ESRC Festival of Social Science
Celebrating the outstanding impact of our social science research with the community
Funded by the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC), part of UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), the Festival of Social Science is an annual festival that takes place at a whole host of universities across the UK.
The term 'social science' covers a broad range of subjects relating to society, communities and people, including economics, psychology, sociology, management and business studies, law, economic and social history, politics and human geography, among others.
The festival provided a unique and exciting opportunity to celebrate and raise awareness of our outstanding social science research that informs the development of policies, services, and innovation, and addresses major societal challenges in Wales, the UK and internationally.
The 2025 festival took place from 18 October to 8 November around the theme of “Our Working Lives”.
2025 Festival Highlights
Our festival programme explored how work shapes our lives, communities and well-being, with a particular focus on technology and architecture.
Several events discussed the transformation of work in response to technological developments and the growing use of artificial intelligence.
We explored how AI can both hinder and enhance our approaches to work. These sessions considered how technological these changes affect job roles and workplace culture, as well as the challenges faced by those who are seeking employment.
Our events on the architecture of workspaces encouraged participants to consider what the future workplace could look like based on well-being needs and changes in technology. Discussions also highlighted the increasing demand for better working conditions and fair access to high-quality jobs.
The festival also featured events on broader topics such as censorship, forgiveness, and environmental sustainability.
Overall, the Festival of Social Science 2025 worked to connect people with cutting-edge research in a way that was engaging, accessible, and relevant to their lives.
The festival programme included a range of interactive public events and exhibitions.
Working with partners
All of our festival events were delivered by researchers and academics at Cardiff University alongside external partners and charities.
The researchers who took part in the festival work in a wide range of disciplines including economics, architecture, social sciences, marketing, creative and cultural industries, geography and modern languages.
Together, we delivered a variety of innovative event formats from online talks, in person workshops and seminars, to drop-in sessions and exhibitions.
External collaborators and partners brought valuable perspectives and expertise to the festival programme - from local charities to translators and visual artists. Taking part in the festival benefited our partners by giving them the opportunity to increase visibility, create new connections, learn about the latest research and provided a platform to share their work.
We hosted a range of in-person and online events based on our latest groundbreaking research.
Making a difference
Academics are often perceived as working in ivory towers. That is not what we do at Cardiff University.
Inspired by our Global-Civic ambitions, we actively seek out partnerships and relationships within and beyond higher education, which enriches our work and the communities we work with and on behalf.
All our festival events engaged researchers and broader communities in making a difference; in thinking and acting as advocates for change – here in Wales now and for the future, and setting agendas.
In rapidly shifting times, social sciences research contributes immeasurably to the betterment of our local and global communities.
Our local community projects
We use our wide range of expertise to support and deliver impactful community led projects alongside student and staff volunteers.
Funders
