In recognition of her work on population studies and demographic change, Professor Jane Falkingham has been awarded an OBE (Officer of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire) in the Queen’s Birthday Honours for 2015. The award, for services to Social Science, marks a career spanning almost 30 years.
research pursues a multi-disciplinary agenda combining social policy and population studies, and spanning both developed and developing countries. Much of her work has focussed on the social policy implications of population ageing and demographic change, and what this means for the distribution of social and economic welfare.
“I am delighted to receive this national honour,” she said. “It recognises the contribution made not only by myself but by the teams of amazing social science researchers and support staff I have had the honour of working with over the past 30 years, but especially within the Centre for Population Change. I am pleased to accept it on all of their behalves.”
Professor Falkingham is Director of the ESRC Centre for Population Change and Dean of Social and Human Sciences at the University. The ESRC Centre, established in January 2009 was funded by the Economic and Social Research Council. It is the UK’s first research centre on population change and brings together over 50 researchers from universities across the UK. The Centre’s aim is to improve understanding of the key drivers and implications of population change.
As well as her work on UK population, Professor Falkingham is also involved in wide-reaching international research including projects on ageing and resilience in the slums of Nairobi, poverty and transition in Central Asia and on migration and the wellbeing of children and older people ‘left behind’ in China and South Africa.
