About the College of Social Sciences
At the College of Social Sciences, we turn insight into practice.
Ever since the launch of our first Commerce and Social Work degrees in the 1900s, we have had a legacy of bringing together research rigour and academic excellence - learning about the world, and then working to change it.
Connected with the realities of everyday life, our research shapes policy, transforms systems, and improves lives. From classrooms to care, governments to industry, we create and inform real-world change.
Our insight comes from our communities - both local and global - and takes form through the people we teach, work with and learn from. Our graduates go on to lead classrooms, communities, care systems, and companies, shaping society as teachers, carers, social workers, business leaders, and policymakers.
Our vision
We have a vision for a fairer world. A world of equal opportunity, led by diverse voices that drive positive, sustainable change, and create long-lasting impact. This vision is guided by four key principles.
Rooted in the city of Birmingham – the United Kingdom’s second city with a young and superdiverse population – we are committed to serving our communities and driven by our sense of place. We are led by the needs of the cities we are located in, with our research informing change for a fairer and more sustainable society, and our graduates fulfilling some of the most important roles in our community.
The research we do and the education we provide are backed by practice. Across all our work, we collaborate with public services, practitioners and regional stakeholders to propel innovation and impact. But we don't just have ideas. We make change. Our academics engage closely with governments, businesses, and the third sector to support evidence-driven policy change.
At the heart of all that we do is people. Their lived experiences, needs, and stories are at the centre of our ambition - tackling discrimination and creating an open, inclusive culture where everyone can thrive and succeed.
Our global impact
We are a globally connected College, collaborating with like-minded partners to push the boundaries of knowledge in social sciences, shape policies and practices, and drive change on the global stage.
Based across our world-class campuses in Birmingham and Dubai, the College is a global, diverse, and inclusive community of currently more than 12,500 students, 900 academics, and 300 professional services staff. Currently more than half of our students and one-third of our staff come from international backgrounds.
Beyond our Edgbaston and Dubai campuses, we also deliver transnational education programmes in Singapore and Malaysia. Building on these foundations, we ensure that our graduates are amongst the most employable, innovative, and entrepreneurial, and equipped with a strong sense of global responsibility.
We have cultivated an extensive global network, partnering with over 180 institutions across more than 50 countries, and with a network of over 100,000 alumni across 185 countries.
Teachers for Education Equity: serving vulnerable communities in Malaysia
Teachers for Education Equity: serving vulnerable communities in Malaysia
The Story
Around the globe, and in Malaysia too, somewhere between 40 and 60% of refugee children do not complete primary school. Already facing extreme disadvantage, the poorest children are likely to access schools in which teachers are partially trained or not trained at all.
The Teachers for Educational Equity project, made possible through philanthropic funding, is an innovative educational project in Malaysia aiming to develop teacher skills and efficacy in alternative learning centres that provide education for refugee, stateless and other underserved communities. The project’s ambition is to build a model of teacher development from the ground up: decolonised, inclusive, sensitive to context and transformative for individuals and communities.
The Horizon
The project will lead to the delivery of a bespoke programme of teacher development, underpinned by research, and engaged in ongoing evidence generation. The programme will be used to train circa 180 qualified teachers, who will spend at least two years working in underserved schools.
University of Birmingham Dubai: making art for inclusive for all
University of Birmingham Dubai: making art for inclusive for all
The Story
What began as a small grant as part of the Disability Under Siege project equipping young disabled people with cameras to share their daily lived experience has become a locally led and sustained movement for inclusivity in the arts.
Over the course of three years, Dr Sarah Benson, University of Birmingham Dubai, has worked with Jordanian partners, including the British Council in Jordan, to develop a community of arts and disability practitioners, providing a summer of art workshops for young disabled people and leading the establishment of the Jordan Assembly for Arts and Disability (JAAD).
The impact of JAAD extends not only to making tangible changes, such as better accessibility standards, it has also reached the community, encouraging engagement on the issues of disability and more visibility for disabled artists.
The Horizon
After it’s recent inauguration, JAAD has received royal patronage to continue their efforts creating an inclusive art community in Amman Jordan.
The project has taught artists from multiple backgrounds about supporting youth with disabilities through art workshops, and several have gone on to continue this work in their discipline – from theatre and music to the fine arts.
Our staff community
The talent, motivation and diversity of our staff is central to all that we do, and makes delivering our vision possible. We are dedicated to building a thriving organisational culture where everyone has equal opportunity to succeed.
We draw on the expertise of our researchers and the wealth of knowledge in social sciences to drive sustainable, innovation and ethical approaches that serve our staff community.
Equality, diversity and belonging are at the heart of all that we do, and our College Board are committed to bettering the workplace and improving opportunities for all.
ASPIRE: transforming research culture through inclusion
ASPIRE: transforming research culture through inclusion
The Story
Access to Success Pathways for Inclusive Research Excellence (ASPIRE) is a pioneering initiative at the University of Birmingham, funded by £1 million from the Wellcome Trust’s Institutional Fund for Research Culture. ASPIRE addresses barriers in research careers and grant pipelines, creating a more equitable environment. It aims to trial new approaches to developing a race-inclusive research culture through a programme of research, training, and capacity-building. By creating learning and development opportunities, ASPIRE seeks to ensure that all researchers can contribute to a more inclusive research environment.
The Horizon
ASPIRE’s insights will drive a more inclusive research culture not only within the College of Social Sciences, but at a University level by strengthening collaboration across disciplines and supporting research leaders in building diverse teams. Insights from the programme will be shared with other higher education institutions and funders, helping to drive sector-wide change and support the development of more inclusive research cultures across the UK and beyond.