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Social and Cultural Geography beyond the Academy – Opportunities in Policy and Practice Online event, Friday 28 November, 11.00-12.30 (UK time)

This discussion event explores some of the ways in which social and cultural geographers engage with policy-making, policy-makers, and practitioners in a wide range of fields, asking: What do academics do when they work on/with policy and policy-making? What have their experiences outside of academia been like? What impacts have resulted from this work?

In addition to our academic panellists, we’re delighted to be joined by non-academic geographers now in policy/practice roles who will talk about their transition from the academy into the world beyond. We’ll explore: What does research look like in those contexts? How did they find the transition? What support did they benefit from – or wish they had had?

Beyond the opportunities to learn directly from these conversations, SCGRG is working towards developing some ‘how to’ resources focused on the academia-policy-practice intersection. Look out for more on this in 2026.

To book a place for this free online discussion, please complete the Google Form here: https://forms.gle/qieys47abTFjK8jt6

Panellist Biographies

Mel Nowicki is Associate Professor in Urban and Social Geography at Oxford Brookes University, and Visiting Reader in Urban Geography at King’s College London. For the past ten years she has been researching the lived experience of insecure housing, including homelessness, temporary accommodation, tiny housing and squatting. Since 2022 she and Professor Katherine Brickell (KCL) have been collaborating with policymakers and housing stakeholders, looking to improve temporary accommodation policy in England. Their book on the subject, Debt Trap Nation: Family Homelessness in a Failing Statewas published in October 2025. 

Jo Cagney currently works at the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, leading the sponsorship of two Arm’s Length bodies, His Majesty’s Land Registry and the Leasehold Advisory Service.  Since her Human Geography PhD she has spent over a decade in government in roles across housing policy, sponsorship, legislation, and strategic programme delivery.

Jonathan Darling is Professor of Human Geography at Durham University. His research focuses on the politics of asylum and urban migration. His book, Systems of Suffering: Dispersal and the Denial of Asylum (Pluto Press, 2022), explores the UK’s system of housing and support for asylum seekers and refugees. His work has centred on influencing public policy through providing evidence to Parliamentary committees and inquiries, working with migrants’ rights’ organisations and the Home Office, and extensive engagement with national and international media. For further details see: Professor Jonathan Darling – Durham University    

Ealasaid Munro is a policy manager in the Broadcasting and Media team at Ofcom. A geographer by training, she worked in a variety of postdoc research positions in cultural policy research and film and television studies before taking up a lectureship in media and communications. Since joining Ofcom in 2019 Ealasaid worked on a variety of projects including managing Ofcom’s Channel 4 programme of work and conducting a qualitative deep dive into how the BBC serves people from working-class backgrounds. She is currently scoping Ofcom’s ‘Future of news’ research programme.

Liz Ackerley is Lead Analyst, in the Planning and Housing research team at Greater Manchester Combined Authority.  She completed an ESRC-funded PhD at the University of Manchester focused on ‘Youth Activism in Times of Austerity’ and subsequently worked as a Research Associate on the ‘Austerity and Altered Lives’ project, also at the University of Manchester.  She joined GMCA in March 2025. 

Upcoming Committee Vacancies

Our next AGM takes place on Wednesday September 3rd, at 9am. We have exciting opportunities for new committee members to join our activities – if you are thinking of joining the research group, see details of committee roles below.

Social Media & Website Officer (two-year post)

The Social Media & Website Officer of SCGRG will:

  • Take the lead in posting content promoting SCGRG activities on the group’s social media channels.
  • Maintain the SCGRG website, ensuring key content (e.g. committee roles, annual conference information) is kept up to date. 
  • Post content (on either social media and/or the website, as appropriate) generated by other committee members to promote group activities.
  • Support wider research group activities

Treasurer (three-year term)

The Treasurer is a member of the executive committee of the Research Group, alongside the Chair and Secretary. The main duties of the Treasurer are:

  • Keeps the accounts for the group
  • Ensures payments are made on behalf of the group
  • Compiles and submits the group’s annual financial reporting
  • Decision-making on committee activities as part of the Executive
  • Support and, where appropriate, co-lead research group activities

The Treasurer is expected to be a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society (with IBG). Those who are interested in taking on a Research Group executive committee role (Chair, Secretary, Treasurer), but whose circumstances prevent them from taking up Society Fellowship, are invited to submit an expression of interest for a bursary to support Fellowship using the form available here: https://www.rgs.org/research/research-groups/resources-for-research-group-committees#executive-role-bursaries

There has been one internal expression of interest in this role.

