About us

The Centre was established in 1999 in response to the creation of the National Assembly for Wales and its related devolved institutions to fully engage with the new system of government.

We're a research unit sponsored and supported by the School of Law and Politics.

Established by J. Barry Jones, during our first ten years we held a number of events and contributed to research on devolved Wales. In 2009, the University renewed its commitment to the Centre through the appointment of the Centre Director, Professor Richard Wyn Jones, who was appointed to rejuvenate and further develop the work of the Centre.

With the support and commitment of the University and the vision of Professor Wyn Jones, we have grown to conduct a range of research, events and projects in political, constitutional and policy themes in Wales.

We support directly registered PhD students, offer postgraduate courses available for full-time or part-time study, and regularly host visiting students and scholars from UK, European and international institutions.

Partnership with the Welsh Parliament

A partnership agreement between the Wales Governance Centre and the Welsh Parliament sees us hold regular public events and lectures at the Pierhead Building in Cardiff Bay.

Our strategic partnership with the Parliament aims to boost public engagement and participation in active democracy, and also includes the provision of regular training seminars for Members of the Senedd and the institution’s staff.