A feasibility study into setting up a Scottish Centre for Research on Equality and Human Rights

The feasibility study will look into setting up a Centre which will be inter-disciplinary in nature, providing the research infrastructure for effective interactions between diverse disciplines including, for example, sociology, law, politics and business. The scope for such a centre to act as a knowledge hub and undertake and disseminate high quality, strategic, applied, interdisciplinary, multidisciplinary, national and international research in the broad field of equalities and human rights will also be explored. We will look at the possibility for the development of a Centre which will forge links between a wide range of stakeholders including the business community, the public sector, voluntary organisations, academics, policy makers and local communities.

Summary

The feasibility study will investigate:

Current research landscape, Scotland, United Kingdom and international:

Current research landscape, Scotland, United Kingdom and international:
- to determine the range of equality research across Universities in Scotland
- to examine appropriate models of equality applied elsewhere, such as those found in different parts of the United Kingdom, different European countries, North America, Australia, and New Zealand and compare and contrast how these countries have approached mainstreaming equality issues
to document how people from a range of organisations including the Scottish Executive, Equality Bodies, Trade Unions, the Voluntary Sector and the Scottish CBI feel about such a Centre and the possibilities it offers them
The international context:
- to explore the positioning of the centre internationally in terms of both the international recognition of its research outputs and their relevance to other countries
- to explore the balance and tensions in a Centre between Scottish focus and international relevance
to look at the possibility of setting up collaborative research with colleagues from Wales and Northern Ireland on Equality and Devolution
- to identify opportunities for funding from the ESRC and other potential funders