crisis. It asks a big question: when it comes to climate change, is it better to ‘lock in’ steady, long-term policies, or do we need dramatic political conflict and protests to force real change?

Stability and Politicization in Climate Governance is co-edited by and - both leading politics experts from ��Թϱ�� - alongside from the University of Massachusetts Boston (USA). The book highlights that the debate between ‘stability’ and ‘politicisation’ isn't as simple as it seems.

For a long time, many policymakers believed that ‘stability’ was the key to successful climate action. This stability meant creating predictable rules that encourage businesses to invest in green solutions, or making laws that are difficult to roll back in the future.

However, the book reveals a significant problem: often, trying to keep things stable just means nothing really changes, which can actually slow down efforts to cut carbon. Studies in the book also show that a focus on stability can perpetuate existing inequalities, making it harder for marginalised communities to participate in climate action.

On the other hand, "politicisation" means bringing climate issues into the public spotlight, challenging powerful interests and sparking debate. The book shows how social movements like the Fridays for Future school strikes in Germany have successfully pushed governments to adopt more ambitious climate strategies. This kind of public pressure can show who really has the power and lead to significant policy changes, like demanding deadlines for phasing out coal.

However, building pressure isn't equally easy or safe for all communities. For some groups, like Muslim climate activists in the UK, engaging in protests can be risky because of existing unfairness in society. As one Muslim climate campaigner noted, "when you think about climate change, it is a social justice issue".

The book’s main message is that stability and politicisation aren't always opposites - they often interact in complex ways. What appears stable may hide underlying conflicts which eventually burst out, while political conflicts can sometimes lead to new forms of stability.

The book covers examples from around the world - from Brazil to China and South Africa to Norway - across all levels of society from grassroots street activists in California right up to global negotiations. The volume also tackles a wide range of policy areas and sectors including the fossil fuel industry, financial and insurance businesses and electricity companies.

It is available now, and free to read and download from .

��Թϱ�� experts join national project to combat NHS fraud

Mon, 11 Aug 2025 11:26:53 +0100

Two leading criminologists from ��Թϱ�� are playing a key role in a groundbreaking national research project designed to tackle fraud in the NHS, which costs the UK taxpayer an estimated £1.3 billion each year.

The initiative, known as Project SCAN (Strengthening Counter-Fraud Across the NHS in England), is led by Northumbria University and brings together experts from across the UK to improve understanding and responses to fraud within the health service.

Funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR), the 32-month study will generate robust evidence on the nature and organisation of counter-fraud strategies in the NHS in England, and how these strategies can be strengthened.

It will explore multiple dimensions of fraud risk in the NHS, from procurement and payroll to patient identity and prescription fraud. It will also look at how data and technology can support prevention efforts and how public sector institutions can be better equipped to respond to emerging threats.

The project will involve collaboration with NHS bodies, frontline counter-fraud professionals and other academic partners across the UK. Results will be disseminated through public reports, practitioner briefings, academic publications, and policy engagement events.

By generating evidence-based recommendations, Project SCAN aims to inform national policy and practice, ultimately helping to safeguard public money and ensure NHS services remain sustainable and fair for all.

��Թϱ��’s Professor Nicholas Lord and Dr Katie Benson, both from the University’s Department of Criminology, have previously led and contributed to high-profile studies into economic and white-collar crime, working with varied public and private organisations. In Project SCAN they will focus on the practical delivery of local counter fraud provision across NHS organisations.

“Understanding how counter fraud work is carried out is important for improving its effectiveness," added Dr Benson. ”Our research will better understand the experiences of those delivering these services, identifying what challenges they face and what support they need. This insight is vital for shaping a more strategic and joined-up approach to tackling fraud across the NHS."

Experts reveal how migration between South America and Europe has changed

Fri, 08 Aug 2025 12:00:00 +0100

A new study from experts at ��Թϱ�� has uncovered how people have moved between South America and Europe over the past 35 years, and how those patterns might change in the future.

The research, led by Dr Andrea Lisette Aparicio Castro and Professor Arkadiusz Wiśniowski from the Department of Social Statistics, looks at where people moved, why they moved, and what might happen by the year 2050.

In the early 1900s, many Europeans moved to South America to find work and a better life. But in more recent times, the direction has changed - now, more people are moving from South America to Europe. Until now, it’s been difficult to understand exactly how these movements work because the data from different countries didn’t match up.

To fix that, the research team collected census data from 30 countries and used a smart model to fill in the gaps and correct errors. This gave them a clear and complete picture of migration between 1985 and 2018, and helped them to make educated guesses about how migration will look in the future.

The study showed that many people from countries like Colombia, Ecuador, and Venezuela moved to Spain, while Brazilians often went to Portugal. These moves were often easier because of shared languages and cultural history.

“We wanted to understand not just how many people moved, but why,” said Dr Aparicio Castro. “We found that people’s decisions are influenced by things like education, job opportunities, family ties, language, and even natural disasters like floods.”

The team also looked ahead to 2050. They found that as Europe’s population gets older, more workers from South America may be needed to help fill jobs - especially in healthcare and services. At the same time, education levels in South America are rising, which could mean more skilled workers moving to Europe.

The research was a partnership with the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis, and is published in the journal .

��Թϱ�� expert helps shape groundbreaking review on public design

Thu, 24 Jul 2025 17:37:55 +0100

An expert from ��Թϱ�� has contributed to a major new government review which suggests that public design - an approach that brings citizens and designers into policymaking - could help to ensure that public services consistently achieve their goals.

The is the most comprehensive exploration yet of how design thinking can transform public services. Spearheaded by the Cabinet Office and drawing on expertise across government and academia, it brings together global case studies, academic insights and frontline government perspectives. It invites policy professionals to reimagine how we create value through more human-centred, collaborative public services.

Professor Liz Richardson, from the Department of Politics at ��Թϱ��, played a key role in the landmark project. She co-authored two of the PDER’s core reports, which examine the promise and potential of public design in modern governance.

One of her reports reviewed evidence on whether public design truly delivers public value - finding promising signs that, when done well, it can deepen collaboration, uncover fresh insights into how people experience services, and stimulate innovation by involving diverse voices in co-creation.

Professor Richardson also contributed to a major academic commentary in the review, setting out the current research landscape and future priorities for both academics and policymakers.

Reflecting on the work, she said: “Design could offer a fresh portfolio of ways to design and deliver high-performing public policies. Public design is part of a rich landscape of policy innovation. We are heartened by growing academic and policy interest in a family of ‘positive’ approaches to public policy (PoPP), including public design.”

The PDER was coordinated by the Policy Profession Unit, prepared for publication in the Department for Work and Pensions, and launched by the Cabinet Office with support from the University of the Arts London.

The report represents a true cross-sector effort to rethink how government can better serve the public. Professor Richardson’s involvement highlights how academic research can directly shape public services, and help to build more responsive, trusted and inclusive government.

Iran’s history has been blighted by interference from foreign powers

Tue, 01 Jul 2025 15:28:57 +0100

Israel’s recent surprise attack on Iran was ostensibly aimed at neutralising Iran’s nuclear programme, but it didn’t just damage nuclear installations. It killed scientists, engineers and senior military personnel.

Meanwhile, with no ties to the government or military, became “collateral damage”. For 11 days, Israel’s attacks intensified across Tehran and other major cities.

When the US joined the attack, dropping its bunker-buster bombs on sites in central Iran on June 21, it threatened to push the region closer to . Israel’s calls for regime change in Iran were joined by the US president, Donald Trump, who took to social media on June 22 : “if the current Iranian Regime is unable to MAKE IRAN GREAT AGAIN, why wouldn’t there be a Regime change??? MIGA!!!”

