Notre Dame, Royal Irish Academy launch research initiative
SOUTH BEND, Ind. (Inside INdiana Business) — The Keough-Naughton Institute for Irish Studies at the University of Notre Dame is partnering with the Royal Irish Academy to launch the ARINS Project. The initiative is designed to bring together “leading experts from Ireland and abroad to consider the most challenging policy issues now being debated” in Ireland.
The university says the ARINS, or Analysing and Researching Ireland North and South, Project will explore research questions ranging from constitutional and institutional issues to options for economic, fiscal and social policy. Other topics will also be assessed, such as relations within Northern Ireland, across the island of Ireland, and between Ireland and Britain.
The partnership, Notre Dame says, will involve nonpartisan and independent research conducted by scholars in multiple disciplines. The partners hope to support “respectful debate among politicians” by publishing and publicizing the research.
“While the issue of a future referendum on the constitutional position of Ireland has been raised, holding a referendum in the absence of prior research and informed debate on the options and their consequences would be most unfortunate,” said Gerry McKenna, senior vice president of the Royal Irish Academy. “The academy recognizes the sensitivities around the very process of conducting such research, but also believes that the need to ensure that all eventualities are anticipated and researched, and that ensuing debate is informed and comprehensive, takes primacy.”
Notre Dame says papers will be published monthly in the Irish Studies in International Affairs journal along with at least one response.
You can learn more about the ARINS Project by clicking here.