On 7 May 2026, DSPI students, faculty, and staff gathered at Nuffield College for the annual Symposium for Early Researchers in Social Policy and Intervention (SERSPI). Now in its fifth year, the student-led event brought together members of the department to share emerging research, exchange ideas, and strengthen DSPI’s community of researchers.
This year’s programme showcased the breadth of research taking place across the department’s master’s and doctoral programmes, with student presentations organised around four thematic sessions:
- Migration, Identity, and Lived Experiences
- Social Inequality and Protection
- Political Dynamics
- Lightning Talks
Presenters explored a wide range of social policy and intervention topics, including identity and belonging, ethnic fluidity, violence in adolescence and parenthood, climate policy attitudes, disability inclusion, adolescent interactions with generative AI, domestic abuse perpetrator programmes, housing, armed conflict and health service delivery, social transfers, and welfare state preparedness in the context of AI.
Alongside longer-format presentations, the symposium included a dedicated lightning talk session, giving master's students the opportunity to present developing research ideas in a concise and engaging format. The session highlighted the diversity of research interests among early researchers, spanning social transfers, far-right party support, domestic abuse interventions, homelessness, conflict, education, child labour, safer-use spaces, and AI and welfare states.
Speaking on behalf of the SERSPI Organising Committee 2026, Sophia Andresen reflected: “SERSPI 2026 reflected the very best of the DSPI research community: thoughtful discussion, generous feedback, and a shared commitment to learning from one another. It was inspiring to see students across different programmes and stages of research come together to exchange ideas and support each other’s work.”
The symposium opened with remarks from Professor Jamie Lachman, Professor of Child and Family Global Health, who reflected on his own time as a DPhil student in the department and emphasised the value of community, encouragement, and knowledge exchange among early researchers.
The day concluded with a faculty panel discussion on “Navigating Transitions” with Professor Kenneth Nelson, Associate Professor Amiya Bhatia, and Professor Frances Gardner. Panellists shared academic and professional experiences, offering insights for students and early career researchers navigating different stages of research, training, and career development.
The SERSPI 2026 organising team were Sophia Andresen, Erika Chaben Cabrera, Sam Fischer, Diana Mwala, and Denys Pikus.
