Network for Economic and Social Trends

About NEST: Western Social Science Research and Policy

Modern societies are experiencing unprecedented social and economic changes, including a slowdown in economic growth, rising inequality, and increasing ethnic diversity and geographic mobility.

NEST, a research and policy alliance in the Faculty of Social Science at Western University, that addresses these challenges by conducting world-class multidisciplinary research, fostering national and international collaborations, and facilitating the training of the next generation of leaders in academia, the private and non-profit sectors, and government.

NEST is the umbrella organization for all eight Western Research Centres in the Faculty of Social Science which set its agenda and provide its governance.  NEST also aims to train the next generation of policy researchers through mentorships, fellowships, and the MA in Research for Policy and Evaluation.

News & Announcements

Canada’s top researchers in social sciences and humanities recognized with prestigious national awards | December 2022
Semra Sevi, NEST Junior Fellow of Western University, is recognized with the Talent Award for her research focusing on voting behaviour, political representation, public opinion, legislative policies, partisanship and political methodology. The Talent Award recognizes the outstanding academic achievement of a current SSHRC doctoral scholarship or postdoctoral fellowship holder.

The government seeks that almost 1.5 million foreigners integrate into the territory:
Contrary to the current approach of several countries, Canada is determined to attract migrants | November 2022

Article

Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada presents at the Pathways to Prosperity National Conference, led by NEST Director Victoria Esses | November 2022

Discrimination can make smaller communities unappealing to immigrants, racialized and Indigenous people | June 2022 
The populations of smaller communities in Canada have been shrinking because of low birth rates, youth and working professionals moving away and a failure to attract and retain new residents. Read More

Urban Centre will host the Money and Local Democracy Project | June 2022                           
The Centre for Urban Policy and Local Governance will host the Money and Local Democracy Project / Projet sur l’argent et la democratie locale, a five-year project investigating municipal campaign finance regulation and local election campaigning. Funded by a SSHRC Insight Grant following pilot work funded by Western Faculty of Social Science research seed grants, the project is led by Western Political Science Professors Zack Taylor and Martin Horak; Sandra Breux at l’Institut national de la recherche scientifique, Montréal; and Kristin Good at Dalhousie University. This mixed-methods project will entail the largest survey of election candidates ever conducted in Canada – over 4,000 candidates in 183 municipalities in all 10 provinces, which are home to four out of five Canadians – as well as analysis of candidates’ campaign finance disclosures over three election cycles and in-depth interviews with former candidates and campaign managers. The project will contribute new insights, both nationally and internationally, into whether differently configured campaign finance regimes create more competitive elections, how local candidates campaign, and enduring questions regarding the influence of money in politics.

How rural Canada can attract and retain international health-care providers: Address discrimination, provide support | May 2022                           
Smaller communities in Canada, particularly those located in rural areas, find it difficult to attract and especially retain health-care professionals, leading to poorer health outcomes. Read More

 

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