Katy Hayward

Professor Katy Hayward is a leading scholar in Political Sociology at Queen’s University Belfast, where she serves as co-Director of the Centre for International Borders Research. She holds academic appointments in the School of Social Sciences, Education and Social Work and is a Fellow of the Senator George J. Mitchell Institute for Global Peace, Security and Justice. Her research focuses on border management, Brexit’s impact on Ireland, and peace processes in Northern Ireland. Hayward is a prominent voice in policy discussions, advising governments and parliamentary committees on issues like the Northern Ireland Protocol and constitutional futures.

Her research interests span EU integration, cross-border conflict, and political discourses in Ireland. Notable works include What do we know and what should we do about… the Irish border (Sage, 2021) and co-editing Dynamics of Political Change in Ireland (Routledge, 2017). She has provided expert testimony to UK, Irish, and EU parliamentary bodies and contributed to high-profile reports on Brexit’s regional impacts.

Hayward has received prestigious awards, including the Ewart-Biggs Memorial Prize (2020) for public awareness of Brexit’s effects on peace processes and the Political Communicator of the Year (2019). She is a Fellow of the Royal Irish Academy and the Academy of Social Sciences, and an Eisenhower Fellow (2019).

Her advisory roles include the Scottish Parliament’s Constitution Committee and the Centre for Inclusive Trade Policy. She actively engages in public discourse through media outlets like the New York Times, Guardian, and Politico, translating complex political issues for broader audiences.