Dissertation Prize Officer (two-year term)

The research group receives nominations for best undergraduate dissertation in the UK each summer, awarding a prize of £50 to the winner, and a one-year subscription to the journal Social and Cultural Geography to the winner and runner-up. The role of the dissertation prize officer is to:

  • Coordinate the judging and awarding of prizes for dissertations in line with the Research Group’s policy.
  • Update the RGS with details of winners
  • Liaise with the Treasurer to award prize money
  • Support wider research group activities

Conference Officer (two-year term)

The conference officer:

  • Coordinates the group’s activities at the RGS annual conference, including preparing the call for session sponsorship, organising sponsorship of sessions, leading the publicity of sponsored sessions, and managing Research Group Guest registration applications
  • Ensures conference information is made available on the research group website and social media
  • May also co-organise other events (e.g. workshops, seminars) for the group
  • Support wider research group activities

How to Apply

If you are interested in any of the roles above, please fill in the MS Form here: https://forms.office.com/e/w8Ex1jWXzQ

The deadline for applications is 12pm, Tuesday 2nd September.

Our committee secretary will contact you with the Teams link in advance of the AGM, where nominations will take place.

Our AGM takes place on MS Teams on Wednesday September 3rd at 9am. Candidates are normally expected to attend. If this presents difficulty, please contact the Group Secretary, Sinéad O’Connor (sio13@aber.ac.uk).

Call for session sponsorship – RGS-IBG annual conference 2025

The RGS-IBG Social and Cultural Geography Research Group (SCGRG) would like to invite expressions of interest for sponsored sessions for the RGS-IBG 2025 Annual Conference, which will take place in Birmingham and online from the evening of Tuesday 26th to Friday 29th August.

The theme for the 2025 Annual Conference, chaired by Professor Patricia Noxolo (University of Birmingham, UK), is ‘Geographies of Creativity/Creative Geographies’. You can find out more about the conference at: https://www.rgs.org/research/annual-international-conference

SCGRG is keen to sponsor sessions that directly relate to the conference theme, as well as make room for a wide range of other issues and topics. We welcome sessions which will be of wide significance and interest to social and cultural geographers, will meaningfully contribute to ongoing debates in social and cultural geography, and demonstrate substantive, methodological or theoretical novelty.

Please take note of the guidelines for session organisers: https://www.rgs.org/research/annual-international-conference/call-for-sessions-papers-and-posters

Please submit your expressions of interest for SCGRG sponsorship by 5pm GMT on Friday 31st January 2025 through: https://tinyurl.com/3nnwxnhv
We will endeavour to inform applicants of the outcome by Monday 24th February 2025.

Questions about SCGRG sponsored sessions should be directed to the SCGRG conference officer Rishika Mukhopadhyay: r.mukhopadhyay@soton.ac.uk.

Celebrating 50 years of Social and Cultural Geography

To mark the 50th anniversary of our research group, the committee organised a day-long event to celebrate this milestone and reflect on its evolution over five decades. We were kindly hosted by the University of Nottingham’s Department of Geography, to whom we would like to extend our since thanks. We would also like to express our deep gratitude to the wonderful participants and attendees who took the time to come along and celebrate with us, particularly those who contributed to our panel sessions throughout the day.

You can read more about the event here: https://www.rgs.org/about-us/our-work/latest-news/celebrating-50-years

Upcoming Early Career Events

We’re thrilled to announce another exciting workshop for our early career event series. Please feel free to join and share.

Social and Cultural Science Policy Interfacing Pathways: Understanding, Knowledge and Career Journey

12.00 – 12.40 (GMT) 28 November, via Zoom

Professor Nidhi Nagabhatla

Registration: https://shorturl.at/yUtS7

In this event, Nidhi will share her rich experience and tips with junior colleagues on how to navigate Social and Cultural Geographies’ Science Policy Interfacing Pathways much more easily and confidently. This event is specifically friendly to junior geographers interested in developing their career, including how to exert larger policy-making impacts of their projects mingling with diverse stakeholders.

