Forthcoming Conferences & Events

Symposium on the “The Irish in Britain: Issues, Evidence and Future Trends”, June 2008

The symposium, to be held in Sheffield Hallam University on Tuesday 3rd June 2008, will be focused on current research regarding the Irish community in Britain: housing, welfare, social issues and inter-generational ethnic identities. We are particularly keen to look at two broad areas: (a) the future needs and aspirations of the Irish community across Britain, and (b) the opportunities for inter-disciplinary research collaborations in the field of Irish Studies. As such the emphasis will be on an informed discussion prompted by the papers presented, with contributions from as many delegates (up to a maximum of 25 attendees to the symposium) as possible. The invited audience will include policy makers and practitioners, as well as academics from the fields of sociology, health and housing across the UK.

For further information contact the convenor Rionach Casey.


ISA RC43 International Housing Conference Announcement

The University of Glasgow’s Department of Urban Studies is delighted to announce that it will host the 2009 International Sociological Association RC43 Housing conference. This conference was last held in Toronto in 2004 and will take place from 1-4 September 2009.

Glasgow is an exciting location for such an event. The city and its surrounding region has been the locus of successive housing policy interventions in response to housing and neighbourhood deprivation, most recently through the largest stock transfer of its council housing to a housing association with a major reinvestment and neighbourhood change programme. Glasgow is Scotland’s largest city and is at the heart of the policy and institutional transformation underway since the devolution of government to Scotland in 1999. The city–region has undergone major economic and social change in recent years and is presently undertaking a massive regeneration of its waterfront area. The region is a major tourist destination, close to the West Highlands, Loch Lomond, 40 miles from Edinburgh and is culturally rich in museums, the evening economy and the best retail outside of London in the UK.

The University is the fourth oldest in the UK, established in 1451, and is ranked in the top 100 Universities in the world. A broad-based civic University, Glasgow has taken a long-standing interest in housing and urban questions, supporting ESRC Research Centres in housing and urban studies, and, since 1996, a Department of Urban Studies. Apart from its international multi-disciplinary research and teaching profile, the Department has hosted several successful international conferences in its own right, including the European Network for Housing Research, the European Real Estate Society and in 2007 the European Urban Research Association.

There will be further regular announcements about the conference in months to come including a call for participation and papers in 2008. If you would like to learn more about the conference, the host Department or Glasgow - please contact the conference chair, Professor Kenneth Gibb, at the Department of Urban Studies. More information will shortly be available at the Department’s website.


Housing Research and Intelligence Conference, 7 May 2008

The Northern Housing Consortium’s annual Housing Research and Intelligence Conference will be held at York Racecourse, Wednesday 7th May 2008. This year’s theme is Housing and Communities: Linking Research, Policy and Practice, and keynote speakers include Professor Steve Wilcox (University of York), Dr Paul Hickman (Sheffield Hallam University), and Dr Phillip Brown (University of Salford).

This practical event will appeal to anyone working with data or research projects; from commissioning, analysing or interpreting results. This will include those from a policy or strategic background, those involved within primary and secondary data collection, or with academic experience.

For further details about the programme and how to book please contact the events team on 0191 556 1000, or visit the website for further information.