We carry out interdisciplinary research on the conditions of achieving democratic futures, ranging from conceptual debates to challenges of institutional innovation and public policy. We provide a forum to share ideas and information, supporting each other's research into a future-proof democracy.
The Centre for Democratic Futures (CDF) is an interdisciplinary research hub that brings together a diverse group of academics from across the social sciences, humanities, physical and life sciences, and beyond. Our team includes experts in democratic theory, governance, health science, computer science, public policy, history, sociology, environmental studies, new technologies, and more. The centre is dedicated to exploring the complex challenges facing democracies today and to developing innovative strategies to promote democratic resilience and sustainability. We foster a collaborative environment where research is informed by a rich array of theoretical perspectives and methodological approaches, spanning qualitative, quantitative, and mixed-methods research.
I am a Senior Research Fellow at the Politics and International Relations Department and I study power, privilege, and the emancipatory prospects of democratic processes and institutions drawing from critical and feminist theory. My motivation to help run the centre is grounded in my belief that academics can contribute to the broader collective effort to imagine democratic futures. An interdisciplinary approach is essential given the challenges and shortcomings that societies face today.
I am an Associate Professor at the School of Biological Sciences, and my research focuses on how sex/gender and age can impact bones functionality across the life course and influence susceptibility to skeletal pathology. Growing collaborative work between the life sciences and political science interface is my goal as co-director of CDF. I am looking forward to the opportunity to be more actively involved in cross-faculty initiatives linked to democracy issues. Hopefully contributions from life sciences perspective would be useful in the expansion of the centre’s goals and help deliver the most impactful societal outcomes.
I am an Associate Professor in the Department of Sociology, Social Policy & Criminology and my research focuses on migration, nationhood, citizenship, belonging, as well as environmental and climate sustainability and justice among marginalised groups. As CDF co-director, my goal is to bring a sociological lens to interdisciplinary conversations on justice and imagining democratic futures. I am also keen to expand these conversations beyond the Euro-American sphere and engage with decolonial perspectives on democratic futures based on a politics of solidarity.
I am a Lecturer at the School of Electronics and Computer Science and my research is interdisciplinary, focusing on the responsible development and socio-technical evaluation of emerging technologies, at the interface of disciplines like computer science, science and technology studies and political science. As a co-director of the CDF, my motivation is to increase the interdisciplinary conversations and networks around the University and beyond, especially around the democratisation and governance of emerging technologies, and support early career researchers looking to engage in interdisciplinary research.
I am an Associate Professor in the Department of Politics and International Relations, where my research focuses on understanding attitudes to democratic governance and democratic institutional innovations. My interest in becoming a co-director of the CDF is driven by my conviction that the future will only be democratic if our responses to the big challenges we face as a society, from the digital revolution to climate change, are democratic. Since these challenges are interdisciplinary, we need initiatives like CDF to encourage research collaborations that cut across disciplinary boundaries.
