Mission and Focus

We aim to give a clear message to potential collaborators that we are committed to addressing major social issues in a coordinated fashion. By doing so, we open up opportunities ranging from the local to the global level. Our themes illustrate the importance of working together across all disciplines to provide innovative approaches to global issues, meeting current and future needs of society and the economy.  We have official international partnerships with Chapin Hall, University of Chicago; the UNESCO Child and Family Research Centre, National University Ireland Galway; the Palestinian Child Institute, An-Najah National University and the International Center for Education and Human Development (CINDE), Bogotá, Colombia, alongside numerous other international partners we work with on many other areas.

On the local level, we have secured a pioneering and innovative Community Engagement Partnership with Market Development Association in South Belfast, with the aim of collaboratively addressing community challenges in the areas of educational underachievement, employability, mental health issues and addictions and also looking at the potential of the social economy in the regeneration of this community.  We aim to work with Market Development Association and the community to better understand local needs, evaluate key sectors such as tourism, develop local and hitherto under-used assets and measure the economic effects of alternative forms of urban regeneration.

In addition, the Centre has committed to investing in the development of two long-term and sustained partnerships locally in West Belfast: the Greater Shankill Children and Young People Zone and the Colin Neighbourhood Partnership.

Our shared vision is that we not only achieve measurable and lasting improvements in the health and social wellbeing of both communities but that both become beacons for social innovation nationally and internationally, setting out novel and effective ways of transcending some of society's key challenges.

Nationally, CESI hosts Campbell UK & Ireland which is a national centre of the international Campbell Collaboration, their role is to promote the work of the Campbell Collaboration across the UK and Ireland.

Our work is positioning three inter-related themes that map onto the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs):

Good Health & Wellbeing, Quality Education and Sustainable Cities and Communities.

We also link all our work to SDG 17, Partnerships for the goals.