Trump’s remarks are reminders of past US interventions. The threat of regime change by the most powerful state in the world carries particular weight in Iran, where memories of foreign-imposed coups and covert operations remain vivid and painful.

In the early 1890s, Iran was after the shah granted a British company exclusive rights to the country’s tobacco industry. The decision was greeted with anger and in 1891 the country’s senior cleric, Grand Ayatollah Mirza Shirazi, issued a fatwa against tobacco use.

A mass boycott ensued – even the shah’s wives reportedly gave up the habit. When it became clear that the boycott was going to hold, the shah cancelled the concession in January 1892. It was a clear demonstration of people power.

This event is thought to have played a significant role in the development of the revolutionary movement that led to the that took place between 1905 and 1911 and the establishment of a constitution and parliament in Iran.

Rise of the Pahlavis

Reza Shah, who founded the Pahlavi dynasty – which would be overthrown in the 1979 revolution and replaced by the Islamic Republic – rose to power following a British-supported coup in 1921.

During the first world war, foreign interference . In 1921, with British support, army officer Reza Khan and politician Seyyed Ziaeddin Tabatabaee . Claiming to be acting to save the monarchy, they arrested key opponents. By 1923, Reza Khan had become prime minister.

In 1925, Reza Khan unseated the Qajars and , becoming Reza Shah Pahlavi. This was a turning point in Iran’s history, marking the start of British dominance. The shah’s authoritarian rule focused on centralisation, modernisation and secularisation. It set the stage for the factors that would that eventually lead to the 1979 Revolution.

In 1941, concerned at the close relationship Pahlavi had developed with Nazi Germany, Britain and its allies once again intervened in Iranian politics, . He was exiled to South Africa and his 22-year-old son, Mohammad Reza, in his place.

The 1953 coup

Mohammad Mosaddegh became Iran’s in 1951. He quickly began to introduce reforms and challenge the authority of the shah. Despite a sustained campaign of destabilisation, Mossadegh retained a high level of popular support, which he used to push through his radical programme. This included the , which was effectively controlled by the Anglo-Persian Oil Company – later British Petroleum (BP).

In 1953, he was ousted in a and placed under house arrest. The shah, who had fled to Italy during the unrest, returned to power with western support.

Within a short time, Mohammad Reza Shah Pahlavi established that governed through repression and intimidation. He outlawed all opposition parties, and numerous activists involved in the oil nationalisation movement were either imprisoned or forced into exile.

The 1979 revolution: the oppression continues

The shah’s rule became increasingly authoritarian and was also marked by the lavish lifestyles of the ruling elite and increasing poverty of the mass of the Iranian people. Pahlavi increasingly relied on his secret police, the Bureau for Intelligence and Security of the State.

Meanwhile, a scholar and Islamic cleric named Ruhollah Khomeini, had been rising in prominence especially after 1963, when Pahlavi’s unpopular land reforms mobilised a large section of society against his rule. His growing prominence brought him into confrontation with the government and in 1964 he was sent into exile. He remained abroad, living in Turkey, Iraq and France.

By 1978 a diverse alliance primarily made up of urban working and middle-class citizens had paralysed the country. While united in their resistance to the monarchy, participants were driven by a variety of ideological beliefs, including socialism, communism, liberalism, secularism, Islamism and nationalism. The shah fled into exile on January 16 1979 and Khomeini returned to Iran, which in March became an Islamic Republic with Khomeini at its head.

But the US was not finished in its attempts to destabilise Iran. In 1980, Washington backed Saddam Hussein in initiating a , which claimed hundreds of thousands of Iranian lives and severely disrupted the country’s efforts at political and economic reconstruction.

Iran and the US have remained bitter foes. Over the years ordinary Iranians have suffered tremendously under rounds of US-imposed , which have all but destroyed the economy in recent years.

This new wave of foreign aggression has arrived at a time of significant domestic unrest within Iran. Since the protests, which began in September 2022 after the death of Mahsa Amini at the hands of the morality police, there has been a general groundswell of demand for social justice and democracy.

But the convergence of external aggression and internal demands has brought national sovereignty and self-determination to the forefront, as it did during previous major struggles. While world powers gamble with Iran’s future, it is the Iranian people through their struggles and unwavering push for justice and democracy who must determine the country’s future.

, Senior Lecturer in Sociology,
This article is republished from under a Creative Commons license. Read the .

Eight years after the arena attack, ��Թϱ�� bee commercialisation has unsettled some Mancunians

Thu, 22 May 2025 14:53:12 +0100

If you visit ��Թϱ��, one of the first things you’ll notice is the great number of bee images throughout the city. Born in the Industrial Revolution, the “worker bee” symbol captured the city’s tireless spirit and its legacy as a buzzing hive of industry. Today, the symbol is more often associated with collective resilience and remembrance following the ��Թϱ�� Arena attack on May 22 2017.

The bee became a of the “Mancunian spirit”, emerging almost instantly on murals, on bodies as tattoos and on public memorials. Over the last eight years, it has become a core part of ��Թϱ��’s identity.

As part of my ongoing PhD research, I set out to understand why the bee is everywhere in ��Թϱ�� and what it means to people. I interviewed 24 Mancunians who were living in the city at the time of the attack, including some who were directly affected.

Conducted in 2023, seven years after the attack, these interviews aimed to capture how the symbol’s meaning had evolved as the city continued to process and commemorate the event.

For many, the bee still stands as a symbol of resilience, a reminder of how the city came together in the face of tragedy. But for others, its presence throughout ��Թϱ�� has become more of a burden than a comfort.

Appearing on buses, shop windows and public spaces, it serves as a constant and eerie reminder of the events and aftermath of the attack. Eight of my interviewees described these as memories of “trauma”. Over time, what once felt comforting has become more unsettling.

Fifteen of my interviewees expressed discomfort with how the bee has become more commercialised in the years since the attack. Some described feelings of “exploitation”.

Both independent businesses and large companies have embraced the symbol, integrating it into their branding in public spaces. Many sell bee-themed gifts and souvenirs, such as .

��Թϱ�� city council has played a key role in this commercialisation, promoting the image through various initiatives, including the Bee Network transport system and the Bee Cup – a reusable launched in 2023.

In June 2017, shortly after the attack, the council moved to trademark several versions of the bee as an official city symbol. This was made public in March 2018, after the period for .

Initially, the council allowed people and businesses to use the symbol for free, but later introduced a . Now, anyone wishing to use the of the bee must apply for permission from the council, and commercial use comes with a £500 fee. Businesses that want to use the bee are also asked to donate to charity.

The council described the trademarking of the bee symbol as a way to protect its use and support local good causes, such as the , which helps fund community projects and youth opportunities across the city.

But some of my participants noted that this transformed the bee from something personal and meaningful to something more corporate. In their view, it is as if the city itself is commodifying the attack rather than honouring it.

This can be viewed as an element of “dark tourism”, which involves visiting places where tragedy has been memorialised or commercialised. this manifests not through visits to the attack site but through the bee symbol, which has been commodified in murals, merchandise and public spaces. Tourists buy into collective grief through consumption, turning remembrance into a marketable experience and the bee as a managed and profitable commodity.

Some ��Թϱ�� Arena bombing survivors I spoke to feel that their personal grief has been repackaged into a public identity, one that does not necessarily reflect the complexity of their experiences.

The use of the bee in products and souvenirs raises questions about how the city commercialises its identity, especially when considering the layered histories that the symbol carries.

Uncomfortable history

For some, the discomfort around ��Թϱ��’s bee goes even . Today, the bee symbolises resilience and unity, but it originally represented hard work during ��Թϱ��’s industrial boom.

This era wasn’t just about progress — it also involved especially through cotton by enslaved people in the Americas. ��Թϱ��’s role in the industrial revolution would have never been possible without slavery.

