Charitable Giving and Philanthropy

Chair

Professor Arthur Williamson, BA,MA,Dip Soc Sc,M.Litt., PhD, is Emeritus Professor of Voluntary Action Studies at the University of Ulster from 2009.As Founding Director of the Centre for Voluntary Action Studies, in Ulster’s School of Policy Studies, from 1995, he is known internationally for his contributions to research, teaching and applied work in the field of voluntary action, and peace processes. Recent projects led and managed include ‘The third sector and older people in Ireland, north and south: mapping and analyzing the roles, functions and capacity of voluntary and community organizations for old people’ (with Dr Nick Acheson); and ‘Two Paths: One Purpose -- Voluntary Action in Ireland, North and South’ published by the Institute for Public Administration in Dublin, and funded by The Royal Irish Academy. (also with Dr Acheson).

Linked research interests include voluntary sector housing and sectoral development in rural areas. Professor Williamson is a longstanding member of the International Society for  Third Sector Research, and the Association for Research into Nonprofit and Voluntary Action. He has extensive collaborative research with international colleagues including Professor Jon Van Tyl (Rutgers) and Professor Carl Milofsky (Bucknell); and has led and facilitated key US/UK institutional interactions, such as the community –based service learning semester in N Ireland, for Swarthmore College.  He has recently contributed to the study of the history of the University of Ulster (February 2009). In May 2009 he provided the closing keynote for the (UK) Voluntary Action Studies’ Research Conference, ‘ National Contexts and the Development of Voluntary Action: the Republic of Ireland and the UK after a decade of devolution’.

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