19th Festival of Social Science
College of Social Sciences Calendar of Events 2021
This year's Festival of Social Science at the University of Glasgow offered a bumper selection of events and activities, including panel discussions and public debates, interactive workshops, online musical events, exhibitions, animation and documentary screenings, outdoor participation events and policy launch webinars.
In this year of COP26 in Glasgow, many events were themed around social science, the environment and sustainability, but city planning, criminology, the living wage, fake news, youth employment, work psychology science, end of life and socio-economic deprivation were also featured themes.
After the success of the previous year's Virtual Festival, many events were available to attend online but in-person attendance wass also being offered, and there were a few hybrid events to attend online or in person.
These are all the events organised by the University of Glasgow.
#ESRCFestival
For more information about UK-wide festival events, you can visit the ESRC Festival of Social Science website.
These events were part of the ESRC Festival of Social Science 2021 and were made possible thanks to funding from the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC), which is part of UK Research and Innovation (UKRI).
Using photography to explore social issues: Class with Margaret Mitchell
Class about the ethics and challenges of using photography to explore sensitive social issues, with Scottish photographer Margaret Mitchell.
'Bridging the Void' was an online festival of music and conversation
These events reflected on the learning and outputs of the Distant Voices project and allow for imagining a different future together.
Distant Voices is a partnership between the University of Glasgow, University of Edinburgh, University of the West of Scotland, and Vox Liminis. The project has been exploring justice and reintegration creatively and in community.
'Bridging the Void' is the project's closing festival and was made possible thanks to funding from the ESRC.
Building resilience with equity - perspectives from cities and neighbourhoods in the Global South
This panel discussion considered urban resilience strategies that have been implemented in different cities, and the lessons learnt from these experiences. Followed by a Q&A session.
- Led by the GCRF Centre for Sustainable, Healthy and Learning Cities and Neighbourhoods (SHLC)
- Chaired by UN-Habitat
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Documentary premier - Cuba’s Life Task: combatting climate change
Documentary about Cuba’s unique approach to climate change - the State plan known as Tarea Vida.
Introduced by Dr Helen Yaffe and followed by a Q&A session with environmentalist Blanca Garcés Fernández, from Cuba's Ministry of Science, Technology and the Environment, who was in Glasgow for COP26.
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COP 26 and just transitions: what can we learn from Cuba and Scotland?
Members of the panel discussed aspects of their work, including Cuba’s pioneering role in developing renewable technologies, and energy transitions in a Scottish context, followed by a Q&A session.
Blanca Garcés Fernández, who is a Specialist at the Department of International Relations within the Cuban Ministry of Science, Technology and the Environment (CITMA) participated.
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Rivers of Peace: biodiversity and peacebuilding in Colombia
Panel included:
- Maryury Mosquera - Secretary of the Technical Committee of The Guardians of the Atrato
- Viviana Gonzalez - Lawyer at SIEMBRA, Colombia
- Alejandro Perez - Programme Manager at Caritas Colombia
- Knut Andreas Lid - Programme Director at Caritas Norway
Historias del Río - Chocó Youtube site
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Economics Observatory: the Economics of Net Zero
A public debate and roundtable discussion hosted by the Economics Observatory, University of Glasgow and Government Economic Service Global Economics Conference.
There were two panels and a Q&A session focused on the economics of climate change and the challenges and opportunities from securing the transition to net zero.
Watch the recording on the Economics Observatory website
‘Project Real’: How good are you at recognising fake news?
This interactive online workshop invited parents and their children to come together to learn more about fake news. This included fake photos, fake videos and fake people.
There were activities to try out to see how good you are at spotting real and fake news and to see how you can improve.
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COP26: Climate Action in South Scotland
A free event for COP26 in Dumfries with interactive demonstrations, experiments and activities throughout the day.
Participatants could discover more about the world-changing research in environmental science being led by academic staff based in Dumfries.
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SMART Climate Action: Inclusive Youth Engagement & Sensing & 5G Technology
Exhibition which offered an exciting opportunity for children, young people and the public to have a hands-on interactive experience, exploring cutting-edge sensors and 5G technologies that contribute to cutting carbon emissions and support adaptations to climate change.
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Carbon reduction, older tenements and the retrofit challenge in Glasgow
Screening of a short film about a demonstration project in Glasgow about the carbon reduction secured by the high-quality Enerphit retrofit of a typical tenement block on Niddrie Road, Glasgow.
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Less meat/no meat or ‘no bother’? Advantages and how to dialogue on this
An interactive event highlighting the advantages of reducing meat-eating for the individual, society as a whole, and the planet.
It provided participants the opportunity to discuss the arguments and open up a dialogue.
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Designing neighbourhoods: the economic, social and environmental value of good design
What makes a well-designed neighbourhood? This interactive workshop explorec the value of good design and got busy with some Lego!
Included a presentation and discussion of CaCHE research findings followed by an animation screening and further discussion.
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Using photography to explore sensitive topics: Exhibition
An exhibition about how photos can be used to facilitate conversations around sensitive topics such as end of life and financial hardship.
The artists worked with the University's 'Dying in the Margins' project team and Scottish photographer Margaret Mitchell to discuss how emotive topics can be captured in an empowering and sensitive way.
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What role for Russia in the global fight against climate change?
This event included a talk with Dr Marcin Kaczmarski and Anton Barbashin (PhD student, University of Glasgow, and editorial director of The Riddle), and a Q&A session with the audience.
The topic was Russia’s climate change policy and the relevance of Russia to global efforts in mitigating climate change.
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Climate In Your Hands: climate action zine-making workshop
This 90-minute, zine-making workshop, led by the Glasgow Zine Library and Dr Melanie Ramdarshan Bold, invited over-16s to explore climate change issues by making zines.
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Experiencing Places and Spaces: City Planning with your Senses 1
For people inspired by COP26 to make changes in their local area; a chance to find out how to use creative methods to explore and explain their area.
Guided walking tour incorporating creative urban planning-based workshop activities followed by review and sharing session.
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Experiencing Places and Spaces: City Planning with your Senses 2
For people inspired by COP26 to make changes in their local area; a chance to find out how to use creative methods to explore and explain their area.
Participants learnt about field drawing skills, sound mapping, found poetry and mental maps, and what these creative methods can help them learn about when exploring their own area.
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Living wages: new research
This webinar launched the European Journal of Work and Organisational Psychology’s special issue on living wages, and the EAWOP & ESRC Impact Accelerator 'Living Wage' game.
The session included five short talks from academics from around the world, and a Q&A session.
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Making Chocolate Teapots: Striving for 'Good' Youth Work - Policy Briefs Launch
This event was an output of the ESRC/EAWOP Small Group Meeting that was organised in June 2020: Young People’s Work, Employment and Careers
The webinar launched the policy briefs based on participants’ research findings.
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NIESR Autumn Economic Forecast webinar
The NIESR/University of Glasgow Autumn 2021 Economic Forecast webinar reflected on the Scottish context, leading into a wider discussion.
- Read NIESR's latest economic forecast - National Institute UK Economic Outlook. Recovering: stalling not soaring
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Tenements Talking - A Walking Workshop on Tenements' Change over a Hundred Years
A walk among the tenements - living monuments of Glasgow’s urban scene - to listen to their tumultuous stories from their construction, to the rent strikes, to adaptation to modern life and technology.
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Silence is golden? Work psychology science exploration of silence in organisations
An exploration of why silence in organisations can be far from a good thing, why it occurs, and how to detect and remedy its unintended consequences. Included four short science talks and a discussion panel.
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For information about UK-wide festival events, you can visit the ESRC Festival of Social Science website.