School of Social and Political Science

School of Social and Political Science

For as long as we have society, we'll need social scientists.

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Inaugural Lectures

Inaugural lectures provide an opportunity for a newly appointed or promoted professor to introduce their work, and themselves, to the University community.

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Research

Our researchers are tackling some of the biggest issues facing society today, aiming to understand a world that’s changing more rapidly than ever.

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Subject areas

Our subject areas are the heartbeat of our School, with communities of staff and students working together across the social sciences to explore, challenge and identify how to create better societies.
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Students

Whether you’re a current student or you want to join us, you’ll find all the information you need about studying, academic life, and all our support and services here.

Latest news

News content

Photo of a man putting a vote in a ballot box
23/04/2025
Politics and International Relations (PIR)

English politics are marked with ‘Anger, Frustration and Fear’, according to new research from SPS academic

The majority of voters in England describe themselves as ‘angry’ or ‘fearful’ about British politics, according to new research from School of Social and Political Science (SPS) academic Professor Ailsa Henderson.

CHCI logo
22/04/2025
Science, Technology and Innovation Studies

Network project set up by SPS academic receives public humanities award for work on decoloniality

A network project about decolonisation developed by a School of Social and Political Science (SPS) academic has received an international award recognising it as an exceptional example of research and public engagement.  
Scottish Science Advisory Council logo
02/04/2025
Science, Technology and Innovation Studies

SPS academic appointed to the Scottish Science Advisory Council 

School of Social and Political Science (SPS) academic Dr Kirsten Jenkins has been appointed as an associate member of the Scottish Science Advisory Council (SSAC) for 2025.   
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25/03/2025
Centre of African Studies

SPS academics receive research awards from the Royal Society of Edinburgh

Two academics from the School of Social and Political Science (SPS) have received Royal Society of Edinburgh (RSE) Research Awards, for projects on the energy transition in Africa and ecofeminism in Brazilian Amazonia. 

Upcoming events

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"I mean, let’s be honest. The European Union was formed to screw the USA"
29 April 2025
10:30 - 12:00
Politics and International Relations (PIR)

"I mean, let’s be honest. The European Union was formed to screw the United States" - Trump and the relevance of truth in world politics

Join Ben O’Loughlin to examine Trump, the ‘narrative turn’ of International Relations, and the relevance of truth in world politics.
Drawing commissioned by the ROH-Indies project
29 April 2025
16:00 - 17:30

Visioning Healthy More-Than-Human Cities

A talk by Prof. Alice J. Hovorka, York University, co-organised by ROH-Indies and GENDER.ED.
poster
30 April 2025
15:00 - 17:00
Social Anthropology

Commoning the Social, Enacting Communality in Bosnia and Herzegovina: On Methods and Forms of Emancipatory Political Action

Wielding a Double-edged Sword: Knowledge, Language and Representation in the age of Big Tech.
30 April 2025
17:00 - 18:30

Wielding a Double-edged Sword: Knowledge, Language and Representation in the age of Big Tech

A reflection on efforts to amplify the presence, knowledge, and narratives of the global majority—communities in digital spaces