Participation and partnership in a time of precarity and polarisation

The theme for the WISERD Annual Conference 2025 talks to widespread concerns regarding the form and function of civil society in a period marked by social, political and economic discontent and upheaval at local, regional, national and global scales.

Prompted also by widespread scrutiny and reorientation of the relationships between civil society organisations, the private sector and government agencies, this emphasis on partnership is increasingly evident in policy. In Wales, this includes the Wellbeing of Future Generations Act and the Social Partnership and Public Procurement (Wales) Act, among others, and this is echoed in policy shifts at the UK and European Level.

The conference will provide a valuable opportunity for those enrolled in the academic, public, private and third sectors to come together and explore research from across Wales and beyond.