Professor Joe Yates Inauguration

English Below

Cefndir Joe

Ymunodd yr Athro Joe Yates â Phrifysgol Wrecsam fel Is-Ganghellor ym mis Awst 2024. Mae’n academydd profiadol ac yn arbenigwr mewn polisi cymdeithasol, gyda chefndir ym maes troseddeg, cyfiawnder troseddol ac ymgysylltiad cymunedol. Cyn ymuno â Phrifysgol Wrecsam, bu mewn rolau arweinyddiaeth uwch ym Mhrifysgol John Moores Lerpwl, gan gynnwys Rhag Is-Ganghellor ar gyfer Lleoedd a Phartneriaeth a Deon Cyfadran y Celfyddydau, Astudiaethau Proffesiynol a Chymdeithasol.

Dechreuodd Joe ei yrfa fel gweithiwr cymdeithasol a swyddog prawf, gan ennill 15 mlynedd o brofiad ar y rheng flaen. Yn ddiweddarach, trosglwyddodd i’r byd academaidd, lle daeth yn Bennaeth Troseddeg, a chyd-sylfaenodd y Ganolfan Astudio Trosedd, Troseddoleiddio ac Arwahanrwydd Cymdeithasol. Mae ei waith ymchwil yn canolbwyntio ar gyfiawnder ieuenctid ac ymatebion polisi i blant sydd wedi cael eu gwthio i’r cyrion, ac mae wedi cynghori cyrff cenedlaethol fel y Swyddfa Gartref a’r Bwrdd Cyfiawnder Ieuenctid.

Mae ganddo BA mewn Hanes, Gwleidyddiaeth a'r Cyfryngau, MA mewn Gwaith Cymdeithasol o Brifysgol Nottingham, a DPhil mewn Troseddeg a Pholisi Cymdeithasol o Brifysgol De Montfort. Y tu hwnt i’r byd academaidd, mae Joe wedi cael nifer o swyddi gan gynnwys Cadeirydd y Bwrdd Llywodraeth Rhanbarthol ar gyfer Cradle to Career a chyfarwyddwr y Symposiwm Cyfiawnder Ieuenctid Rhyngwladol yn Croatia. Mae arweinyddiaeth Joe yn Wrecsam wedi’i gwreiddio mewn ymrwymiad i gynhwysiant, addysg a chyfiawnder cymdeithasol.

About Joe

Professor Joe Yates joined Wrexham University as Vice Chancellor in August 2024. He is a seasoned academic and social policy expert with a background in criminology, youth justice, and community engagement. Before joining Wrexham, he held senior leadership roles at Liverpool John Moores University, including Pro Vice-Chancellor for Place and Partnership and Dean of the Faculty of Arts, Professional and Social Studies.

Joe began his career as a qualified social worker and probation officer, gaining 15 years of frontline experience. He later transitioned into academia, where he became Head of Criminology and co-founded the Centre for the Study of Crime, Criminalisation and Social Exclusion. His research focuses on youth justice and policy responses to marginalised children, and he has advised national bodies such as the Home Office and the Youth Justice Board.

He holds a BA in History, Politics and Media, an MA in Social Work from Nottingham University, and a DPhil in Criminology and Social Policy from De Montfort University. Beyond academia, Joe has held numerous positions including Chair of the Regional Governance Board for Cradle to Career and director of the International Youth Justice Symposium in Croatia. Joe’s leadership at Wrexham is rooted in a commitment to inclusion, education, and social justice.

Cefndir y ddarlith

Ymunwch â ni i ddathlu sefydlu Joe fel Is-Ganghellor y Brifysgol yn ffurfiol, a’i ddarlith agoriadol. Bydd y ddarlith yn adlewyrchu taith Joe o waith cymdeithasol a chyfiawnder ieuenctid ar y rheng flaen i arweinyddiaeth academaidd. Bydd yn rhannu adegau hollbwysig a siapiodd ei werthoedd gan ddefnyddio'r profiadau hyn i egluro sut maent yn llywio ei weledigaeth ar gyfer Prifysgol Wrecsam. Gan edrych ymlaen, bydd yn amlinellu strategaeth Wrecsam 2030 - gan ganolbwyntio ar gynhwysiant, arloesedd ac effaith ranbarthol - a’i nod yw sefydlu Wrecsam fel Prifysgol ddinesig fodern sy’n arwain yn fyd-eang. Byddwch chi, y gynulleidfa, yn cael eich gwahodd i gyd-greu dyfodol lle bydd addysg yn trawsnewid bywydau ac yn ysgogi adnewyddiad economaidd ledled gogledd Cymru.

About the lecture

Join us to celebrate the formal installation of Joe as Vice Chancellor of the University, and his inaugural lecture. The lecture will reflect on Joe’s journey from frontline social work and youth justice to academic leadership. He will share pivotal moments that shaped his values and, drawing on these experiences, he will explore how they inform his vision for Wrexham University. Looking ahead, he will outline the Wrexham 2030 strategy—focusing on inclusion, innovation, and regional impact—and aims to position Wrexham as a world-leading modern civic University. You, the audience, will be invited to co-create a future where education transforms lives and drives social and economic renewal across North Wales.