My participants pointed out this hidden history, noticing that these stories rarely appear in ��Թϱ��’s public commemorations in the city. The bee’s visibility today reveals how cities tend to highlight positive histories, while uncomfortable truths .

A painted window in ��Թϱ��’s Victoria station. Ashley Collar

Focusing solely on resilience risks creating a simplified version of ��Թϱ��’s past. , overlooking how historical injustices, like the city’s links to the transatlantic slave trade, still shape their lives today.

This selective storytelling makes it harder for some communities to commemorate ��Թϱ��’s identity. They can’t do so without acknowledging past legacies of slavery and the city’s history of division.

While some see the bee as a proud symbol of unity, others feel it erases their history. As the bee continues to dominate public spaces, ��Թϱ�� faces an important challenge: making sure this symbol genuinely acknowledges the varied experiences and histories of all residents.

This might be through dedicated plaques or exhibits that explore some of these hidden histories, and the bee’s complex meaning. Only by confronting its past can the city ensure that commemoration includes everyone.

, PhD Candidate in Sociology at ��Թϱ�� and Associate Lecturer in Criminology at MMU
This article is republished from under a Creative Commons license. Read the .

��Թϱ�� research informs government Winter Fuel Payment changes

Wed, 21 May 2025 15:38:51 +0100

Ongoing research at ��Թϱ�� into the long-term poverty faced by many older people has contributed to the Government announcing changes to the Winter Fuel Payment today.

The payment is a welfare benefit previously paid directly to all pensioners to help with their fuel costs, which was restricted in 2024 to older people in receipt of Pension Credit.

An estimated 2.2 million (19%) of older people (aged 66 years and older) live in relative income poverty, and many have unmet care needs. 12% of older people live in persistent poverty. Evidence suggests that the changes to the Winter Fuel Payment were going to leave many more older people in poverty, which would put their health and well-being at risk.

As one research participant aged 79 commented: “May be some of us will die after the end of the Winter Fuel Payment. Like in the Covid pandemic, we don’t matter!”

Whilst the changes to the Winter Fuel Payment had led to an increase in applications for Pension Credit, many older people had still not made a claim. This is despite the fact that being awarded Pension Credit also gives access to a range of other welfare support.

A number of interlinked factors are associated with the lack of take-up of welfare benefits such as Pension Credit, including: awareness, not recognising being in need, fear and a lack of trust, the complexity of the application process, stigma and embarrassment and concerns about having money taken away.

In relation to claiming welfare benefits, one interviewee aged 74 stated: “I don’t like anyone thinking I’m on benefits.”

The research led by Dr Kingsley Purdam was presented to the Department for Work and Pensions earlier this year.

��Թϱ�� becomes a Policing Academic Centre of Excellence

Wed, 21 May 2025 10:35:37 +0100

��Թϱ�� has been officially recognised as one of the UK’s new Policing Academic Centres of Excellence (PACE) as part of a national initiative to embed world-class research into frontline policing and community safety.

The M-PACE centre will be led jointly by experts from ��Թϱ�� and ��Թϱ�� Metropolitan University, in partnership with local police, community groups and industry. It is one of nine PACE hubs launched across the UK by the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) and UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) in a bid to transform how policing tackles today’s complex challenges.

Backed by funding from the NPCC and UKRI, the centres will become long-term drivers of innovation - giving police forces across the UK access to cutting-edge research and practical expertise in everything from crime prevention and digital policing to ethics and public trust.

Unlike traditional academic centres, PACE hubs are designed to work hand-in-hand with police services to co-develop research that responds to real-world problems - from improving how crimes are investigated, to tackling violence, supporting victims, and rebuilding public confidence in law enforcement.

M-PACE will help the police to understand and use existing research by working together to share their knowledge, as well as creating new research in partnership with the police, and helping to train the next generation of policing researchers and professionals. The programme draws on a team with a strong track record in evidence-based policing to meet the ongoing research and innovation needs of UK policing.

As part of the wider PACE network, it will also help establish national best practices, support training and skills development in policing, and ensure new technologies and methods are evaluated using robust evidence.

“M-PACE is an exciting collaboration between ��Թϱ�� Metropolitan University and ��Թϱ�� which will engage colleagues from multiple faculties and disciplines in a common project,” said project co-lead Professor Jon Bannister of ��Թϱ�� Metropolitan University. “Building on our rich and varied expertise, M-PACE will strive to meet the evidence needs of police forces. We will develop new research and knowledge exchange activities with the ambitions of helping improve public safety and improving the legitimacy of policing within communities.”

The PACE programme marks a major shift in how UK policing engages with science and evidence. The initiative will create a collaborative, nationwide research infrastructure that reflects policing’s Areas of Research Interest (ARIs) - from public protection to digital transformation. Each centre will act as a gateway to independent academic advice, helping forces to navigate complex issues and adopt effective, ethical strategies that serve diverse communities.

As the UK faces fast-changing demands on its police services, the launch of the PACE network signals a long-term commitment to smarter, safer, and more responsive policing - backed by the best that British academia has to offer.

“This is about making sure policing decisions are grounded in the best available knowledge,” said Chief Constable Gavin Stephens, NPCC Chair. “It strengthens our commitment to evidence-based practice and shows our determination to be more transparent, accountable and effective.”

Stian Westlake, Executive Chair of the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC), said: “The Policing Academic Centres of Excellence will forge closer relationships between police forces and researchers, providing the police with data and evidence to make the justice system work better.

“By bringing experts in policing practice together with social scientists and data scientists across the country, the centres will provide knowledge and insights to drive service improvement. These centres of excellence demonstrate our commitment to reducing crime and making Britain a safer place.”

Tiny Human Dramas: 5 Research Stories, 24 Hours, 1 Unforgettable Night of Theatre

Thu, 15 May 2025 16:04:24 +0100

Tiny Human Dramas returns to ��Թϱ��’s Contact Theatre on Saturday 31 May with a daring, moving and utterly unique night of theatre.

In just 90 minutes, audiences will witness five entirely original short plays - each created in just 24 hours - that explore some of the most complex, poignant and timely questions about what it means to be human today. This isn’t just experimental theatre – it is research, radically reimagined.

The brainchild of Dr Meghan Rose Donnelly and Dr Alexandra D’Onofrio from ��Թϱ�� and theatre producer Laura Sophie Helbig, Tiny Human Dramas pairs anthropologists with theatre-makers to transform deep, field-based research into short, emotionally resonant performances.

Each team has just 24 hours to devise, rehearse and stage their 10-minute piece - a creative constraint which sparks a surprising level of intensity and innovation.

Last year’s sold-out premiere at Contact Theatre drew a packed house and rave audience reviews. It brought anthropological research to life for new audiences, sparked conversations about diversity and belonging, and showed the public that research can be a living, breathing, creative force.

“It’s rare to see a project where everyone - researchers, artists, students, and audiences - walks away changed,” says Helbig. “We’re not just making theatre. We’re co-creating new ways of thinking, feeling, and connecting across difference.”

Each play is infused with the distinctive voice of its creators - from poetic monologues to ensemble movement, to satire and sensory storytelling. Following the performance, audience members are invited to stay for a candid conversation with the creators, discussing the themes, the process, and what it means to tell stories across cultures.

In a time of global complexity and cultural tension, it offers a rare chance to pause, reflect and connect. It celebrates the diversity of lived experience and invites audiences to engage directly with the kinds of questions anthropology is uniquely positioned to ask.

Tickets for the event can be purchased at .

Tiny Human Dramas is part of an expanding vision - the team is currently developing a short documentary film about the creative process and exploring opportunities to take the project to national festivals, including the Edinburgh Fringe and the ESRC Festival of Social Science.

