Departmental news

Experts at Warwick Manufacturing Group (WMG), University of Warwick, have received funding from Responsible AI UK (RAI UK) to investigate how artificial intelligence can be deployed online safely, fairly and effectively.

WMG is one of 11 institutions awarded a share of £200,000 in collaboration grants, uniting universities, NHS Trusts, civil society groups and industry partners in support of the UK Government’s mission to maximise the benefits of AI while managing its risks.

The grants focus on four priority areas that reflect national needs and the UK Government’s AI mission:

• AI sustainability

• AI deployment costs and benefits

• AI skills

• AI engineering

This week we are delighted to interview Associate Professor and Warwick LinC Co-Director, Dr Tara Mulqueen, for our Warwick Law School Staff Spotlight series.

In the week that the Church of England installed the first female Archbishop of Canterbury in its 500-year history, Warwick economist Professor Sascha Becker published new work exploring why it is that women, across almost all faiths and nations, are more religious than men even though most world faiths emphasise traditional, unequal gender roles for women and girls.

In Gender and Religion: a survey, published in the Journal of Demographic Economics, Professor Becker and co-authors Jeanet Sinding Bentzen (University of Copenhagen) and Chun Chee Kok (Université Catholique de Louvain) first investigate what economics, psychology and sociology can tell us about gender differences in personal faith and religious practice.

In the second part of their paper, they look at how religious doctrine and/or religiosity (“religion” for short) affects women’s economic and social outcomes. The researchers reviewed a large number of studies focusing on those which use empirical techniques – such as natural experiments, randomized interventions, policy changes or instrumental variables – to isolate the effects of religion.

Survey evidence and demographic studies consistently show that women are more likely than men to identify as having a religious affiliation, to engage in daily prayer, and to consider religion an important part of their lives.

Explanations put forward by researchers past and present include:-

• Economic roles and division of labour – studies in the 1970s proposed that religious participation was seen as part of the domestic sphere belonging to women. More recent time-use studies have found that women who work outside the home tend to be less religious than those who don’t.
• Aversion to risk – 17^th century philosopher Blaise Pascal proposed that a logical person would choose to believe in God, arguing “if you gain, you gain all. If you lose, you lose nothing.” On average, research has found women to be more risk-averse than men. Perhaps they accept Pascal’s Wager as a form of insurance? Membership of a faith community can also be a form of insurance, offering emotional support and practical help.
• Compensation for deprivation – faith communities can offer women an alternative sphere of value, social connection and purpose in societies where they cannot achieve this through employment. In some contexts studied, the presence of women in faith leadership roles was found to have positive effects on female participation in public life and education rates for women and girls, for example in 1930s Korea.

The gap in religiosity is more marked among older generations than younger ones. Recent research in Europe, North America and Australia has found that the gap is closing, with young men turning to religion and young women leaving. Some studies cited in the paper are linking this to an increase in congregations preaching a patriarchal interpretation of Christian manhood and extreme Christian nationalism.

Professor Becker said: “An important question on which evidence is only beginning to emerge is whether the gender gap will close as societies modernise and secularise – or will deeper factors continue to draw women to faith?

“We found extensive evidence revealing how religion influences a wide range of outcomes for women and girls, from how much and what type of education girls receive, to whether girl children are even born in the first place.

“However, this influence was not only in one direction. We found that in some contexts, religious movements promoted female empowerment - such as the drive by early Protestants to ensure that all members of the congregation were sufficiently literate to read the Bible. Others, such as the modern-day Taliban, deny women and girls any education at all.

“Women’s participation in formal employment, their reproductive rights, and their legal rights and responsibilities are still shaped openly by religious teachings and indirectly through the influence of faith on legislators.

“Against this background it is clearly a puzzle that women are, on average, more religious than men despite most religions promoting and entrenching patriarchal norms which impose significant costs and burdens upon them.

“While the research we reviewed offers partial explanations, no single theory or study explains this paradox.”

ENDS

• Becker SO, Bentzen JS, Kok CC. Gender and religion: a survey. Journal of Demographic Economics Published online 2026:1-42. doi:10.1017/dem.2025.10014

Dr Jessica Marshall has been awarded £236,000, out of a possible £250,000 for a six-moth research project funded by the UK Atomic Energy Authority (UKAEA)Link opens in a new window, marking a significant step forward in the development of Novel shielding materials and technologies for fusion shielding.

