Staff hold inaugural research conference in lead up to new School

-Staff Research Conference which marked the forthcoming launch of the new School of Law, Social Sciences and Communications.

The all-day conference entitled ‘New Research in LSSC’ was a showcase of the individual research being undertaken by academic staff from both Schools. 

Associate Dean for Research and Postgraduate Study, Dr Kevin Magill said:

“Both Schools have a well-deserved reputation for research and scholarship and this conference was a great opportunity for colleagues to share with each other the diverse range of research activity and interests.”

The impressive line-up of over twenty speakers included lecturers and researchers from a wide range of subject areas who presented papers covering eight key themes: On Artists and Writers, Power and Propaganda, Representations and Violence, Morality and Transgression, Religion and Identity, Supporting Learning, History and Law, and Pedagogy.

The conference was organised by Senior Lecturer in Philosophy, Meena Dhanda, Senior Lecturer in Linguistics, Tom Dickins and Senior Lecturer in English, Mark Jones.

Meena said: “We aimed to organize this conference in a cooperative, non-hierarchical and inter-disciplinary way.  We had beginners as well as established researchers in a mixed setting to make it possible for participants to learn about the variety and scope of research in the new School.”

The conference is the first event for the School of Law, Social Sciences and Communications which will officially launch on 1 August 2009. 

Looking to the future Kevin said: “Research will be central to the direction of the new School and the conference really set the tone for that. It should be the first of many.”

Meena added: “The success of the conference shows that research potential in the new School can be reinforced by such endeavours.  Hopefully the dialogues begun on the day will continue to enrich our intellectual life beyond the conference setting.”

The conference was closed by the Dean of School, Dr Judith Burnett who hailed it as “an inspirational day showing the breadth and depth of new research coming through the lively School of Law, Social Sciences and Communications.”