80% of Northern Irish women first endured sexist behaviour as children

Thu, 24 Apr 2025 12:04:02 +0100

Four in five women surveyed in Northern Ireland said their first experience of sexist behaviour or harassment by men happened when they were children, according to a new study.

, surveyed 211 women in the country who had experienced staring, sexual comments, touching, catcalling, flashing and other behaviour that made them uncomfortable.

She found that 80% said they had first experienced this before the age of 17 – 25% experiencing it before the age of 11, and 55% when aged between 11 and 16 years.

Her study, which is ongoing, also found that almost half (47%) of the 221 women surveyed had, while children or adults, experienced flashing by a man, and 93% had been harassed by men wolf-whistling or cat-calling.

The research was carried out against a background of a gradual increase in violence against women since the end of the Troubles. Sexual violence has increased every year since 1998 and reached the highest recorded level in 2024. Northern Ireland has the second-highest levels of femicide in Europe.

“I found it quite alarming that four out of five respondents first experienced behaviour from a man which made them feel uncomfortable as children, aged 16 or under,” Ms McFalone told the British Sociological Association’s annual conference in ��Թϱ�� on Wednesday 23 April.

“The other circumstance for unwanted behaviour was while they were working in their first part-time job as a teenager, with adult male customers making sexual or otherwise inappropriate comments to them while they were working. A young girl working her first job probably isn’t going to feel able to challenge this behaviour or speak to someone about it.”

Ms McFalone also carried out interviews with affected women. One told her she was 13 years old when she first was “cat-called in a school uniform” by “fully grown men.” Another said: “I worked for a pizza place as my first job – surprisingly the worst sort of male attention I got, which was borderline illegal, was when I was 15.”

��Թϱ�� Professor wins award for her commitment to disability inclusion

Tue, 01 Apr 2025 12:03:18 +0100

Professor Jackie Carter from ��Թϱ�� has been recognised with a prestigious Culture Shift Award for her exceptional leadership and commitment to advancing disability inclusion within higher education.

Jackie has dedicated her career to championing equality, diversity, and inclusion, with a particular focus on ensuring that disabled staff and students are supported and empowered. She has long been committed to widening participation in education, creating pathways for individuals from underrepresented groups to excel in academia and beyond. Her extensive work in the field of data science has seen her mentor and guide numerous students into successful careers, and she has played a key role in promoting inclusive teaching practices within the University and across the sector.

When she became ��Թϱ��’s EDI Disability Academic Lead in 2023, Jackie set out to achieve two major goals – to ensure that disability is discussed as prominently as other protected characteristics, and to move from dialogue to tangible action. She points out that 24% of the working age population are disabled, and 80% of disabilities are not visible – like hers. Under her leadership, the University has made significant strides in embedding disability inclusion into its institutional priorities, ensuring that it is a core consideration in shaping policies and practices.

A key achievement in Jackie’s leadership has been the creation of the ‘’ podcast series, in which she hosts two guests per episode – one senior leader and one staff member or postgraduate researcher who is Deaf, disabled, or chronically ill. The conversations allow her guests to share their perspectives while committing to ‘just one thing’ they will take away and act on. This simple but powerful format has significantly shifted the conversation around disability inclusion at the University, elevating it into previously untapped areas.

Jackie has been instrumental in developing a culture of openness, understanding and proactive change. She is a passionate advocate for role models in the disability space, drawing on her own lived experience as a deaf, dizzy and disabled individual. Her leadership has fostered an environment where disabled staff and students feel empowered to share their challenges and aspirations without fear of stigma. Through her mentorship and advocacy, she has inspired others, leading to several colleagues receiving nominations for major awards – a testament to the ripple effect that her work has created across the University.

Jackie’s efforts have been recognised at the highest levels, influencing the University’s ��Թϱ�� 2035 strategy and reinforcing the Vice-Chancellor’s vision of being ‘Inclusive by Design’. Her contributions have ensured that disabled staff and students are not only heard but actively involved in shaping a more inclusive academic community.

“Through her work, Jackie has foregrounded disability inclusion, ensuring that disabled staff and students have a voice in shaping a more inclusive culture,” said Vicki Baars, Head of Culture Transformation at Culture Shift. “She truly leads by example and lives the principle of ‘Nothing about us without us’ - her work remains a vital force for creating lasting change at the university.”

Expert says ageing is 'an opportunity, not a problem to be managed'

Tue, 01 Apr 2025 11:37:09 +0100

Professor Tine Buffel called for society to reframe ageing as an opportunity during her plenary at the Age-Friendly Futures Summit held from 25 to 27 March in ��Թϱ��. She emphasised the need to rethink ageing, not as a problem but as a shared opportunity to strengthen communities and create healthier, fairer and more sustainable cities through collective action.

At the Summit, MUARG played a key role in shaping the WHO European Strategy on Healthy Ageing. Led by Yongjie Yon, Head of the Ageing and Health Programme at WHO Europe, MUARG contributed insights and evidence through a series of roundtables, designed to inform the programme's strategic development.

Professor Tine Buffel, Director of the ��Թϱ�� Urban Ageing Research Group at ��Թϱ��, said: “Deeds, not words. ��Թϱ�� has never waited for change – it has led it. As a pioneer in the age-friendly movement, the city and region have brought together research, policy, and communities to drive forward real progress in creating places where people can age well. The Age-Friendly Futures Summit is our moment to build on this legacy, push boundaries, and drive bold action for a fairer, more inclusive, and more connected future where people of all ages can thrive.”

MUARG, a leading research group comprising experts from the University of ��Թϱ�� and the ��Թϱ�� School of Architecture, has been instrumental in highlighting the growing social and spatial inequalities in ageing. In the UK, people living in the most deprived areas can expect to live up to 19 fewer healthy years than those in the most affluent localities.

��Թϱ�� was recognised as a pioneering voice in the global age-friendly movement at the Age-Friendly Futures Summit this week. The Summit, delivered in partnership by the University of ��Թϱ��, the Centre for Ageing Better, the World Health Organization, the Greater ��Թϱ�� Combined Authority and ��Թϱ�� Metropolitan University, was a landmark event that brought together researchers, policymakers, practitioners, architects and communities to share cutting-edge research, showcase effective interventions and set a global agenda for a more age-friendly world.

With the global population of people aged 60 and over predicted to reach 2.1 billion by 2050, the Age-Friendly Futures Summit called for urgent action to create a more equitable and age-friendly future. Population ageing and urbanisation are the defining demographic trends of our time, but urban planning still focuses on youth and families, rather than integrating the needs of all generations. In response, the WHO developed the Age-Friendly Cities initiative in 2007 and launched the Global Network of Age-Friendly Cities and Communities (AFCC) in 2010, which now covers over 1,700 cities and communities in 60 countries.

Building on this legacy, Greater ��Թϱ�� has since become the UK’s first age-friendly city region. Together, the city and region have worked to create environments where people of all ages can participate in community life and feel respected and included in social, cultural, and civic spaces.

At the Summit, various initiatives from Greater ��Թϱ�� were showcased, including the installation of age-friendly benches with backrests and arm supports to make public spaces more accessible. Architecture students collaborated with older residents to co-design public spaces that reflect their needs and aspirations. Cultural institutions hosted events, such as My Generation Club Nights, for people aged 50 and over, challenging ageist stereotypes. Underused spaces have been repurposed as community hubs, offering safe and welcoming spaces for older LGBTQ+ people and ethnically minoritised groups.

A key message from the Summit was the leading role older people play in shaping the age-friendly agenda, as active co-creators of research, policy, and practice. Initiatives such as MUARG’s Older People’s Forum and the Greater ��Թϱ�� Older People’s Network (GMOPN) enable older residents to act as co-researchers, shape research priorities, and influence local and regional decision-making. Elaine Unegbu, Chair of GMOPN, noted how older people’s voices have often been silenced and their contributions overlooked. These platforms challenge that, providing a space for older people to lead change, inform policy, and improve lives. The Summit highlighted such examples to encourage genuine co-production and long-term collaboration with communities and grassroots organisations.

