KNOWLEDGE EXCHANGE SEMINAR SERIES “Promoting evidence-led policy and law-making within Northern Ireland” – that is the underlying aim of the Knowledge Exchange Seminar Series, now commonly known as ‘KESS’. KESS is the first of its kind in the United Kingdom, formally partnering a legislative arm of government – the Assembly - with academia. Aiming to encourage debate and improve understanding, KESS provides a forum to present and disseminate research findings in a straightforward format, across the Programme for Government; making those findings easily accessible to decision-makers such as MLAs and Assembly committees, as well as the wider public sector. KESS is jointly delivered by the Research and Information Service of the Assembly (RaISe), in partnership with all three universities located in Northern Ireland (NI) – the Queen’s University of Belfast (QUB - co-founder in 2011), the University of Ulster (Ulster - in 2012) and The Open University (OU - in 2013). The Series presents networking opportunities, attracting a broad spectrum of attendees. These include: MLAs and their staff; Assembly staff; public and private sector employees; academics; voluntary and community groups; and, members of the public. Seminars are free and are held on Thursdays from 3 October 2013 through 29 May 2014. Each seminar starts at 1.30pm in Parliament Buildings. The next seminar will be on Thursday, 20th March, in the Long Gallery of Parliament Buildings at 1.30pm. Details are as follows: 20 MARCH 2014 – GOVERNANCE/ASSEMBLY REVIEW Dr Alex Schwartz (QUB) – Petitions of Concern - Northern Ireland’s system of government includes several mechanisms designed to facilitate inclusive cross-community power-sharing. One such mechanism is the “Petition of Concern”; any decision of the Assembly may be subjected to the requirement of cross-community consent where a Petition of Concern is signed by at least 30 MLAs. The Assembly and Executive Review Committee has recently considered changing or eliminating the Petition of Concern in light of criticisms that it is unfair, increasingly prone to abuse, and impedes legislative productivity. This presentation will assess the strengths of these criticisms in comparative perspective, with reference to the experience of other consociational democracies. Professor Yvonne Galligan (QUB) - Women in Politics - Making democracy ‘fit for purpose’ is a continuing theme in 21st century politics. An aspect that has loomed large in this debate is the under-representation of women in political life. As legislatures across these islands and beyond have become more gender equal in representation, the record of women’s representation in the Northern Ireland Assembly becomes an anomaly. There is now a significant body of international practice and experience on which to draw, suggesting that the poor representation of women in the politics of Northern Ireland can be successfully addressed. This presentation will draw on recent international lessons and developments to inform the debate on women’s representation in Northern Ireland. You can register for the seminar or contact KESS by emailing: [email protected].
Posted on: Mon, 10 Mar 2014 09:19:06 +0000
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