NTU Professor elected to the Fellowship of the Academy of Social Sciences

An expert in social research at Nottingham Trent University (NTU) has been elected to the Fellowship of the Academy of Social Sciences.

Emeritus Professor Matt Henn, of the School of Social Sciences, is among 45 leading social scientists to be elected to the prestigious organisation this autumn.

The Academy aims to enhance and safeguard the social sciences in research, professional practice, and education; and to champion and foster the understanding and application of social sciences in policy, business and public life.

It comprises 1,600 leading social scientists from academia, the public, private and third sectors. All Academy Fellows are elected for their excellence in their fields and their substantial contributions to social science for public benefit.

Professor Henn worked in the higher education sector for more than 36 years, starting in 1988, before retiring earlier this year. As emeritus professor he remains part of the University as an active researcher.

He began his career as a researcher in the Department of Economics and Politics at NTU, when it was called Nottingham Polytechnic.

In 1992 he joined the University of North London as a Lecturer in Social Science Research Methods, but then returned to NTU in 1994 and was appointed Course Leader for the MSc Research Methods - a course that became an integral part of NTU's PhD research degrees programme.

In 2004 he joined the NTU Graduate School and became Head of Research Degrees and Research Training for the College of Business, Law and Social Sciences; in 2012 he moved to the School of Social Sciences.

At the latter part of his career at NTU, Professor Henn was active in developing teaching and learning opportunities internationally and presented key-note speeches at several international events in countries including Macedonia, Croatia, Saudi Arabia, Italy, Spain and Morocco.

He set up a number of ERASMUS staff and doctoral mobility agreements with strategically selected partner universities in several countries. He was also a visiting professor for the 'Doctoral Research Methods Programme' at the Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona from 2010 until 2017.

In 2010 he was promoted to Professor of Social Research as recognition of his contributions to NTU and internationally through his research and also his leadership of postgraduate programmes of study.

He was Research Director for Social and Political Sciences from 2012 until 2023 and led several NTU research projects over the years. He was responsible for more than 140 PhD research students and personally supervised 19 PhD research candidates to successful completion.

His most recent book (co-authored with James Sloam, 2019) is Youthquake 2017: The Rise of Young Cosmopolitans in Britain. He is currently  working on a similar book based on the 2024 UK general Election that is planned for publication in spring 2025. Previous books include Opinion Polls and Volatile Electorates (1998), and A Critical Introduction to Social Research (with Mark Weinstein and Nick Foard, second addition 2009).

As an emeritus professor, he is currently looking at the impact of studying formal qualifications in citizenship studies on young people's levels of civic and political engagement.

Professor Edward Peck, Vice-Chancellor and President of NTU, said: “Matt’s election to the Academy of Social Sciences is further recognition that he is one of the leading experts in his field of his generation.

“Following his 36 year career, we are proud that his world-leading research still continues to be undertaken at NTU as an emeritus professor.”

Professor Henn said: “I’m honoured to receive this Award of Fellow of the Academy of Social Sciences as recognition for my research into young people’s complex relationship with democracy.

“I’m looking forward to working with the Academy - to help reach beyond the academic community by working with others to develop responses to the many challenges facing contemporary societies.”

The 45 Fellows elected to the Academy this autumn are from 34 UK organisations, comprising 31 higher education institutions, as well as think tanks, non-profits and business.

Welcoming this year’s elected Fellows, Will Hutton FAcSS, President of the Academy, said: “It’s a pleasure to welcome these 45 leading social scientists to the Academy’s Fellowship.

“Their substantial contributions to social science and wider society have furthered our understanding of the social and environmental factors related to population health, changing cultures of inequality, children and young people’s experiences of gaming and gambling, the importance of diversity and inclusion in organisations, and how businesses can contribute to the sustainable development goals, amongst many others.

“We look forward to working with them to further promote the important role the social sciences play in our daily lives.”