School of Social Sciences and Professions staff profiles content store_hidden Diana Stirbu Our staff

Prof. Stirbu joined London Metropolitan University in April 2010 after obtaining a PhD in management and governance studies from the University of Liverpool. Since then, Prof Stirbu has been an active researcher and educator in the fields of public policy, politics and governance. In September 2019, she was promoted to Professor of Public Policy and Governance. Prof Stirbu currently leads and co-leads a number of research projects and initiatives in the School of Social Sciences and Professions, including the Connected Communities project investigating London's local authorities' relationship with local communities in the context of Post-Covid recovery. In May 2022, Prof Stirbu was appointed by the Welsh Government as a member to the Expert Panel supporting the work of the Independent Commission for the Constitutional Future of Wales. 

Professor Stirbu specialises in public policy and governance from a territorial multilevel perspective (in the UK and beyond), as well as in strategic management in political and public organisations. Her emphasis lies particularly on devolution and its impact on politics, governance and democracy. More broadly, prof. Stirbu's work focuses on contemporary issues in parliamentary democracy, such as public engagement, gender representation, and parliamentary governance. A more recent strand of her work investigates the evolving relationship between municipal governments and local communities in the context of co-production as a means of building resilience and addressing strategic challenges (i.e., climate change, structural inequalities).

Professor Stirbu undertakes advisory work in relation to the Welsh Parliament [Senedd Cymru] and provides expert advice on public engagement and strategic governance within political representative institutions. She acted as an Independent Trustee for the Centre for Public Scrutiny between 2016 and 2019 and promotes the importance of scrutiny and accountability in the governance process. In 2020/21 Diana undertook an Academic Fellowship with the Welsh Parliament, conducting research into measuring the effectiveness of the Senedd’s committee system. Diana is also a member of the Global Diversities and Inequalities Research Centre at London Metropolitan University.

Affiliated to the Global Diversities and Inequalities Research Centre.

Research interests (interested in supervision of PhD Students):

• territorial politics and governance (UK and beyond) - exploring issues of constitutional design, democratic legitimation, political representation
• public engagement (in parliaments) and participatory governance in the context of local municipal government from an international perspective
• gender representation and institutional design
• parliamentary governance (role, functions, and structures of strategic leadership and governance in parliamentary organisation)
• social integration, community resilience and urban governance.

Professor Stirbu's teaches on the following courses and modules:

• International Relations and Politics BA - teaching The New British Politics module
• International Relations MA, Peace, Conflict and Diplomacy MA - providing research methods training and convening MA Dissertation module
• Youth and Community Work MSc - teaching Public Sector Design and Innovation

• 2020-22 2 rounds of Rescaling and Transformation Funding, London Metropolitan University: £46,000 - Connected Communities. Supporting Inclusive Recovery in London
• 2022-23 Rescaling and transformation Funding, London Metropolitan University: £6,800 - The Potential for Value destruction through co-production and community engagement (supporting external bid development)

• GLA, Social Integration and Regeneration Learning Network 2020/21 | Facilitating peer learning skills development and good practice dissemination across London boroughs (£25,000)
• National Housing Federation 2019/20 Early Adopters Programme - with Snook and Glasgow University | Supporting NHF and 120 Housing Associations design, test and implement the Together with Tenants Charter (£70,000)
• GLA, Social Integration Design Lab 2018/19 - with Snook and NEF Consulting | Supporting 17 London Boroughs to embed social integration principles in their regeneration work (£53,000)
• WEN Wales, Evaluation of the 2018-19 Mentoring Scheme (with Wales Governance Centre) - Lead | Evaluating the Women in Public & Political Life Mentoring Scheme (£1,500)
• National Assembly for Wales Remuneration Board Co-Investigator | Research into barriers to standing in elections for the National Assembly for Wales | 2017-2018 (£20,000)
• ESRC | Co-author of UK’s Changing Union Project report | The Capacity of the National Assembly for Wales | Wales Governance Centre | 2014 (£4,000)

• British Federation for Women Graduates - Ellen Wynne Vanstone Scholarship, 2008
• Duncan Norman Scholarship (£60,000) - main PhD funding, 2005-08

• Co-convenor of the PSA Parliaments
• Member of the Expert Panel supporting the Independent Commission for the Constitutional Future of Wales
• Member of the Global Diversities and Inequalities Research Centre
• Reviewer for the Academy of Finland Research Council (2022, 2023)
• Lead of the Connected Communities programme – 2020/22
• Lead of the Social Integration and Regeneration Learning Network - 2020/21
• Academic Fellow of the Welsh Parliament – 2020/21

Professor Stirbu contributes more widely to various media outlets as well as to public consultations and debates, academic and practitioner conferences.

• Oral evidence to the Senedd Electoral Reform Committee - January 2020
• Oral Evidence to the Constitutional and Legislative Affairs Committee - June 2016
• Submission to the House of Commons Welsh Affairs Select Committee and the National Assembly for Wales Constitutional and Legislative Affairs Committee in relation to the Draft Wales Bill 2015
• Written submission to the Business Committee - 2010
• Written submission to the Legislation Committee No. 3 - November 2010