AHRC/MoJ Policy Seminar on Human Rights Policy
In November 2009 the AHRC organised a seminar on Human Rights policymaking, which was attended by a diverse combination of policy makers, senior academics and representatives from the AHRC, charities and NGO’s in the field of human rights. These participants came together to discuss the research and analysis needs of the Ministry of Justice, and to assess practical and effective ways in which the relationship with human rights academics could be developed and improved. You can also read a report of the seminar.
Intellectual Property
The AHRC Centre for Studies Intellectual Property and Technology Law at the University of Edinburgh has developed research themes to examine the synergies between intellectual property law and information technology law together with work on media law, medical law & ethics, and forensic evidence. Its remit is to consider the relationship between law, policy and technologies and it engages actively within the field of policy development. In the last 12 months the centre has responded to the UKIPO’s consultation Taking Forward the Gowers Review of Intellectual Property; Proposed Changes to Copyright Exceptions and also European Commission’s Green Paper on Copyright in the Knowledge Economy. Director of the Centre, Professor Graeme Laurie, Chairs the Ethics and Governance Committee of UK Biobank .
Innovative design
The Design Against Crime Research Centre has a strong and focused public value rationale. Its research generates greater understanding of how to tackle the public policy issue of crime, while also creating tested products that directly address this problem and has had various projects funded by the AHRC. It works in collaboration with the Jill Dando Institute of Crime Sciences at UCL, the UK Designing Out Crime Association and Secured by Design, which is the UK Police flagship initiative supporting the principles of designing out crime. It has also provided guidance on crime reduction to the Prime Ministers Strategy Unit and the European Forum on Urban Safety. The Centre’s Director, Professor Lorraine Gamman, is part of the Home Office’s anti-crime Design Technology Alliance.
Religion and Society
The Religion and Society Research Programme (with the ESRC) brings together arts and humanities scholars with social scientists, to address complex and topical issues of belief, culture, society and religion. Projects vary in type and scope, looking at issues such as whether or not religious education in the UK works, the history of religious division in Ireland, the development of partnership approaches to challenge religiously endorsed violence (with close involvement from Muslim groups and the Metropolitan Police), the role of the state in a multi-faith society as well as the foundations of public policy in a multi-faith society. In 2007 the programme director, Professor Linda Woodhead, was a member of the commissioning panel on the joint ESRC/AHRC/FCO Programme on Islam, Radicalization and Violence – A Critical Reassessment.
Preventing torture
A three year AHRC-funded project entitled Evaluating the Effectiveness of the National Institutions under the Optional Protocol to the UN Convention on Torture is led by Professor Rachel Murray from the University of Bristol. This project investigates a particular international document, the Optional Protocol to the UN Convention Against Torture, which requires, among other things, states to set up national bodies to prevent torture through visits to places of detention. Numerous seminars have been held, which prompted the Ministry of Justice to approach the project team to hold further workshops involving various stakeholders including Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Prisons. Professor Murray has also worked with the UN Sub Committee for the Prevention of Torture and the FCO on the global adoption of the protocol, as well as responding to consultations held by the Joint Committee of Human Rights, the African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights, and the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights.
Arts and humanities research and innovation
In collaboration with NESTA the AHRC recently launched their report entitled Arts and Humanities Research and Innovation (232kb), several copies of which were sent to the Committee. The report details the unique contribution that arts and humanities research makes towards the UK’s successful exploitation of new ideas. The report discusses the growing evidence that arts and humanities research has a positive effect on the rapid economic growth taking place within the creative industries, and overlaps with the development of science and technology. In particular, it details the way in which research in the arts and humanities contributes towards innovation in a way that is defined more broadly than purely scientific and technological terms. The Governments own Annual Innovation Report echoes this point, discussing new models of knowledge exchange between the arts and humanities research base and business e.g. via collaborative R&D funding and the creation of a Knowledge Transfer Network in partnership with the TSB.
Terrorism
Professor Kim Knott, the Director of the AHRC’s Diasporas, Migration and Identities Research Programme, was commissioned by the Home Office in 2006 to conduct a review of arts and humanities research literature relating to The Roots, Practices and Consequences of Terrorism, the final report having been submitted in October that year. The review provided a summary of arts and humanities research on the above subject, and focused on the importance of culture and identity for understanding the roots, practises and consequences of terrorism. The review provided a framework of contributory factors, in addition to analysis of the literature in response to the stated Home Office’s interests and also recommendations for future research and policy implications.
