The Centre for Citizenship, Identities and Governance (CIG) is an inter-disciplinary social science research enterprise whose primary goal is to conduct and promote research, dialogue, and debate that will contribute to a greater understanding of the manifold connections between notions of citizenship, processes of identity formation and practices of governance in the contemporary world. In so doing, it also has the explicit objective of building research capacity within the Social Sciences Faculty that will lead to the topmost ratings in the next national Research Assessment Exercise. This will provide the platform for the development of CIG as a leading international research centre in the social sciences with a critical mass of researchers capable of sustaining an ambitious, long term programme of work and achieving the highest research standing.

The Centre for Citizenship, Identities and Governance will instigate a programme of theoretically directed, inter-disciplinary empirical research of the highest quality, exploring the multiple articulations among the conducts of citizenship, the formation of identities and practices of governance in the contemporary world, so that its findings can shape academic research, and be can be drawn upon by varied user groups.

Research focus

The Centre’s work will be defined by three research foci – citizenship, identities and governance. These will act as the directory vehicles for the development of the Centre’s activities as specific programmes of work emerge and cohere over time. In addition to the work of the foci in mobilizing programmes of work and developing fundable research projects, the Centre will host a range of activities designed to foster inter-disciplinary dialogue and build a coherent sense of identity among its constituent researchers. These will include symposia, public lectures, seminars, and a series of funding workshops, as well as a major Centre launch event.