The intersection of science and policy has become increasingly vital, creating a wealth of career opportunities for individuals passionate about making a difference. Science policy interfacing focuses on how scientific knowledge can inform public policy decisions, ensuring that evidence-based practices are integrated into governance and societal frameworks. This dynamic field offers diverse pathways for those interested in bridging the gap between scientific research and policymaking, making it an exciting area for aspiring professionals. Entering the realm of science policy often begins with a solid educational foundation.

To succeed in policy interfacing, a strong foundation in social scientific literacy is crucial for effectively translating complex research findings into actionable policy recommendations. The ability to convey complex information clearly and concisely is vital for influencing decision-makers. Analytical skills are also important. Furthermore, strong interpersonal skills are essential for building relationships with stakeholders across sectors—scientists, policymakers, advocacy groups—facilitating effective collaboration. Early career researchers are increasingly as valuable contributors to the science-policy interface. They bring fresh perspectives and up-to-date knowledge of current research trends that can enhance evidence-informed policymaking. ECRs can engage through co-created initiatives aimed at bridging research with policy needs while seeking mentorship from established professionals in the field.

Nidhi Nagabhatla is Senior Fellow and Cluster Coordinator: Nature, Climate and Health program at United Nations University (CRIS) and Research Professor at University of Ghent, Belgium. She is Sustainability Science Specialist and System Analyst. With >23 years of work experience, she has led, coordinated, and implemented transdisciplinary projects in various geographical regions of Asia, Africa, Europe, and Americas working with international organizations, viz., IWMI, World Fish Centre, IUCN, Asia Pacific Climate Centre, and United Nations University (INWEH) leading research and capacity development initiatives. She is also affiliated with leading academic institutes: Oxford University (UK) and Leibniz University (Germany) in various roles, mostly related to sustainability research, science-policy interfacing, and mentoring young professionals. She is Adjunct Associate Professor at the School of Earth, Environment & Society McMaster University, Canada, and Guest Professor at Universidad Mayor de San Andrés, Bolivia. She serves as Chair of The Partnership for Environment and Disaster Risk Reduction (UNEP) and co-leads the ‘Water and Migration Working Group’ of The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations. She also served on the Technical Committee of The Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) from 2013 to 2018 and was Lead Author in the Global Assessment Report. She also served as Vice-Chair and Chair of the Steering Board for Young Professional Platform for Agriculture Research and Development (YPARD), FAO from 2011 to 2018.

Currently, she is actively involved with three expert working committees of the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration (2021-2030). She holds a doctoral degree from the Indian Space Research Organization in Environmental Science, post-doctoral experience working Consultative Group for International Agricultural Research (CGIAR), and a diploma in International Humanitarian Law from The National Academy of Legal Studies and Research, India. She holds executive education from Saïd Business School, University of Oxford, where she affiliates as a Chevening Fellow with the Future Leaders Programme of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, UK. She has published more than 200 papers as peer-reviewed journal articles, chapters, conference papers, workshop contributions, and policy briefs and serves on the editorial and review committee of numerous international journals.
 

SCGRG Early Career Events

With the success of our SCGRG Early Career Event Series in the last academic year, we are thrilled to announce the first event in our Early Career Event Series: Language and the city: Thinking through Jiehebu, with Dr Yimin Zhao, who will share their recent research and career development experience. 

In the Q&A audiences can interact with our guest to explore the event topic with tips on (early) career development, especially friendly to colleagues new to our event series and planning their research projects and/or career development.

12.00 – 12.40 GMT 13 November ONLINE

Registration: https://forms.office.com/r/atR8W6Z9FW


In this talk, Yimin will first revisit previous reflections on the “translational turn” through the Jiehebu case in Beijing, and summarise why and how our attention to the vernacular names of urban spatialities are with theoretical and epistemological significance. Instead of appealing to “ambiguous markers,” often and mainly written in English, Yimin would like to highlight the meaning of vernacular terms in doing critical urban studies – and human geography more broadly. Yimin shows that we should rethink exteriority and otherness and “shape individual and collective dispositions to acknowledge the claims of others” (Barnett 2005: 5). In this regard, language embodied in the vernacular terms should be foregrounded in decolonial endeavours as a key aspect of (rethinking) subjectivity – and being.

