Future Generations Commissioner and Cardiff join forces

The Office of the Future Generations Commissioner for Wales and Cardiff University have formally joined forces to work on shared strategic goals.

The three-year agreement will pave the way for closer cooperation on projects highlighting the challenges and opportunities facing future generations – in line with Cardiff’s strategic aim to improve the health, wealth and well-being of the people of Wales.

Future Generations Commissioner, Sophie Howe, and Cardiff University President and Vice-Chancellor, Professor Colin Riordan, have signed a virtual Memorandum of Understanding to mark the partnership.

Sophie Howe said: “We are delighted to formalise closer strategic ties with Cardiff. The University plays an important role in providing multi-disciplinary research expertise to help meet the needs of future generations, and encouraging public bodies to take greater account of the long-term impact of the things that they do.”

Professor Riordan said: “The partnership strengthens a long-standing and mutually beneficial relationship. The Office of the Future Generations Commissioner for Wales provides policy expertise and connections which gives Cardiff University potential to create greater research impact and enhanced opportunities to inform public debate.”

The agreement paves the way for future collaboration across shared projects including:

• Promoting research and policy capabilities of both organisations through new collaborative projects;
• Identifying Cardiff expertise to inform the Office of the Future Generations Commissioner for Wales’ Cloud of Innovators;
• Providing University expertise for the Future Generations Commissioner’s work with public bodies in Wales, including Live Labs, monitoring, advice and guidance;
• Providing Future Generations training around the Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015, and guidance on how Cardiff might optimise civic impact.

Cardiff University’s SPARK (Social Science Research Park) will play a key role in Cardiff’s work with the Commissioner. SPARK includes 11 of Cardiff’s leading social science research groups, with internationally leading expertise in the areas of children, education, ageing, wellbeing, sustainability and climate change.

Professor Chris Taylor, Academic Director of SPARK, explains, “Through this agreement, SPARK will continue to play a leading role in understanding wellbeing and the needs of future generations. Research into ‘futures’ is a strategic priority for SPARK, which includes our long-standing interests in sustainability and children, but also includes new areas such as the green and foundational economies, behaviour change, care and caring, and intergenerational relationships. We hope this partnership will help us identify new areas of research and to help ensure our research can have impact on future generations.”