The Political Economy of COVID-19: SPERI workshop

The COVID-19 pandemic and its aftermath have transformed all aspects of our lives and the future of capitalism. How can researchers begin to understand these effects and what are the big questions that our future research agendas should grapple with?

A shop sign saying 'sorry we're closed'

To begin to discuss these questions, on Friday 19th June over 30 members of SPERI’s interdisciplinary research community came together to discuss the political economy of COVID-19. The workshop was organised by Dr Scott Lavery and Prof Colin Hay who lead SPERI’s Capitalism, Democracy and the State research stream. They introduced the online workshop before 12 members of the SPERI research community from across the Faculty of Social Sciences shared reflections drawing on their own areas of expertise in a range of different disciplines. The programme is listed below. The workshop explored the social, economic, political & global dimensions of the pandemic and its aftermath.

Researchers from eight university departments and research institutes (SPERI, SIID, Law, Economics, Management, Urban Studies & Planning, Politics & International Relations and City College) took part in the online workshop to create a truly interdisciplinary discussion. The participants included researchers from all career stages from members of SPERI’s Doctoral Researchers Network through to senior professors.

To follow up on the workshop, SPERI’s Capitalism, Democracy and the State research stream is planning a collective SPERI output on the political economy of COVID-19, which could take the form of an SPERI blog series, as well as other publications and online events.

SPERI workshop on The Political Economy of COVID-19 

Introduction and opening remarks

Dr Scott Lavery (Leverhulme Early Career Research Fellow, SPERI) and Prof Colin Hay (Co-Director, SPERI), co-leaders of SPERI’s Capitalism, Democracy and the State research stream.

Cluster 1: Social Dimensions

  • Dr Ellie Gore (Global Challenges, Research Fellow, SPERI)
  • Prof Allister McGregor (SPERI Associate Fellow; Department of Politics & International Relations)
  • Dr Hannah Lambie-Mumford (Research Fellow, SPERI; Department of Politics & International Relations) 

Cluster 2: Economic Dimensions

  • Dr Joe Atkinson (SPERI Associate Fellow; School of Law)
  • Dr Natalie Langford (Postdoctoral Research Associate, SPERI) 
  • Prof Sumon Bhaumik (SPERI Associate Fellow; Management School) 

Cluster 3: Political Dimensions

  • Dr Alexandra Prodromidou ((SPERI Associate Fellow; International Faculty-City College) 
  • Prof Michael Jacobs (Professorial Fellow, SPERI)
  • Prof Andrew Gamble (Professorial Fellow, SPERI) 

Cluster 4: Global Dimensions

  • Dr Owen Parker (Research Fellow, SPERI; Department of Politics & International Relations) 
  • Dr Merve Sancak (Postdoctoral Research Associate, SPERI) 
  • Dr Jasper Blom (Marie Curie Research Fellow, SPERI)