WISERD project to better tackle Wales' major social problems
Swansea University's School of Business and Economics is taking part in a new £9million project which will help government, policy makers, and businesses better tackle major social problems in Wales.
The project is jointly funded for three years by the Economic and Social Research Council and Higher Education funding Council for Wales and the centre of excellence will be known as The Wales Institute of Social and Economic Research, Data and Methods (WISERD).
The Institute is led by Cardiff University and draws on existing social science expertise at Swansea, Aberystwyth University, Bangor University, and the University of Glamorgan.
Together, Wales’ leading social scientists will take a more joined-up approach to gathering and analysing new and existing social science data, to develop a more detailed picture of Wales.
And the project will cover areas ranging from economic activity and growth to education, community participation, health and social care.
The new Institute will seek to engage the people of Wales in discussions about the places in which they live and how they can be changed for the better, and provide a solid research base to support policy development by the Welsh Assembly Government.
It is also anticipated that it will enable Wales to better compete for future research funding.
First Minister Rhodri Morgan said: “This is a substantial advance in social research of relevance to Wales. This new centre of excellence will take us much further down this road because making effective policy depends on high quality data and when that information has been assembled it becomes a starting point for problem-solving and policy development. WISERD’s work will enable the social science community to make a bigger contribution to addressing the key issues we face here in Wales.”
Professor Andrew Henley, Head of the School of Business and Economics at Swansea University, said: "I'm delighted that Swansea in involved in this exciting new research centre, which will enhance the research base in Wales, as well as providing an avenue for engaging stakeholders and so helping to develop economic and social policy that works better for all parts of Wales."
For more information visit the Institute’s website.