The project launched in collaboration with Dr Shubham Sharma and Professor Darren Hughes from Warwick Manufacturing Group (WMG) aims to explore low-activation radiation-dense shielding solutions for practical fusion reactors.

The Department of Economics is excited to announce the launch of a new interdisciplinary postgraduate programme: MSc Economics and Environmental Policy starting September 2026.

The programme was designed to meet the growing demand for economists who can address environmental and sustainability issues with robust analytical tools and so it combines rigorous economic theory with advanced environmental analysis. The course allows students to develop the skills and expertise to apply economic analysis to the socially urgent problems of sustainability and environmental policy.

Graduates from this degree are likely to pursue careers in government and the public sector, such as policy or sustainability analysts; consulting and private practice, sustainability consultants, heads of sustainability or roles within companies dealing with renewable energy.

Dr Lory Barile, MSc Economics and Environmental Policy Course Director in the Department of Economics, said:

"It has been a privilege to work on the development of this interdisciplinary MSc in Economics and Environmental Policy, a programme that brings together the exceptional expertise of colleagues across the Faculty of Social Sciences. We are delighted to launch a degree that reflects Warwick’s commitment to addressing the pressing environmental and sustainability challenges of our time.

Hosted within the Department of Economics, renowned for both its world-leading research and gold-standard teaching, this programme offers students a uniquely rigorous and applied education. Drawing on specialist knowledge from across select departments in the Faculty of Social Sciences and beyond, including psychology, business, and management. Students will gain the analytical tools, policy insights, and practical experience needed to shape effective and equitable environmental solutions. We are excited to offer a programme that broadens our postgraduate portfolio and enhances the opportunities available to students who want to make a meaningful impact in sustainability and public policy."

Jeremy Smith, Head of Department added:

“We are proud to introduce this new MSc in Economics and Environmental Policy that blends rigorous economic training with applied environmental analysis, preparing graduates to play a leading role in shaping sustainable and equitable policy responses to today’s most pressing challenges.”

Applications are now open. For full details on entry requirements, modules, and funding opportunities, visit the MSc Economics and Environmental Policy study page or get in touch with us if you have a query at economics.pgoffice@warwick.ac.uk.

Professor Andreas Kyprianou has been named among the founding fellows of the newly established Academy for the Mathematical Sciences (AcadMathSci) — a new national academy created to bring together the UK’s strongest mathematical scientists across academia, education, business, industry, and government to help solve some of the UK’s biggest challenges.

Mara Malagodi’s co-edited book Asian Comparative Constitutional Law Vol. 3 - Constitutional Structures has been nominated for the 2025 Book of the Year Prize by the International Forum on the Future of Constitutionalism.

Interface Polymers announces the successful scale-up of Polarfin® Compatibiliser production, from their Visakhapatnam pilot plant.

Mayumi and I are the ECLS LGBTQIA+ Student Network Coordinators. We are writing to gauge interest among staff in contributing to a proposed project; a series of talks, given by staff at Warwick, organized by the Arts Faculty LGBTQIA+ Student Networks.

The aim is to foster an inclusive, interdisciplinary space in which students and staff can engage with research and creative practice, relating to LGBTQIA+ themes within the arts and humanities or the University of Warwick. Any participation would be entirely voluntary.

At present, the network operates on a student-led basis and is not formally funded. As such, this email is intended as an expression of interest rather than a formal invitation. We are also exploring whether a partnership with the University, through the ‘Queering University ProgramLink opens in a new windowme’, may be possible in the future, and an indication of staff interest would be helpful in shaping those discussions.

If you would be interested in contributing a talk or would simply like to be kept informed as this idea develops, we would be very pleased to hear from you. Attached is a form; registering interest at this stage does not imply any obligation or commitment.

Expression of Interest: Student-Led LGBTQIA+ Arts Faculty Talks Link opens in a new window

Thank you so much for taking the time and consideration.

Kind Regards,

Nadija and Mayumi