Profile

Dr Nick Kirsop-Taylor
Lecturer in Public Policy and Administration
I am a Lecturer in Public Policy and Administration and Director of the MSc Global Governance.
I am an environmental governance scholar with a particulart interest in how the state, voluntary organisations and public agencies engage with and contribute towards environmental good governance.
My research tends towards being more applied and I work closely with and follow environmental public agencies and public sector workers, and have well developed links with numerous European environmental agencies. I am an active member of the international academic communities including environmental public policy and administration, environmental governance, and environmental studies. I have previously convened undergraduate modules in environmental and sustainable development policy and public administration, with a special focus on student employability and active learning pedagogies.
Research group links
- Centre for Rural Policy Research
- College of Social Sciences and International Studies
- Department of Politics
Research interests
I have a problem-orientated and interdisciplinary research agenda that builds upon and reflects my professional experiences and academic interests. This agenda is currently engaged across three broad themes:
1) The changing nature of environmental governance, policy, and the (nation) state;
2) Public administration-orientated research into environment-facing bureaucrats and public agencies; and
3) The contemporary environmental voluntary sector: its role, governance contributions, and changing dynamics.
I have previously secured research funding from the EPSRC and the ESRC. Im currently a co-Investigator on the ESRC-funded ACCESS programme: exploring the many ways in which the social sciences can contribute towards the big societal challenges of the climate and ecological crises.
Research supervision
I am open to approaches from potential PhD students on subjects related to my research agenda. In particular, doctoral research situated within public policy and administration theory in addressing environmental and climate challenges/questions.
Research students
I am currently co-supervising Ibrahim Bornoma based within the University of Exeter Politics department and the Environment and Sustainability Institute.
External impact and engagement
I am Deputy-Director of the Un iversity of Exeter's policy unit - Policy@Exeter. Find out more about Policy@Exeter online at: https://www.exeter.ac.uk/research/policy/
Modules taught
- POL1047 - Global Sustainability Policy and Governance
- POLM222M - The Politics, Policy and Practice of Sustainable Development
- POLM887 - Public Policy Process
Biography
Prior to becoming an academic I worked in the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs in the British Government (2004-2010) and then in multiple policy-facing environmental voluntary roles in the third sector (2011-2014). These professional experiences have contributed towards an academic identity that is intensely problem-orientated, with a keen focus on working partnerships with external partners to deliver research with rigour, impact and value.