Professor Stefan White, Professor of Architecture at MSA and member of MUARG, said, “The relationship between place, health inequality and ageing is a complex challenge which requires urgent critical attention. This Summit showcases globally significant research in Greater ��Թϱ��, helping researchers, developers, housing providers, urban planners and public health departments from around the world to better understand and create age-friendly neighbourhoods and respond to the residential desires of older people.”

The Summit reinforced that tackling the inequalities that shape how we age, linked to place, gender, class, race, disability and migration, must be central to age-friendly work. MUARG's ongoing work is crucial in driving research and collaboration to improve the experience of ageing and to build fairer, more inclusive and connected cities for all.

Learn more about the ��Թϱ�� Urban Ageing Research Group’s work in building an age-friendly future by .

Five ��Թϱ�� experts become Academy of Social Sciences Fellows

Tue, 01 Apr 2025 11:14:30 +0100

An unprecedented five academics from ��Թϱ�� have been recognised as leading experts in their fields by being named as Fellows of the Academy of Social Sciences.

New Fellows are named in recognition of their excellence and impact, and their advancement of social sciences for the public good. Through leadership, research and policymaking, they have deepened understanding of major societal challenges. The Academy comprises over 1,400 Fellows, 46 societies and affiliates, forming a 90,000-strong network that cements the UK’s global leadership in social sciences.

Joining them is Professor Sherilyn MacGregor, a leading scholar in environmental politics who is internationally renowned for her expertise in ecological feminism and environmental justice. Her research connects sustainability and justice in policy and practice, working with organisations like Oxfam and grassroots activists. She has authored pioneering works, mentored early career scholars, and edited Environmental Politics since 2010. She has secured over £1 million in research funding and recently led an £8.5 million bid for the , where, as PI and director, she leads more than 30 researchers studying just transitions to net zero.

“It is a huge privilege to become a Fellow of the Academy of Social Sciences, and I want to thank the colleagues responsible for my nomination,” said Sherilyn. “As we start building the JUST Centre, I am more committed than ever to demonstrating that the environmental social sciences play a vital role in leading the way out of the current so-called ‘polycrisis’. I will continue to do work that supports community struggles for eco-social justice, inspired by the countless mentors who have taught me the necessity and the rewards of engaged scholarship.”

Also named as a new Fellow is Professor Stefan Bouzarovski, who also co-leads a core working group of the JUST Centre as well as the . Honoured by the EU as an ‘Ordinary Hero’, Stefan is a leading expert on energy regulation, urban inequality and housing vulnerability who has influenced global climate policies as the University’s Associate Research Director for Impact. A key member of the and the , he has worked with the UN, UK Government, EU and World Bank. He co-founded the European Energy Poverty Observatory, and he has authored over 150 publications.

“I am incredibly honoured and humbled to have received this recognition, while also feeling deeply grateful to the Royal Geographical Society for their nomination,” said Stefan. “All academic work is collective, and this Fellowship is equally the result of multiple years of cooperation with numerous researchers and practitioners across the world. I hope to be able to extend and develop our shared work in the period to come, in working towards energy equity and social justice against the background of the unfolding climate crisis.”

Another new Fellow is deputy director of the JUST Centre Professor Matthew Paterson, a globally recognised expert in climate politics and environmental governance whose work explores the political economy of climate change, global environmental governance and sustainable transformations. Matthew has authored influential books and over 100 scholarly articles, shaping discourse on climate politics. He has led major international research projects funded by organisations such as the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) and the Leverhulme Trust, and he has engaged policymakers worldwide including as an author for the UN’s IPCC reports.

Also named as a Fellow is Professor Toni Haastrup, a leading expert in feminist international studies. Her work has explored contemporary Africa-EU relations, feminist foreign policy and the Women, Peace and Security agenda. With over 80 published works, her work seeks to bridge theory and practice, which has led to collaborations with UN agencies and EU institutions. Passionate about inclusion in the sector, Toni is currently chair of the . Her contribution to feminist knowledge in Europe was recognised with an Emma Goldman Award in 2022. She is also a mid-career fellow of the Independent Social Research Foundation.

“I am deeply honoured to be recognised by the Academy of Social Sciences,” Toni said. “This recognition further validates the importance of feminist perspectives within the humanities and social sciences, at a time we are increasingly seeing a backlash within and outside the academy. Yet, this work is essential to addressing some of the most pressing challenges of our time, and I am grateful to the colleagues and collaborators who have supported my work over the years.”

Our final new Fellow is Professor Sophie Woodward, a distinguished sociologist who carries out research into material culture, consumption and everyday life. Sophie is the author of several books including Why Women Wear What They Wear (2007), Blue Jeans: The Art of the Ordinary (2012), Birth and Death: experience, ethics and politics (2020) and Material Methods: Researching and Thinking with Things (2019) who co-directs the , as well as serving as Vice-Director of the National Centre for Research Methods (NCRM). She is also one of the founding editors of the new Journal of Creative Research methods.

“I am delighted to be made a Fellow of the Academy of Social Sciences - it is wonderful to receive recognition like this,” said Sophie. “I look forward to working with other fellows at a time when the world needs social science methods, perspectives and critiques more than ever. I look forward to continuing to develop critical engagements with methods and the data they can generate and my research into everyday lives.”

“I’m delighted to welcome these outstanding social scientists to the Academy’s Fellowship, whose research and practice are helping to develop solutions to pressing societal issues,” said Will Hutton, President of the Academy. “We look forward to working with them to further promote the vital role the social sciences play in all areas of our lives.”

Police struggle to identify the riskiest domestic abuse perpetrators – here’s how they can do better

Thu, 20 Mar 2025 13:51:16 +0000

The government cannot achieve its target to if it doesn’t address the most serious perpetrators – and it isn’t anywhere near knowing how to identify them. Our shows where they are going wrong, and how they can do better.

The most recent statistics show that violence against women and girls affects one in 12 women in . A quarter of domestic abuse incidents reported to police involve known, repeat perpetrators. But despite being to identify and control the most serious perpetrators, police do not currently have systems good enough to do that.

Currently, police forces use an algorithm to determine which offenders pose the greatest risk to women and girls. This is known as the – perpetrators are propelled up or down a list based on the recency, frequency, gravity (seriousness) of reported incidents, and the vulnerability of the victim.

The gap in this approach is that it largely treats incidents as isolated, when they should be looked at as a whole. Research has also found it is used between forces.

Most police perpetrator lists contain hundreds or even thousands of people, making them difficult tools to use. They also do not seem to be able to distinguish who the most serious offenders are, with men with very similar profiles near the top, middle and bottom of the lists.

We propose an , which would assess the whole of a perpetrator’s record of incidents. This would allow police to identify not only the most dangerous perpetrators, but also opportunities to better address their offending earlier on. This might be with diversion to programmes designed to support better choices and rehabilitation, or arrest and incarceration to prevent them harming other people.

By joining together incidents recorded by police for individual perpetrators, we constructed detailed case studies using police officer’s notes. Here is a summary of two people who appear in one force’s perpetrator list.

1. Male born mid 1980s, involved in 340 incidents over 20 years

His offending begins with an indecent assault on a young teenage girl when he is 19. He is increasingly involved in drug-related offending in his 20s. He is later sentenced to six years in jail for arson endangering life. Released on conditional licence, he is re-convicted of the harassment of his ex-partner and recalled to prison.

Release is followed by further offences until the mid-2010s when he is imprisoned again. When released, his offending is erratic (low-level public order, violence, threats, drug-related offending).

