Training Consultant, Policy Engagement for University Researchers 

Huw Edwards has been delivering policy engagement training sessions for Warwick University for four years and attended the recent GCRF COMPASS + Research Impact Forum in London.  

He is a former Member of Parliament and University Senior Lecturer in Social Policy who now specialises in delivering training courses on parliament, government and policy engagement for university researchers. 

After postgraduate research at the University of York, he became a Lecturer/Senior Lecturer in Social Policy at Coventry, Sheffield, London South Bank, OU, Manchester Met and Brighton Universities. His work on earnings inequality and low pay contributed to the campaign for a national minimum wage.  

Huw was first elected to Parliament as Labour MP for Monmouth following a by-election in May 1991. After the 1992 General Election he returned to the University of Brighton as Senior Lecturer in Social Policy. He was re-elected as MP for Monmouth in 1997 and served on the Welsh Affairs Select Committee for eight years and on many legislative committees including the National Minimum Wage Bill.  

He is currently specialising in policy engagement for university researchers. These courses aim to support researchers in giving their work impact - engaging with the parliamentary process, MPs, Select Committees – also understanding how to brief civil servants and Ministers. Participants also learn how to navigate parliamentary and government information sources and give their work a sharper policy focus.  

Here's what Dr Herizo Andrianandrasana, Research Fellow at IGSD has to say about the training he received from Huw:

"The training I received from Huw Edwards was very useful. I learned a lot about the policy engagement process in the UK especially that the system in Madagascar is slightly different. I have had more concrete ideas about how to translate my research findings into policy and decision making towards improving environmental governance”.

‘What a wonderful seminar at the UK Parliament organised by WMG, University of Warwick on policy training. Thank you so much Rachael Kirwan and Huw Edwards for making this so insightful’.

Shravani Sharma – PhD Researcher in Engineering

'The seminar led by Huw gave a clear insight into how academics can maximise the impact of their work in the context of parliamentary processes. In particular, understanding the collaborative and open access nature of parliamentary work is very encouraging as an early career researcher.'

Alfie Begley, Research Assistant, IGSD