Professor Andrew Brown

Profile

Qualifications

PhD Economics, University of Middlesex

MA Economics, University of Leeds

BA (Jt Hons) Economics/ Philosophy, University of Leeds

Experience

2016 - present          Professor of Economics and Political Economy

2008  2016              Senior Lecturer in Economics, University of Leeds

2000 2008              Lecturer in Economics, University of Leeds

1999 - 2000              Research Assistant (econometrics, political economy) South Bank University and University of East London

Summary of overall research interests

My research advances explanations of key developments in economy and society. I have published on theories of value and growth, financialisation, the euro, job quality and job satisfaction, wellbeing, infrastructure economics, and ICT. I also stress the research importance of methodology and philosophy and have published on activity theory, critical realism, dialectics, mixed methods, and approaches to interdisciplinarity.

My paper on critical realism and systematic dialectics was winner of the 2015 Sage prize for Innovation and/or Excellence. I lead large-scale interdisciplinary research projects across economists, engineers, mathematicians, environmental scientists and social scientists. The total external grant income for projects in which I am Co-I or PI is circa 15M (funders include EC, ESRC, EPSRC, NERC, HSE, BIS, and the ISRF).

I co-organised the 2012 British Sociological Association (BSA) presidential event on the global financial crisis, and presented at a special plenary of the 2015 BSA conference. I work closely with policy makers and stakeholders, e.g. I have advised HM Treasury on infrastructure economics. 

Major funded projects

• 2016 2021: Co-I, EPSRC, Balancing the impact of City Infrastructure Engineering on Natural systems using Robots (4.2 million)
• 2014 2017: Co-I, NERC-ESRC, CVORR: Complex-Value Optimisation for Resource Recovery (1.2 million)
• 2013 2017: Co-Director, EPSRC-ESRC, i-BUILD: Infrastructure BUsiness models, valuation and Innovation for Local Delivery (3.5 million)
• 2011 2016: Co-I, EU FP7, FESSUD: Financialisation, Economy, Society and Sustainable Development (8 million)

Other research activities

• 2015 : Member Green Book+ group of the Major Projects Association (with, e.g., HM Treasury, Cabinet Office, DfT, TfL, HS2, Crossrail, KPMG, Institute of Civil Engineers, The Nichols Group, Volterra Consulting)

• 2014 : Director of IMBUES [Infrastructure in Management, Business, Economy and Society] research centre, Leeds University Business School

• 20142015: Member, Strategic Infrastructure Independencies Group, HM Treasury

• 2013 : Editorial board member, Infrastructure Asset Management

• 2012: Joint organiser (with John Holmwood) of British Sociological Association Presidential Event, Understanding the financial crisis: sociology, political economy and heterodox economics, British Library

• 2009 2016: Co-founder and co-coordinator of the Political Economy of Work study group, part of the International Initiative for Promoting Political Economy

Current teaching

PGR Level: Nature and Philosophy of Social Science Research, 15 credit, 1 Semester
I devised and deliver this module which is compulsory for all new PhD students and MRes students in LUBS and open to York University and Sheffield University students as part of the White Rose DTC. It covers the philosophy and history of social science, interdisciplinary and mixed methods research, making research bids and achieving research impact.

Past teaching at Leeds

PGR Level: Understanding the Global Economy: Capitalist Institutions, Growth and Crises 
UG levels 1-3: Macroeconomics, Mathematics and Statistics for Business and Economics Studies, Applied Economics, Explanation in Economics (an optional module in economic methodology), Undergraduate Economics Dissertation

Current postgraduate researchers

• Elena Hofferberth
• Caroline Bentham