Law, gender and sexuality
The AHRC Centre for Law, Gender and Sexuality at Keele University have made 15 separate responses to Government policy consultations since 2004, and has as one it’s central strategic aims to ‘promote the exchange of ideas on matters relating to policy, practice, and activism’. Consultation subjects the centre has responded on include welfare reform, hybrid embryos, human trafficking, discrimination law, forced marriage and rape law reform.
Genomic medicine, legal and ethical issues
Earlier this year the AHRC was asked to provide oral evidence to the House of Lords Science and Technology Committee’s inquiry into Genomic Medicine. Professor John Dupre (AHRC award holder and Philosopher of Science at Exeter University) attended. He detailed his work, and the work of the AHRC Centre for Studies in Intellectual Property and Technology Law at Edinburgh University, for analysing the state of the science, and the social, legal and ethical issues it presents. For example, the AHRC’s written evidence commented on how the current regulatory framework does not optimise the development and translation of new technologies, and new ways of interpreting the potentially unlimited impact of systems biology on medicine.
Copyright law and music research
Professor Nicholas Cook, Director of the AHRC Research Centre for the History and Analysis of Recorded Music also submitted a response to Taking Forward the Gowers Review of Intellectual Property; Proposed Changes to Copyright Exceptions. Professor Cook and his colleagues have been actively involved in this area, and the submission was in line with the recommendations of the Gowers review. Professor Cooke also detailed the US and European positions on copyright protection and the arguments both for and against the extending copyright in sound recordings and the likely impact of extension on scholarly research, access to musical heritage and education.
The importance of history to contemporary public life
The AHRC funded the completion of research by Professor John Tosh at Roehampton University, ultimately producing this year’s book entitled Why History Matters. The book discusses the practical relevance of historical thinking to providing a critical understanding of the present, and how this thinking is essential to understanding topics such as the Iraq War, the AIDS crisis and globalization. In particular, Professor Tosh argues that historical thinking makes a major contribution towards public discourse and policy-making given history’s secure establishment within popular culture (e.g. via the History Channel), enhancing the intellectual resources available to the active citizen.
The role of history in health policy
Professor Virginia Berridge, a member of the AHRC’s peer review college at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine was funded by History and Policy to explore the way history is currently used in the health policy field. Her report, History Matters? History's role in health policymaking, was based on interviews with 15 ‘key informants’ with recent experience of advising ministers and civil servants on health policy. It revealed that the value of history was recognised, but health policy is currently a historian-free environment, reliant on ‘folk histories’ to interpret the past and inform decisions in the present. The key findings of the report discuss how historical expertise could be better exploited in the formation of health policy, offering unique perspectives that, for example, could not be provided by political scientists.
The Foreign Office and Cuba
The AHRC funded Dr Elizabeth Dore of the University of Southampton to complete a research project entitled Memories of the Cuban Revolution. The research examined life for ordinary Cubans under the revolution, and asked questions about the problems and possibilities of socialist participation and democracy. Dr Dore was invited by the FCO to several workshops about Cuba and gave advice to officials based on the projects research findings.
AIDS and English law
As part of an ongoing collaboration between Dr Matthew Weait of Keele University and Dr Yusef Azad of The National AIDS Trust, the AHRC recently funded a PhD for Mr Robert James entitled The Response of the English Legal System to People Living with AIDS/HIV. The research examines the impact of law on people living with the disease, and will utilise Mr James’ wealth of experience in the field; particularly his time spent in the last five years advising NHS Trusts on drafting and implementing policies after legislative changes.
The history of British science policy
Professor Graeme Gooday of Leeds University is currently undertaking research entitled Owning and disowning invention: intellectual property, authority and identity in British science and technology, 1880-1920. The project examines historical developments in British science policy and the rationale and justification for public funding of science, focussing on how recent scientific and technological developments (e.g. genomics, the internet, etc) have impacted on the changing boundaries of what counts as ‘intellectual property’.
If you would like any more information about Public Policy or would like to discuss any of the above mentioned further please contact Ben Gibbons at b.gibbons@ahrc.ac.uk