NatCen Founder Knighted

Founder Director of the UK's National Centre for Social Research (NatCen) Professor Roger Jowell has been knighted for services to social science in the New Year's Honours List.

Jowell is currently Research Professor at the City University in London, where he established the Centre for Comparative Social surveys and has directed the European Social Survey (ESS) - a 22-nation comparative study of changing social values within Europe - since its inception in 2001. At this time, he was awarded a CBE for services to social science, and in 2005, the project won the Descartes Prize for excellence in collaborative scientific research, the first social science project ever to have been shortlisted for the award.

On receiving the Descartes, Jowell commented: 'The important thing about social survey research is that it takes in several different disciplines, such as political science, social statistics, sociology and psychology. Without being modest, I've been very lucky that all the projects I've set up have lasted. Given that my interest is in social change, I suppose they've all had to last. It's been good to see them endure and develop.'

Jowell moved to Britain from South Africa in 1964, worked for a market research firm for five years, and in 1969 set up Social Community and Planning Research (SCPR), which later changed its name to the National Centre for Social Research (NatCen). He spent eighteen years working as Co-Director for the Economic and Social Research Council's (ESRC) British Election Study series, and as VP of the UK's Royal Statistical Society. His many writings focus primarily on social and political values, social change, voting behaviour and survey methods.

Information about the ESS survey is online at www.europeansocialsurvey.org.

All articles 2006-23 written and edited by Mel Crowther and/or Nick Thomas, 2024- by Nick Thomas, unless otherwise stated.