Yimin Zhao is Assistant Professor in Department of Geography, Durham University. His research focuses on urban periphery and the state in China and East Asia, particularly through the analytical lenses of language, materiality and everyday life. After previous investigations of Beijing’s green belts and the Jiehebu area, his current research develops along two lines of inquiry, one attending to the infrastructural lives of authoritarianism and the other looking into the urban mechanisms of “Global China.” He is an editor of City, and a corresponding editor of International Journal of Urban and Regional Research.

Social & Cultural Geography Dissertation Prize 2024

The RGS-IBG Social and Cultural Geography Research Group is pleased to offer an annual prize of £100 for the best undergraduate dissertation. In addition, we will announce a Runner-Up prize. Both prize-winners will receive a year’s subscription to the Journal of Social and Cultural Geography published by Taylor & Francis. Please see the mission statement on the SCGRG website for our definition of social and cultural geography.

Nominated dissertations should: be an outstanding theoretical and/or empirical piece of work; usually approx.10,000 words in length; submitted for formal assessment in the preceding academic year to a UK Higher Education Institution for a BA/BSc level degree programme in geography; written in English. We are looking to reward both excellent scholarship and innovation in the study of social and cultural geography. Please note that a department may not submit more than one entry to the prize. Nominated dissertations may however be submitted for consideration for other RGS-IBG prizes.

Nominations are requested from the Head of Department or Dissertation Convenor. All dissertations should be submitted as a single PDF. Please include a post-September email and contact address for the student. The winners will be announced in September.

For further queries about the SCGRG Undergraduate Dissertation Prize please contact Dr Danny McNally, or see information, including previous winning entries, on the SCGRG website: https://scgrg.co.uk/dissertation-prize.

Submissions to Dr Danny McNally (D.McNally@tees.ac.uk). 

Deadline: 12 July 2024

Upcoming Event: Early Career Event Series, May 16th 2024

We are pleased to announce the next event in our Early Career Event Series: Brachland: Audiowalk about Urban Utopias in Berlin-Weißensee with Katya Romanova, where our audiences can learn about academic collaboration with artists. Please see details of the event and registration below.

11.00 – 11.40 BST 16 May ONLINE

Registration: please visit https://forms.office.com/r/qB0tF8j9qq

Event description:
“The walk changed the way I look at abandoned urban places. It doesn’t always have to be filled with something.” “I will now pay more attention to abandoned places.” “It was such a special way to discover something totally different in Berlin”. “I bet there are such places in my hood as well, now I want to know more!”

In this talk, Katya shares her experience of creating the audiowalk as part of her bachelor project at HTW Berlin and provides insights on artistic cooperation with different stakeholders.

Weißensee, a district in the north of Berlin, undergoing a significant transformation, serves as the canvas for our audio walk project. In this immersive experience, we aim to alter perceptions of abandoned spaces from mere temporary voids to experimental playgrounds. Protagonists from the neighbourhood share their stories, turning abandoned places into experimental playgrounds and offering participants a unique post-reunification art safari, a drink in their favourite pub, a stroll through post-war rubble, and a glimpse of the enchanted island and wild playground of Weißensee. These spaces become arenas of freedom, allowing brief moments to imagine boundless possibilities. The project takes a deep dive into the evolving identity of Weißensee, particularly focusing on the impact of increasing construction on the district’s atmosphere. Residents express frustration and nostalgia as the changes unfold, fearing Weißensee may follow the gentrification path of Prenzlauer Berg.

By engaging with vacant plots, the project contemplates the past, present, and future, providing a vivid depiction of Berlin’s recent transformations – gentrification, construction sites, shrinking public and creative spaces, and densification. This endeavour evolves beyond a simple exploration of urban spaces; it becomes a socio-political reflection on the changing landscape, encouraging residents to actively participate in neighbourhood life, potentially initiating community projects.

Katya Romanova is a designer, project manager, and co-founder of the re:imagine your city collective, independent design lab based in Berlin that serves as a cross-disciplinary platform for urban practices and transformation. Katya is interested in exploring the topics of local & global identities, neighborhood activation, (audio) storytelling, and new approaches to the temporary use of public spaces, which she explores through participatory design and media projects. She has a degree in Teaching Languages and a Bachelor of Arts in Visual Communications at HTW Berlin. https://www.linkedin.com/in/katromanova/