Child of the New Century’s former director receives a CBE

Professor Heather Joshi, the founding director of Child of the New Century (CNC), has received a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE), an honour given by the Queen in the 2015 New Year honours list.

Professor Joshi, who was director of CNC from 2000 to 2011, received the recognition for her contribution to longitudinal and women’s studies.

She was also director of the IOE’s Centre for Longitudinal Studies at the UCL Institute of Education (IOE), which manages four of Britain’s cohort studies, including CNC, from 2003 to 2010.

Throughout her career, Professor Joshi carried out extensive research on gender, the family, the work place and child development. She is regarded as an international expert on the impact of childbirth on women’s lives and the effect of women’s employment on children.

Professor Joshi’s academic career began at Oxford University, where she was awarded a Congratulatory First in Politics, Philosophy and Economics in 1967. She worked as a government economic adviser before returning to university life in 1980. Prior to joining the staff of the IOE in 1998, she worked at City University London, Birkbeck College and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.

Although she officially retired in 2011, Professor Joshi continues to take part in research using CNC.

Professor Joshi said she was surprised and extremely pleased to receive this honour. “For me the work of collecting and analysing evidence on the unfolding lives of women, men and children is rewarding in itself. It has also been rewarding to pass information about the British experience to colleagues in other countries who have come later to the business of establishing birth cohorts.

“But it is gratifying not only to be recognised personally, but to have this further confirmation that longitudinal studies are seen as a growing national asset.

“These studies have been built up through the work of a great many people – colleagues, collaborators and contractors – and the indispensable co-operation of members of the public who freely and repeatedly provide the information that the studies assemble.”