Throughout his 30s, he frequently victimises partners and ex-partners. He has no settled address and is homeless at various points of his life. He is still subject to frequent mental health episodes.

2. Male born early 1980s, involved in 396 incidents over 25 years

In his teens he was involved in low-level thefts, criminal damage and breaches of an antisocial behaviour order. He was also suspected of selling drugs to schoolchildren, and imprisoned, aged 18, for drug-related violence.

In his 20s he “associates with” children and is found with a missing vulnerable schoolgirl hiding in his house. He continues to commit offences of criminal damage, drug dealing, and stealing vehicles. Another missing teenage girl is found to be living with him.

In his early 20s he very violently assaults and harasses much younger partners. He continues to commit public order offences and to threaten, harass, and assault current and ex-partners, kicking his pregnant partner in the stomach.

In the early 2020s, police attend his ex-partner’s house following abandoned 999 calls – they find him with his hand over her mouth to stop her calling out to the police. He continues to be violent to ex-partners and his involvement in drug-related offending deepens. He is currently in prison for a violent offence.

Who is the danger?

Both men pose a real and severe threat of violence to women and girls as well as the public. But the RFGV algorithm places the first man more than a thousand places higher than the second. Clearly treating the offences they commit in isolation is not sufficient to distinguish which man poses the greatest risk.

A life-course approach, which takes into account the type and pattern of offending as it develops over time, is less susceptible to fluctuations which move an offender rapidly up or down the priority lists. Therefore, it more reliably reflects who poses the greatest risk.

A better ranking system is clearly required. The RFGV algorithm provides a “score”, but a more sophisticated system would also evaluate the direction of offending of individuals – is it escalating, more frequent, more serious?

A life-course approach could be used separately or together with RFGV to allow police analysts to identify the most serious perpetrators. It may also be possible to use artificial intelligence to identify trends in offending and escalation of risk through analysis of thousands of police incident reports in real time.

The system could then identify opportunities for which have been shown to be effective in reducing re-offending against current and future victims. It could also automatically trigger warnings to neighbourhood officers, specialist domestic abuse-trained officers, mental health services and so on.

We won’t really know the full capability until new systems are tried, and evaluated. This also means including the voices of survivors and focusing on the lives of persistent perpetrators – often substance use, homelessness, estrangement, imprisonment and mental health problems are at play. The possibilities of learning from artificial intelligence or other technology should not be privileged over the very sources of the data such intelligence relies upon: victims’ experiences.

, Professor of Criminology, and , Professor of Social Justice,
This article is republished from under a Creative Commons license. Read the .

Best-selling author Laura Bates delivers an impactful lecture at the Annual Christabel Pankhurst Lecture

Thu, 13 Mar 2025 16:06:19 +0000

Activist, speaker and author visited the in February to deliver an impactful lecture on extreme misogyny and why she feels it’s imperative we declare acts carried out in its name as terrorism.

Reflecting on findings from her 2021 book ‘Men Who Hate Women’ Laura shared insights into the 'manosphere' and the groups which make up this online subculture, alongside examining the current UK political and media landscape which are acting as barriers to combatting this rising epidemic.

The lecture, hosted in collaboration between the School’s and , is named in honour of the iconic suffragette and activist , who helped lead the movement for women's right to vote in the early 20th century. Each year the event aims to inspire discussion and debate on critical issues relating to gender equality, civil liberties, criminal justice, democracy, and humanitarian causes - causes that Christabel Pankhurst dedicated her life to fighting for.

As a feminist author Laura has written extensively on sexism, extremist misogyny and recently AI, which featured in her latest book ‘The New Age of Sexism’.

The audience engaged deeply with the issues she raised throughout the lecture during a thought-provoking Q&A session. A particularly critical question came from a student, asking how to address and counteract rising misogyny in young male family members, the target recruitment group for the ‘manosphere’ currently.

Laura applauded the question, highlighting shame and fear as key parts of radicalisation:

Her response discussed the need for conversations to remain supportive and continuous, with a target of understanding the root of the fear drawing young men into misogynistic extremism.

For those unable to attend the lecture, the above clip will give you an insight into the discussion. Laura introduced the topic of misogyny as terrorism and details The Everyday Sexism Project. The clip can also be found on our .

Following the event, attendees made their way to the University Place foyer for a networking reception, and book signing hosted by Blackwells.

Gemma, who works in the violence against women and girls (VAWG) sector, “appreciated the opportunity to hear Laura speak. The passion from the academic staff was also heartening." She also felt reassured to know that our students were so actively engaged in discussions surrounding VAWG.

The 2025 Christabel Pankhurst Lecture reinforced the University's commitment to addressing pressing social issues and fostering meaningful dialogue on gender equality and social justice. Further information about upcoming events in this series will be shared on the School of Social Sciences website.

Professor Jackie Carter highlights legacy and future of GM4Women2028

Mon, 03 Mar 2025 12:40:27 +0000

��Թϱ��’s Professor Jackie Carter has delivered a compelling message on the importance of data-driven legacy and sustained action at the 7th Pankhurst-Fawcett Scorecard Reveal, hosted by GM4Women2028 at Stockport County Football Club.

Established in 2018, GM4Women2028 is a gender equality initiative focused on improving the lives of women and girls in Greater ��Թϱ��. The organisation brings together activists, policymakers, and community members to push for meaningful improvements in gender equality through data-driven strategies and public engagement. It tracks progress across key sectors using the Pankhurst-Fawcett Scorecard, holding institutions accountable and advocating for systemic change.

Experts from ��Թϱ�� lead various aspects of GM4Women2028 including Professor Jill Rubery and Dr Eva Herman (Employment), Dr Omolade Femi-Ajao (Safety) and Professor Francesca Gains (Participation).

Professor Jackie Carter - a champion of gender equality and a leader in data-driven advocacy - co-leads Communications and Operations for GM4Women2028. She introduced the at the event, a landmark publication capturing the formation, impact, and progress of the initiative since its inception.

She emphasised the importance of maintaining the momentum of change by continuously collecting and analysing data, ensuring that the lived experiences of women and girls in Greater ��Թϱ�� are at the forefront of policy discussions and decision-making.

Professor Carter’s remarks reinforced the essential role that data plays in driving social change. The Pankhurst-Fawcett Scorecard has been a crucial tool for measuring progress across key sectors, identifying both victories and areas where further action is needed. This year’s findings provided insights into persistent gender disparities while also highlighting positive strides towards equality.

The event featured dynamic discussions, including a keynote address from Professor Helen Pankhurst - a direct descendant of Emmeline and Sylvia Pankhurst - who echoed Professor Carter’s message, stating: “Turning data into action is our greatest challenge and opportunity.”

As the event concluded, GM4Women2028 reaffirmed its commitment to pushing for systemic change. The next Dialogue and Action Event will take place in Bolton on Saturday, July 5, providing another opportunity for communities, policymakers and activists to collaborate and plan actionable solutions.

Trump is making false claims about Zelensky's popularity, say experts

Wed, 19 Feb 2025 14:45:06 +0000

After US President Donald Trump falsely claimed that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s approval rating stands at a mere 4%, experts including of ��Թϱ�� have pointed to their polling which puts his approval rating at 63% - making him the most popular politician in the country.

Trump’s remarks come at a critical moment when US and Russian officials are engaging in discussions - without Ukrainian representation - about ending the full-scale invasion. These talks are validating some of Ukrainians' worst fears: negotiations that concede to Vladimir Putin’s demands, undermining Ukraine’s sovereignty, and rewarding Russian aggression. Trump’s comments only add fuel to this narrative by attempting to delegitimise Ukraine’s leadership while strengthening Putin’s position.

