The British Academy Early Career Researcher Network brings together ECRs across the humanities and social sciences disciplines, regardless of their funding source or background.

Event Organiser: Dr Alexandra Sandu, Cardiff University

Event Location: Friends House, 173-177 Euston Road, London NW1 2BJ

This event aims to bring together researchers from geography, data science, education, public policy, sociology and related disciplines to highlight interdisciplinary intersections.

Geography and data science are both critical lenses for examining and solving complex problems in the social sciences, shaping human development, spatial thinking, and societal progress. Geography provides a spatial perspective for understanding human activities, environments, and relationships between place and society. Meanwhile, data science supplies quantitative methods and computational tools to analyse large, complex data.

Research integrating geographic and data science approaches has provided key insights across social science disciplines - from education policy and achievement gaps, to health access and demographic shifts, to urban growth and inequality. However, further opportunities exist to synthesize theoretical and methodological perspectives from geography, data science, and allied social science fields.

Through open dialogue between diverse viewpoints, the event will facilitate exchange on integrating spatial, quantitative and social theoretical frameworks, with the aim to stimulate discussions that identify theoretical connections, methodological innovations, and opportunities for cross-disciplinary collaborations across social sciences.

Keynote Speaker: Prof. Andrés Rodríguez-Pose (London School of Economics)

Prof. Andrés Rodríguez-Pose is the Princesa de Asturias Chair and a Professor of Economic Geography at the London School of Economics. He also serves as the Director of the Cañada Blanch Centre LSE.

His research focuses on regional and urban economics, fiscal and political decentralization, regional development, and the geography of innovation and growth.

Prof. Rodríguez-Pose's work has been highly influential in shaping policy discussions on regional development and inequalities at both national and international levels.

In addition to his academic roles, Prof. Rodríguez-Pose serves as an advisor to several international organizations, including the European Commission, the World Bank, and the OECD.

Programme

9:30 – 10:30 Registration – Coffee and Pastries

10: 30 – 10:45 Welcome remarks

10:45 – 12:15 Lightning Talks by BA Early Career Researchers and Q&A

Data, Ethics, and Society

1) Dr Carlos Cámara Menoyo (University of Warwick), Dr Timothy Monteath (University of Warwick), Dr Selene Yang (Stanford Center on Philanthropy and Civil Society) - Can digital goods be neutral? Evaluating OpenStreetMap's equity through participatory data visualisation

2. Dr Eun Sun Godwin, (University of Wolverhampton), Dr Ingo Frommholz, (University of Wolverhampton) - A map of rhizome: Ethics of the agency and action in the data and information space

3. Dr Khristin Fabian (Edinburgh Napier University) - The intersection of datafication and data justice in higher education

4. Dr Mehmet Demir (University of Birmingham) - Unlocking hidden potential for learning with a taxonomy of social media

12:15 – 12:30 Coffee Break

12:30 – 13:30 Lighting Talks by BA Early Career Researchers & Q&A

Environmental and Spatial Data Applications

1. Damien Macedo (University of Cambridge) - An Environmental Tax for managing Space Debris

2. Dr Liliia Hebryn Baydi (University of Cambridge), Sophie Weeks (University of Cambridge), Prof. Gareth Rees (University of Cambridge) - Hotter arctic cities: connecting space, data and society, and asking the right questions

3. Dr Vitalii Kriukov (Aston University) - Workflow for computations of habitat connectivity: data harmonisation and technical implementation in Catalonia

13: 30 – 14:30 Lunch & Networking

14:30 – 15:15 Keynote address by Prof. Andrés Rodríguez-Pose (LSE) Shaping Public Policy through Social Sciences. The reform of the European Cohesion Policy

15:15 – 15:30 Q& A

15:30 – 16: 00 Coffee Break

16:00 – 16:45 Collaborative Breakout Groups

16:45 – 17:00 Closing remarks


Thank you for your interest. We understand that plans may change. If you sign up and can no longer attend let us know by emailing ecr_network@thebritishacademy.ac.uk and your ticket can be offered to someone else

ABOUT THE BRITISH ACADEMY

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