photo: anthony pugh photography
Left to right: Yongchao Jing, John Poole, Lowri O’Donovan, Katy Huxley, Sophie Bartlett, Chris Taylor and Sonia de Saxe
The ADR Wales team, based within the Wales Institute of Social and Economic Research and Data (WISERD) at Cardiff University’s state-of-the-art SPARK building, played an integral role at this year’s WISERD Annual Conference held at Aberystwyth University on 30 June and 1 July 2025.
This year’s conference theme, “Participation and partnership in a time of precarity and polarisation,” provided a timely and thought-provoking platform for discussion among academics, policymakers and practitioners.
All ADR Wales researchers based at Cardiff University actively contributed to the conference, each presenting original research that addresses key social and economic issues in Wales. The team’s presentations showcased the power of administrative data to inform policy and deepen understanding of societal change.
Presenters from the ADR Wales Cardiff team included:
- Using Evidence from Administrative Data Analysis to Inform Policy and Practice – Katy Huxley, Cardiff University
- Patterns and Predictors of Post-16 Science Subject Choices in Wales – Sophie Bartlett
- Individual and family-level factors influencing the receipt of Special Educational Needs support in the UK: A mixed-methods study – Lowri O’Donovan
- Who Speaks Welsh? Comparing Alternative Measures of Welsh Language Ability Amongst Young People – Katy Huxley
- Should I stay or should I go? Welsh Language and HE Choice – Rhys Davies
- Does it Pay to Speak Welsh? Exploring the employment outcomes of Welsh graduates- John Poole
The team’s contributions highlighted ADR Wales’ ongoing commitment to impactful, policy-relevant research through data linkage and interdisciplinary collaboration, made possible through its close integration within WISERD and the SPARK innovation community at Cardiff University.
The WISERD Annual Conference continues to be a key event in the Welsh social science calendar, bringing together research that tackles the complex challenges facing contemporary society.