CRE's Mission Statement and Values

CRE's mission is:

"To be a world class centre for applied social science research in rural development, food and agriculture"

CRE's staff and postgraduates developed a set of core value statements in December 2004 which are designed to encapsulate CRE's work.

CRE's core values are to:

1. Inspire and develop ourselves and our external partners: we do this by...

  • creating a supportive environment for the expression of ideas
  • developing our skills and competences
  • recognising achievement and always learning from experience
  • being open, and engaging constructively with our partners, be they researchers or practitioners.

2. Use research to engage, inform and make a difference to others: we do this by...

  • 'doing' rural development through 'studying' rural development
  • using experience from our region to inform UK and EU-wide debates, and vice versa
  • pioneering University-region links through our distinctive approach to the 'co-production' of knowledge (with researchers and practitioners 'thinking and learning together')
  • encouraging excellence in research and practice amongst our postgraduates.

3. Be innovative to influence academic research agendas: we do this through...

  • independent thinking and creative working, in order to question received wisdoms and established practices
  • being open to different intellectual currents and research traditions and embracing interdisciplinary working
  • converting cutting edge applied research into high quality scholarship
  • disseminating effectively, nationally and internationally.