News

The global population is urbanising rapidly. Each year, cities around the world host tens of millions of new inhabitants, particularly in low and middle income countries. While traditionally urbanisation has been associated with a process of structural change and economic development, today many poor countries are urbanising faster and at a much earlier stage of… | Read on »

“In order to improve inclusion, we first had to understand the barriers to inclusion and participation.” – Inclusive Learning at NUI Galway Researchers at NUI Galway have revealed the lived experience of postgraduate students before and during the Covid-19 pandemic. While the vast majority of students surveyed prior to the pandemic found their learning environment… | Read on »

Growth in electricity demand together with the expansion of variable renewable energy will have significant implications for the future electricity system. One main concern is how the system can maintain balance between supply and demand to avoid blackouts from potential intermittent supply shortages. At present, this balance relies primarily upon traditional sources of flexibility on… | Read on »

Social gerontology extensively addresses financial reasons to work in later life, and pension inequalities. There is much less focus on the non-financial positive contributions that work provides for the older woman (Jahoda 1981), especially within a rural context. A qualitative study of twenty-five 45-65 year old women in Connemara, Ireland was undertaken from a lifecourse… | Read on »

On 1 December the Whitaker Institute was delighted to host The Rise of Digital Ephemerality by Ronan Doyle. The concept of ephemerality is increasingly relevant for information systems scholars, business leaders, governmental regulators, and broader society. This talk examined the rise of digital ephemerality, its importance for information systems research, and why it is necessary to consolidate what… | Read on »

Whitaker Institute member Dr Mike Hynes, co-leader of the Social Sciences Research cluster, spoke with the Irish Examiner about car ownership in Ireland and the need to prioritise public transport in the face of the climate emergency. The article is available to read here.

Dr Margaret Hodgins (Health Promotion) and Whitaker Institute member Dr John Cullinan, leader of the Centre for Economic Research on Inclusivity and Sustainability,  talked to The Irish Times about their research into the effects of workplace bullying.

Whitaker Institute member Professor Brian Hughes spoke with the Irish Independent about the use of advent calendars as marketing tools, using the psychology of unboxing to trigger intrigue and excitement. The article is available to read here.

AI, analytics, and ICT in general, create opportunities and unintended or negative consequences for individuals and society (cf. Ransbotham et al. , 2016; Majchrzak et al. , 2016). These opportunities and consequences have not been evenly distributed. Despite the many personal, economic, and societal benefits offered by AI and analytics, its use raises a variety… | Read on »

Whitaker Institute member Prof Kate Kenny, co-leader of the Work, Organizations and Society Cluster, sat down with the Black Box by Algorithmic Governance Research Network podcast where she discussed her book Whistleblowing: Toward a New Theory. The podcast is available to listen to here.

Whitaker Institute member Dr Kevin O’Sullivan, of the Conflict, Humanitarianism and Security Cluster, has published a new book titled The NGO Moment: The Globalisation of Compassion from Biafra to Live Aid.  About the Book: This book is a study of compassion as a global project from Biafra to Live Aid. Kevin O’Sullivan explains how and why… | Read on »