Cross-sector engagement

UKRI Future Leader Fellows Workshop

March 2025 - University of Sheffield

Beth and Bryony attended a one-day workshop at the University of Sheffield for UKRI Future Leader Fellows, organised by Fay Hield and Esbjörn Wettermark. The aim of the workshop was to build relationships across academics and project managers who are doing participatory research.

Beth spoke about the Co-Pro Futures Inquiry and facilitated a discussion about what needs to change in UK Higher Education, and how.

14th European Conference for Social Work Research - Keynote

March 2025 – Munich

Catherine gave a keynote talk to the 14th European Conference for Social Work held at the Katholische Stiftungshochschule in Munich. The talk highlighted the growing interest in the co-production of research from universities, funders and researchers, and how its transformational potential may be stymied but also realised.

Presentation to Colonialism, Slavery and Unfree Labour Research group

March 2025 – University of Liverpool

Catherine contributed insights from the Co-Pro Futures Inquiry to an internal workshop of colleagues from across arts, humanities and social sciences working on themes of colonialism, slavery and unfree labour, considering how participatory and co-produced research may be facilitated.

Pushing Boundaries Conference

June 2025 - The Young Foundation & UKRI, London

On 10 June 2025, Beth and Bryony attended the Pushing Boundaries Conference hosted by The Young Foundation with UKRI at the British Library. The conference brought together pioneers who are transforming research and innovation (R&I) through community-driven approaches.

Beth participated in the panel Driving change across sectors to explore how collective action can support community-driven R&I. The session brought together people working to break down barriers and foster enabling conditions for community-driven R&I across different institutions and sectors, including Claire Dhami (Head of Systems Change and Innovation at West Midlands Combined Authority) and Denize Ledeatte (Director of National Windrush Museum). The session was chaired by Siân Whyte (Interim Co-Director of Research, The Young Foundation).

You can watch the recording below.

Participatory Action Research Training Workshop

September 2025 - Durham University

Beth contributed to Durham University’s workshop – The principles and practices of participatory research: from community engagement to co-production. Presenting alongside a range of researchers working across different participatory approaches, she shared emerging findings from the Co-Pro Futures Inquiry’s Call for Evidence and Ideas and reflected on the conditions needed to support meaningful co-production. Her contribution helped participants consider how universities can better enable participatory research and how institutional practices, cultures and structures can be changed to support more equitable and community-centred approaches to knowledge production.

Public Engagement with Research working group

October 2025 onwards – University of Liverpool

Catherine has contributed expertise and insight, drawing on the Inquiry's evidence, to the development of a new strategy for Public Engagement with Research at the University of Liverpool.

Manifesto writing workshop on the future of universities

November 2025 - European University Institute, Florence

Beth contributed to the EUI workshop, Universities and Change: Reclaiming the space for imagination. Through the collective discussions and collaborative manifesto-writing activities, and drawing on evidence from the Co-Pro Futures Inquiry, Beth helped inform the development of the EUI Future of Universities manifesto by connecting questions of institutional change with wider possibilities for reimagining the purpose and future of universities.

Shaping UKRI's Public Engagement Call

November 2025 – ongoing

Beth has been helping to shape UKRI’s Public Engagement Call, contributing to thinking about how research and innovation partnerships can work more effectively with local communities and regional actors to generate meaningful social impact. In November 2025, she participated in a stakeholder workshop focused on developing the programme’s theory of change, delivery model and proposed support mechanisms, alongside representatives from universities, policy, public engagement and community organisations.

South Yorkshire Sustainability Centre Co-Production Workshop

Jan 2026 - South Yorkshire Sustainability Centre

Beth ran a session exploring the tensions and potential of co-production work between academia and policymakers, as part of the South Yorkshire Sustainability Centre’s annual event. Using examples from the Co-Production Futures Inquiry, Beth's contributions helped to inform discussions about how co-production could shape the future of SYSC and its regional partnerships.

120 Years of Sociology at Liverpool Keynote Speech

January 2026 - University of Liverpool

Catherine gave a keynote talk at the celebrations for 120 Years of Sociology at the University of Liverpool. Convening on the theme, 'Social Science Pasts–Presents–Futures', the day invited critical, collective reflection on what social science has been, what it is and what it might become, through discussions of inequality, knowledge production and the political and economic forces shaping the city.

Co-producing knowledge for peace workshop

June 2026 – Institute for Development Studies & British International Studies Association

Bryony contributed to a workshop hosted by the Institute for Development Studie on co-producing knowledge for peace, bringing insights from the Co-Pro Futures Inquiry to discussions about participatory and action-oriented research in conflict, crisis and post-conflict contexts. Bryony presented emerging findings on the structural and cultural barriers to co-produced research within UK higher education, including challenges around funding, equitable partnerships, ethics, institutional processes and the recognition of participatory research. Bryony also explored how these barriers can be amplified in international and conflict-affected settings, and highlighted emerging initiatives seeking to create more ethical and equitable conditions for co-production across borders.

Strategic Partnerships Community of Practice Group

June 2026

Beth contributed to a Public Engagement and Partnerships session on developing mutually beneficial partnerships between universities and the voluntary, community and social enterprise (VCSE) sector. Drawing on insights from the Co-Pro Futures Inquiry, she explored how universities can strengthen the conditions for meaningful co-production and build more equitable, sustainable relationships with community partners.

Co-INSPIRE launch event

July 2026 –  The Open University

Liz presented at the launch of Co-INSPIRE at The Open University, contributing to a session on The Co-Productive University of the Future. Drawing on the evidence and emerging recommendations from the Co-Pro Futures Inquiry, Liz shared reflections on the university structures and processes that mediate our capacity to research, teach and learn co-creatively, considering what needs to change and how we could do things differently.