Following the publication of the Next Generation Kazakhstan report with the British Council and juggling between her PhD and leading the Education, Youth and Civic Engagement (EYCE) Hub at LSE Consulting, Elisabet Vives takes a breather to talk to us about her story and EYCE’s, in this second edition of the Expert Voices blog.
Congratulations on the publication of the Next Generation Kazakhstan report, Elisabet! Tell us a bit about the project. How are you feeling?
Thank you! It’s always a great feeling, and honestly even a bit of a relief (laughs), to see a long-term project come together in a way that’s both insightful and useful. We’ve been working on this for over a year, so it’s very rewarding to now know the British Council and its stakeholders found real value in it!
The Next Generation Kazakhstan report was commissioned as part of the British Council’s wider research programme, which explores the experiences, challenges and opportunities facing young people in countries that are strategically important to the UK. We worked with a core team of UK-based experts and partnered with Central Asia Barometer, an organisation with the networks and knowledge needed to carry out a complex data collection process. This included a nationally representative survey, focus groups and interviews. We also collaborated with two Kazakhstani academics, and I’m grateful to everyone who contributed. It was an honour to contribute to this initiative.
Despite the challenging research environment in Kazakhstan, where access to data and freedom of speech can be limited and research processes require careful navigation, we were able to deliver a comprehensive and meaningful report. I’d also like to thank the British Council for their close and collegial partnership throughout.
Stay tuned because we’ll be launching the report in the UK in the coming months following a successful launch in Kazakhstan.
The Next Generation Kazakhstan project is a great example of the EYCE Hub’s impactful work. Could you share what ideas or needs first motivated the creation of the Hub?
The Education, Youth and Civic Engagement (EYCE) Hub developed quite organically from the shared expertise and interests of myself and a former colleague, Francisca Torres, during our early years at LSE Consulting. Although Francisca has since moved on, the foundation we built together remains strong. Our early projects focused on education, youth and citizen participation, and over time, it became clear that these three areas are deeply interconnected.
Education is not only a driver of social mobility but also a cornerstone of healthy democracies. Young people are both the main recipients of education and key actors in shaping democratic futures. Civic engagement is where these elements converge. While these themes are often treated separately, we believe that meaningful change requires an integrated approach. Research across all three areas is essential to create more democratic societies that distribute power more fairly, with young people at the centre and strong educational institutions supporting them.
The EYCE Hub also reflects our desire to build an interdisciplinary network of experts. We bring together specialists in youth programming, education policy, evaluation, democracy and civic engagement. This mix of thematic and methodological expertise allows us to form teams capable of addressing complex issues with academic rigour, supported by LSE’s reputation.
I like to think of the Hub as a meeting point for ideas and people: a space for collaboration that drives impactful research.
You recently published EYCE’s first annual report for FY2024-25. What have been some memorable milestones/highlights for EYCE?
EYCE is still a young hub, although it builds on a well-established portfolio and network of experts. I’m really pleased that we’ve now completed our first full financial year operating under the EYCE name, and that we’re able to showcase some of the work we’ve done in the Annual Report (view the EYCE Hub Annual Report 2024-25 here).
One of the highlights was a workshop we held at LSE in April 2025, where we brought together a wide range of academics and experts from across the School. All of them work on themes related to education, democracy and youth, and it was exciting to see people from different disciplines who rarely have the chance to collaborate come together to discuss how we can take our work beyond LSE’s walls. That was a real milestone for us..
Another key development this year has been our growing focus on local democracy. We’ve started supporting organisations to assess and strengthen their democratic practices using innovative approaches. This work is especially meaningful to me, as it connects closely with my PhD research.
I also had the opportunity to deliver workshops for the European Partnership for Democracy, where I engaged with civil society organisations and young researchers working on democracy. That element of training and capacity building is central to EYCE’s mission, and I’m glad we’ve started to explore it more actively.
And what challenges have come EYCE’s way since its inception?
EYCE is still growing, and like any young initiative, we’ve faced a few challenges along the way.
One has been capacity. We’re a small team, and both Erika (our Bidding Assistant) and I work part-time (I’m completing a PhD), so we’ve had to be strategic with our time and resources. Despite that, we’ve managed to deliver meaningful work across research, project management and business development, which is something I’m really proud of.
Another challenge has been balancing the availability of our expert network. Many of our collaborators are academics with full-time roles, so their involvement in consultancy projects depends on their capacity. That said, working with such a talented and committed group brings enormous value to EYCE. Their diverse expertise and perspectives enrich everything we do, and I wouldn’t trade that for anything.
As LSE Consulting’s in-house democracy expert, what would you say are the top reasons why we need better and informed research on this topic more than ever?
Since EYCE focuses on education, youth and civic engagement, I’ll highlight one key reason for better research in each area, keeping in mind that these themes are deeply interconnected.
First, in education, the growing importance of lifelong learning is clear. With rapid changes in technology, especially the rise of AI, people will need ongoing access to skills training and career development. Public institutions and partnerships must step up to ensure everyone can adapt and thrive. Research can help shape effective, inclusive policies to support this.
Second, for young people, there’s increasing concern about the impact of social media not just on mental health, but also on how it shapes worldviews. We’re seeing worrying trends, particularly among young men, towards more radicalised and authoritarian thinking. Research is essential to understand these dynamics and respond constructively.
Finally, in civic engagement, rebuilding trust between citizens and institutions is critical. Democratic innovations (new forms of participation that bring decision-making closer to people) offer promising ways forward. We need research to explore how these can be embedded into traditional democratic systems to make them more responsive and inclusive.
By making the connections between these areas more visible, we can better tackle complex challenges from multiple angles and increase our chances of creating lasting, positive change.
What are you and EYCE looking forward to this academic year?
We’ve got a really exciting year ahead at EYCE! Right now, we’re working on two brilliant projects that dive into local democracy. One is evaluating the Dunfermline Citizens’ Assembly in Scotland, which kicks off early next year. The other is a study with the Local Government Association looking at how to make the councillor body in England more representative and better supported. Both projects touch on different aspects of local democracy, which makes them both very interesting, and I can’t wait for these projects to see the light of day!
We’re also continuing to explore new opportunities at the intersection of youth, media and democracy, and looking forward to collaborating more closely with departments across LSE. There’s so much expertise here in this intersection, and we’re keen to bring it into conversations that shape real-world policy and practice.
So yes, lots to look forward to, and we are super excited to see where this year takes us!
About the Education, Youth and Civic Engagement (EYCE) Hub
LSE Consulting’s Education, Youth and Civic Engagement (EYCE) Hub works on issues that matter today: from access and equity in education, pressures faced by young people in a changing economy, to the ways media and social networks are reshaping civic participation. At the heart of EYCE’s approach is collaboration, so insights transcend boundaries and the impact transcends time.
To discuss ideas on collaboration or projects, contact Elisabet at e.vives@lse.ac.uk.
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