Professor Onuch - alongside colleagues Professor Henry Hale of George Washington University, Volodymyr Kulyk of The Kyiv School of Economics and Gwendolyn Sasse of Humbolt University and ZOiS - has conducted extensive surveys in Ukraine since 2014. Their work, carried out in partnership with the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology, offers a clear picture of Ukrainian public sentiment.

According to their latest findings, 63% of Ukrainians approve of Zelensky’s performance as president, a notable increase from the previous year. Additionally, large majorities view him as a patriot (74%), an intelligent and knowledgeable leader (73%), and a strong figure guiding the country through war (65%).

The notion that Zelensky is deeply unpopular is not only inaccurate - according to the researchers, it is a blatant attempt to distort reality in favour of Russia’s geopolitical ambitions. Trump’s suggestion that Ukraine should hold new elections ignores the fact that democratic processes in Ukraine remain intact, and that Zelensky would remain a frontrunner in the most likely electoral scenarios.

Among likely voters, he commands 32-41% support - far ahead of rivals like former President Petro Poroshenko and Dmytro Razumkov, who trail in the single digits. Zelensky's only strong contender would be Valerii Zaluzhnyi, former Commander in Chief and currently Ukrainian Ambassador to the UK, but he has not publicly voiced any political ambitions.

“Ukrainians will not react well to attempts to undermine their views and preferences and will rally behind their leaders," Olga added. "Opposition forces will also find a way to come together and show unity - everyone in Ukraine understands what is as stake - it is an existential matter. Ukrainians have been fighting to protect their independence for years, and they will not give up now.”

“By inventing low approval ratings, Trump is preparing the ground for a call for quick elections in Ukraine - in line with Putin‘s references to Zelensky as an illegitimate president and negotiation partner,” said Gwendolyn Sasse. “Our findings show that for Ukrainians, holding elections now is not a preferred priority.”

“When the war ends, we can expect normal political competition to reemerge if Ukraine remains free,” added Henry Hale. “But with the Russian threat still looming large, Ukrainians continue to rally strongly around their leader.”

As Ukraine continues to resist Russian aggression and misinformation campaigns, the researchers say these must be called out and rejected. Their findings demonstrate that Ukraine still stands with Zelensky, and they say that efforts to delegitimise him only serve the interests of Vladimir Putin.

Artificial human DNA study raises urgent ethical questions for society

Tue, 18 Feb 2025 10:57:52 +0000

Researchers from ��Թϱ�� - in collaboration with the Universities of Granada, Lund, and Oslo - have conducted the first-ever ethical analysis of artificial human DNA.

The study, published in the Journal of Medical Ethics, explores how this emerging technology could impact identity, privacy and even reproduction, raising urgent questions for society.

Artificial human DNA, or synthetic DNA (synDNA), is created by assembling the chemical components of genes in a controlled process. While this technique could revolutionise medicine and biology, it also presents ethical challenges that must be addressed before the technology becomes widespread.

Scientists have already synthesised bacterial genomes and portions of human chromosomes, and future advancements could make it possible to generate entire human genomes in a lab.

The study highlights key concerns about privacy, identity and genetic relationships. If human DNA can be artificially replicated, who owns or controls it? Could it be used without consent? The research also explores how this technology might redefine biological parenthood and reproduction, challenging traditional understandings of genetics and inheritance.

Beyond medicine and science, this research has real-world implications for everyday people. If synDNA is widely adopted, it could lead to groundbreaking medical treatments and innovations, such as designing genes to combat hereditary diseases.

However, it also raises concerns about genetic privacy, ownership, and potential misuse. Could individuals’ genetic information be recreated without their permission? How might this affect legal rights or personal identity?

The researchers emphasise the need for governments, policymakers and scientists to collaborate on ethical guidelines to ensure responsible development and use of synDNA. By addressing these issues now, society can prepare for the transformative impact this technology may have on healthcare, reproduction and human identity itself.

The study was funded by the Víctor Grífols i Lucas Foundation.

New study reveals social connections are key to preventing disease

Wed, 05 Feb 2025 16:54:00 +0000

A groundbreaking study published in has revealed that people’s social connections play a crucial role in determining whether they adopt preventative health measures.

Researchers from institutions including ��Թϱ��, the University of Birmingham, NYU and the Indian Institute of Public Health collaborated on this innovative project which could significantly change how public health initiatives are designed and implemented.

Their study - which focused on malaria prevention in ten villages in India - looked at how different factors influence people's use of preventative measures like bed nets, insect repellent and protective clothing. It involved detailed interviews with over 1,500 adults, gathering information about their health practices and social networks.

The findings showed that exposure to preventative behaviours within someone’s social network is the main factor influencing whether they adopt those same behaviours - in other words, if your friends and family use insect repellents, you are much more likely to use them yourself. This suggests that health behaviours are heavily influenced by our social connections and are not just the outcome of individual choices.

The study also found that households are critical for shaping health-related discussions - people tend to discuss health matters with those within their own household, which means that the information and practices shared at home have a large impact.

Interestingly, the researchers found that individual characteristics like age, gender or education - as well as advice from health experts - appeared to have a much smaller direct influence on whether people adopted preventative measures.

There was little evidence that adopting one healthy behaviour leads to adopting others – the study found that people do not necessarily adopt prevention behaviours in bundles, but rather tend to simply adopt ones which are common among the people they talk to.

The researchers say that instead of focusing solely on individuals, public health programmes should recognise and utilise the power of group influence - for instance, public health campaigns could focus on educating and supporting community leaders and influential people who can then act as a channel to promote health behaviours among their social circles.

They also highlight the importance of household level interventions - this means targeting entire families, rather than individuals, which could result in more effective prevention strategies.

While the research focused on malaria in rural India, the implications extend to various diseases and populations globally – the researchers say that their approach provides a valuable framework for developing more effective public health strategies around the world.

“Our study found that while individual choices matter, the environment in which these choices are made - particularly our social networks - plays a key role in influencing them,”

Almost 2 million people didn’t have the right ID to vote in 2024

Fri, 24 Jan 2025 13:40:16 +0000

The 2024 general election was the first in the UK’s history to be run under a system of voter ID. When heading to the polling station, people could only vote if they proved their identity first. This was the result of a law brought in in 2023 and that had already applied to local elections in England that year.

Using data from the , we tracked people eligible to vote between 2023 and 2024 and that 5% of people eligible to vote – nearly 2 million people – didn’t own any recognised voter identification. This lack of ID was concentrated among poorer and less educated voters.

Of course, lacking photographic ID is not necessarily a permanent state. Some people will have been in the process of renewing passports and driving licences during this period. All of these people would also have been eligible for a voter authority certificate, a form of identification brought in with the new law – although we found take up of these was low.

We found that around 0.5% of all voters reported being turned away at polling stations as a result of lacking ID in the local elections of 2023. We also found that four times as many people (around 2%) reported not voting because they knew they didn’t have the right ID.

The equivalent figures were slightly lower at the general election of 2024, but a meaningful contingent still did not participate. Around 1.3% of electors – or over half a million people – were turned away or didn’t show up at all because of voter identification requirements.

While administrative records can provide accurate numbers about how many people were turned away at the polling station, they tell us little about people who were discouraged from even trying to vote because they didn’t have the right ID. So it is clear from our analysis that the impact of voter ID on turnout is likely larger than previous estimates based on polling station returns.

Who benefits?

We also found that the Conservatives were more likely to benefit from the voter ID law than other parties.

This is not surprising when we consider demographic factors. , Conservative voters are more likely to own ID, because they are more likely to be older and more affluent. Despite changes in social patterns of party support since the 2016 Brexit referendum, this pattern still holds true.

The types of identification which are allowed under the new law – and especially the decision to allow older people but not younger people to use travel passes – exacerbates these differences.

Who didn’t have ID?

The chart above shows the percentage lacking photo ID by general election vote intention, as measured in May 2023 (lighter bars) and May 2024 (shaded bars), shortly before the general election was called.

