Research celebrated at ESRC Festival of Social Science

A series of fascinating public events will explore the cities of the future, driverless cars, modern Japan and old Berlin, how our high streets might look and more.

The events are being hosted by Manchester Metropolitan researchers as part of the annual Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) Festival of Social Science, a nationwide celebration of social sciences which runs from November 2 to 9.

University researchers will once again be involved to highlight the impact of their work and how it influences people’s social, economic and political lives – now and in the future.

The festival is designed to promote and increase awareness of social science and ESRC-funded research, enable social scientists to engage with non-academics and increase awareness of the contributions the social sciences make to the wellbeing and the economy of UK society.

Professor Richard Greene, Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Research and Knowledge Exchange at Manchester Metropolitan, said: “It’s fantastic for the University to once again be involved with the ESRC Festival of Social Science and to host events around the city region, showcasing the breadth and impact of the social sciences at Manchester Metropolitan.

“From how our cities and towns might feel in 30 years’ time, to a look at the impact of music and culture across the globe, and the driverless pod travel of the future, the events will provide thought-provoking discussions, demonstrations and interactive fun.

“We hope people can join us in celebrating the social sciences.”

Events from Manchester Metropolitan researchers:

• Go! Gender Go! Japan: Media Narratives of Identity. In partnership with the University of Manchester and the Embassy of Japan's Japan-UK Season of Culture 2019-2020, this inclusive event brings Japan and media narratives of gender and identity to Manchester. Saturday, November 2, 2pm to 5pm
• Cities 2050: High Streets and Town Centres: 2030 and Beyond. Exhibition in which work will be showcased by over 800 students in 50 teams, who were asked to reimagine five of the district centres in Manchester as vibrant, liveable and sustainable places. Monday, November 4 to Thursday, November 7, all day
• Human Centred Analytics and AI for Business and Social Science. Experts will come together to discuss how we can develop human-centred analytics and AI to support business and social decision-making. Wednesday, November 6, 1pm to 6pm
• Cities 2050. A day of talks, activities and interactive sessions to get you thinking about how urban life will change over the next 30 years, including: Play Carbon City Zero!; Place-making in cities with older adults; Bad Bugs Bookclub; Chasing the Dream for Zero Carbon; High Streets and Town Centres: Proposals for 2030 and beyond; and Welcome to our driverless future. Wednesday, November 6, 1.30pm to 8pm
• Getting started and getting on at University. Researchers will showcase images which represent their research on the experiences of students from the UK and South Africa who were the first in their family to go to university. Wednesday, November 6, 5pm to 9pm
• Artistic Reflections: Exploring Feelings about Care. This interactive event will celebrate caring for older people by bringing together care home teams to create collage and poetry. Friday, November 8, 12noon to 1.30pm
• Reimagining LGBTQI. The event will contribute to conversations about LGBTQI+ mental health and wellbeing, and promote dialogue between local communities and social scientists and artists who have worked in that specific field. Friday, November 8, 1.30pm to 5pm
• Mauerstadt 30: Stories From The Berlin Wall. November 9 marks 30 years since the fall of the Berlin Wall and this free afternoon event celebrates that anniversary through live music, conversation and film. Saturday, November 9, 12pm to 3pm.

The free, public launch for the Manchester events will be held in Manchester Museum’s atmospheric Fossils Gallery on Wednesday, October 30.

You can find a full list of national and regional events on the ESRC Festival of Social Science website.