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Who We Are

The Research Institute for Social Inclusion and Wellbeing (RISIW) at The University of Newcastle provides a focus for local, national and international enquiry that will promote interdisciplinary research in the field of social inclusion and wellbeing. It will foster an inclusive research environment built around collaboration and provide a context for engagement with difficult, challenging and pertinent policy and intellectual issues. The Institute attracts funding, sponsorship and participation from scholars working in the social sciences and from people in professional and public life. It will forge relationships and capacity building networks all over the world and support researchers at all stages of their careers.

The Research Institute for Social Inclusion and Wellbeing seeks to ignite innovative and profound research and discovery in the social sciences. By bringing together research excellence, both theoretical and practical, the Institute will help catalyse ventures that can bring about real and enduring change for communities and peoples. A concentrated focus on joined-up social and economic interventions to the benefit of both is a key focus, with issues of social inclusion, equity and social justice high on our research agenda.

The Research Institute for Social Inclusion and Wellbeing aims to act as a national and international centre for excellence in social research and as a catalyst for new research agendas and advanced scholarship. It will attract leading international scholars to Australia to interact with postgraduate students and academic staff and engage with the community. Through research sponsorship, conferences, colloquia, seminars, scholarly publications, workshops, teaching programmes, exchanges and collaboration the Institute will foster excellence and innovation for advanced research agendas. Professor Stephen Webb will serve as Director of RISIW and be supported by a number of key research programme leaders.
 

Aims of the Research Institute for Social Inclusion and Wellbeing:-

  1. To mobilize research findings to help improve the condition and context of socially excluded and disadvantaged groups, peoples and places at both local and global levels.
  2. To initiate an integrated research programme within The University of Newcastle and work alongside partner universities and organizations.
  3. To build a network of international research collaborations with organizations interested in the study of social inclusion and wellbeing, its policy implications and applications.
  4. To work closely with Government, NGOs and other policy-making bodies to ensure that social inclusion and wellbeing outcomes are regarded as important in evaluating the success of policies as economic and other outcome
  5. To Support a cohort of talented early career researchers who will further advance the analysis of social inclusion and well-being and explore frontier applications.
  6. To develop a reputation for providing robust, relevant analysis about the nature of social inclusion and well-being and how to mobilize it, through the public, media and other key stakeholders.
  7. To disseminate quality research in the form of publications in top ranked peer-reviewed journals, research findings, keynote lectures at national and international conferences and engage with the general public to promote the public understanding of social inclusion and well-being.

The Institute will play a vital role in key challenges for Australia in which social inclusion is a central component in the nation’s capacity to respond to social and economic change. These challenges include:

  • Recognizing social exclusion is a ‘compound’ process. Its interconnections mean exclusion in one area of life leads to exclusion in another.
  • Reducing disadvantage and poverty to increase well-being and a more inclusive society.
  • Overcoming disengagement and anomie to increase social, civic and economic participation.
  • Empowering citizens to have greater voice and role in making the transition from welfare to wellbeing, from local to global.

Professor Stephen Webb will serve as Director of RISIW and be supported by a number of key research programme leaders.

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