In 2024, only 2.4% of Conservative supporters were likely to not have photo ID, while 3.8% of Labour supporters and 4.1% of Reform supporters were lacking.

One notable difference is an increase in Liberal Democrats and non-voters with no photo identification in 2024, although this is almost entirely due to a change in the number of people supporting the Liberal Democrats or deciding not to vote rather than changes in people’s actual ownership of ID.

Liberal Democrat voters had the lowest proportion of supporters without voter ID in 2023 (1.3%), but in 2024, the Liberal Democrat rate exceeded that of the Conservatives (2.9%).

There are still opportunities to posed by voter ID. Ahead of the next election the new government should extend the forms of identification allowed (especially for those younger than state pension age).

Improving public awareness around the law and the availability of voter authority certificates is another important step. There are also suggestions that a system of who don’t have voter ID would be an option.

In an electorate of 49 million, if almost two million aren’t able to vote because they don’t have the right ID, there is a problem. Those interested in building trust in our democracy should consider not only minimising electoral fraud but reducing this number by as much as possible.

, Leverhulme Early Career Fellow in Politics, and , Professor of Social and Political Science, and Principal Investigator of the British Election Study,

This article is republished from under a Creative Commons license. Read the .

Guardian journalist to talk about Hillsborough legal failures as families push for law change

Fri, 24 Jan 2025 11:43:52 +0000

��Թϱ�� and Garden Court North Chambers are set to host a lecture by award-winning Guardian journalist on the Hillsborough disaster, and the subsequent legal failings that led to a decades-long fight for justice.

The disaster, which occurred on Saturday 15 April 1989 at the FA Cup semi-final between Liverpool and Nottingham Forest, caused the deaths of 97 people and injuries to hundreds more, in a crush on the overcrowded terraces of Sheffield Wednesday’s Hillsborough Stadium.

Despite the overwhelming evidence of negligence and safety failings, the South Yorkshire police blamed the victims, alleging that Liverpool supporters had misbehaved, a narrative amplified by parts of the media. Families fought for 21 years against the first inquest verdict of accidental death before it was finally quashed in 2012.

At the new inquest in 2016, the jury determined that the 97 people were unlawfully killed due to gross negligence by the police match commander, that there was a series of other failings by the police, emergency services and Sheffield Wednesday, and that no behaviour of supporters contributed to the disaster. Criminal prosecutions followed but resulted in only one conviction of the former Sheffield Wednesday club secretary, for a health and safety offence.

Guardian Investigations Correspondent David Conn, who won the Press Awards News Reporter of the Year in 2024, has covered the tragedy and the families’ fight for justice for nearly 30 years. His work helped to establish the Hillsborough Independent Panel, whose 2012 report led to the quashing of the first inquest verdict. Conn has also highlighted legal injustices like racial bias in ‘Joint Enterprise’ laws and systemic failures in accountability.

In his lecture on Thursday 13 February, Conn will discuss the legal failures that followed the disaster, and discuss the , the principal reform families are calling for which would impose a statutory duty of candour for police and public authorities, and ensure that victims of disasters or state related deaths have the funding for lawyers to represent them at inquests and inquiries. Human rights barrister Pete Weatherby KC, who has long advocated for Hillsborough Law, will explain its purpose and provide a response to the lecture, with Anna Morris KC chairing the discussion.

This inaugural Mark George Memorial Lecture honours the late Head of Garden Court North Chambers, who represented 22 Hillsborough families during the 2014-16 inquiry. George played a pivotal role as legal counsel for 22 families during the Hillsborough Inquiry (2014-16), helping uncover the truth after nearly three decades of struggle. The series honours his dedication to justice, education and advocacy.

The event also marks the launch of Conn’s Simon Industrial and Professional Fellowship, which brings him together with experts from the university to advance research into fairness in legal processes and amplify voices impacted by injustice.

“The Hillsborough families suffered grievous injustice in the legal system after the loss of their loved ones, and had to fight for decades to have the truth recognised and for justice,” David said. “Mark George was a great advocate for the families, as one of the leading lawyers who worked so hard to achieve the landmark inquest verdict in 2016.”

“This lecture series honours him and marks a deepening relationship between our University and leading human rights barristers’ chambers Garden Court North,” said Professor Eithne Quinn. “David delivering the first lecture highlights his decades of investigations and reporting on the Hillsborough families' justice campaign. This event will expose the urgent need for the landmark ‘Hillsborough Law’ and raise vital questions about legal reform.”

“Mark was many things – a radical barrister, formidable advocate, opponent of the death penalty, lifelong socialist, student of Anglo-Saxon, Norse and Celtic Studies at Cambridge, and Chelsea FC supporter – but above all, a man of integrity, kindness, and wisdom," said Pete Weatherby KC from Garden Court Chambers. ”He combined humanity with fierce intellectual commitment. Whether defending protesters or representing Hillsborough families, Mark gave everything to his clients."

“Mark is a much-missed friend and colleague, and I am glad that a lecture being held in his memory will highlight the importance of the Hillsborough Law - if was in place in 1989, the truth could not have been concealed. Those hiding it would have known they’d be found out and prosecuted. This sophisticated bill has a clear purpose and should be urgently introduced.”

The event will take place at ��Թϱ��’s Alliance ��Թϱ�� Business School, followed by a drinks reception and buffet open to all attendees. To register for a free ticket, .

Majority of Ukrainians ‘cautiously optimistic’ about Trump presidency, study finds

Mon, 20 Jan 2025 13:55:01 +0000

As Donald Trump’s begins his second term as President of the United States, a groundbreaking study led by ��Թϱ�� has revealed that a majority of Ukrainians hold a cautiously optimistic view of his presidency - even amid significant global uncertainty about its implications for the ongoing war with Russia.

The research is part of the “Identity and Borders in Flux: The Case of Ukraine” (IBiF) project - a collaboration between ��Թϱ��, George Washington University, the University of Oxford and Kyiv School of Economics funded by The British Academy.

The study found that 54% of Ukrainians view Trump’s return as generally more positive than negative for Ukraine, although regional and demographic differences persist. Younger Ukrainians aged 18–29 are particularly optimistic, with 64% expressing confidence in Trump’s leadership benefiting their country.

Professor Olga Onuch, the project’s lead researcher, emphasised the importance of these findings in understanding public sentiment during a time of geopolitical upheaval. “Our research highlights the nuanced and often ambivalent perspectives Ukrainians have toward Donald Trump’s presidency,” she said.

“Our findings may also reflect Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s recent public efforts to woo and flatter Trump as he takes the helm of Ukraine’s most powerful ally,” added Henry Hale of George Washington University.

Donald Trump has sparked controversy in the West with statements suggesting the US might scale back military support for Ukraine and focus on negotiating a peace deal, even if this compromises Ukraine’s territorial integrity. These remarks have raised alarms in Kyiv and among NATO allies, as they potentially undermine Ukraine’s ability to resist Russian aggression.

The study reveals that territorial integrity remains a non-negotiable priority for Ukrainians, with 57% agreeing that “any peace agreement that does not restore the full territorial integrity of Ukraine is doomed to failure.” Despite Trump’s claims of being a skilled negotiator, scepticism persists about whether his administration could achieve a deal acceptable to Ukraine and its Western allies.

The research underscores the delicate balance required to maintain Western unity in supporting Ukraine. As NATO and the EU closely monitor Trump’s rhetoric, Ukraine remains steadfast in its demand for a peace deal that ensures sovereignty and territorial integrity.

“The Ukrainian public’s cautious optimism reflects a mix of hope and pragmatism,” Professor Onuch added. “As Trump and his new administration navigate these complex dynamics, the stakes for Ukraine and the West couldn’t be higher.”

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