Departmental news

A group of academics at WMG, University of Warwick have been recognised at the prestigious 2025 Faraday Institution Link opens in a new windowLink opens in a new windowCommunity Awards.

Dr Mona Faraji NiriLink opens in a new windowLink opens in a new window, Associate Professor of Battery Modelling won the Public Engagement / STEM Outreach Individual Award, and Professor Louis PiperLink opens in a new windowLink opens in a new window, Dr Ashok MenonLink opens in a new windowLink opens in a new window and Dr Gaurav PandeyLink opens in a new windowLink opens in a new window, were presented with the group Innovation Award.

The Awards followed the Faraday Institution Conference, which was held from 9-11 September, at the University of Warwick. The conference showcased cutting-edge research, with a strong emphasis on collaboration across academia, industry, and policy in pursuit of a net-zero future.

The School of Law and the Department of Economics hosted the 55^th Annual THETS Meeting from 3 to 5 September 2025. Annual meetings have been held since 1968, making THETS one of the oldest established groups of historians of economics.

A report by Dr Rachael Blakey has found that the ‘one-lawyer-two-clients’ format of family law support ‘can be highly effective in facilitating an agreement between certain divorcing or separating couples’.

The School of Law and the Department of Economics hosted the 55th Annual THETS Meeting from 3 to 5 September 2025. Annual meetings have been held since 1968, making THETS one of the oldest established groups of historians of economics.

The conference, which took place in the Social Sciences Building, brought together 35 economists and historians from four continents to discuss some of the latest research into various aspects of economic thinking from the seventeenth century until today. Speakers examined the ideas and policy positions of thinkers associated with mercantilism, physiocracy, classical political economy, Marxism, neoclassical economics, game theory, institutional economics, environmental economics, and heterodox economics.

THETS conferences run in plenary mode only, so that all attendees benefit from the breadth of the topics covered. The quality of this year’s programme and the engagement of the audience with each of the presentations were impressive.

With most delegates staying on campus, there were valuable network opportunities as discussions continued over drinks and dinner.

A highlight of the conference was a panel on ‘The history of economic history’ with Professor Sascha Becker (Xiaokai Yang Chair of Business and Economics, Department of Economics), Professor Maxine Berg (Emeritus Professor of History, Department of History), and Professor Colin Lewis (Emeritus Professor of Latin American Economic History, LSE). The panel delved into the foundations of the field in the interwar period, discussed its subsequent split with the rise of cliometrics from the 1960s onwards, and assessed the state of play today.

Professor Berg commented about the event:

"I was delighted to participate in the conference on the history of economic thought. I had not participated in these conferences since my years as an early career scholar during the 1970s and 1980s,. Though the history of economic thought is no longer a significant taught option in Economics departments, and occupies a marginal place in the intellectual history streams of History departments, this conference, which covered a long chronology of ideas and writers from Europe, North and South America, and Asia, presented a lively field."

Professor Becker added:

"It was an immense pleasure to participate in the panel on the history of economic history and to reflect on how the discipline has developed over the past decades. I am fully convinced that economic history has a bright future as more and more historic sources become available in digital format. Large language models will allow us to research vast amounts of texts and help us ahead further light on historic developments."

Many speakers connected the history of economics as a discipline with the economic and political events of the time. This included Shengzhe Huang, a PhD student in Law, whose paper on ‘Sir Robert Hart and the Modernisation of the Chinese Maritime Customs System (1863-1911)’ was in the opening session of the conference.

Shengzhe Huang, a PhD student in Law said:

‘I found the THETS conference both inspiring and rewarding. Sharing my work and learning from others has given me fresh insights into the intersections of law and economics.’

The local organisers were Dr David Gindis (Associate Professor, School of Law) and Dr Cecilia Lanata-Briones (Assistant Professor, Department of Economics). They commented on the event:

‘It was a great pleasure to organise this year’s THETS conference at Warwick. The THETS format enables very meaningful and fruitful interactions. The ‘history of economic history’ panel really demonstrated how the history of economic thought and economic history are intertwined.’

 

‘This year’s THETS conference brought together a wonderful group of diverse scholars doing high-quality work on a range of fascinating topics. The papers generated stimulating discussions, and I dare say that the event was thoroughly enjoyable for all. The support received from the School of Law and the Department of Economics is greatly appreciated.’

We are pleased to announce that Dr Doina Anca Cretu, Assistant Professor in Modern European History, has been awarded the British Academy/Leverhulme Small Research Grant to work on her second project "Central Europe and the Making of the Modern Refugee Camp."

Dr Cretu will carry out archival work in Prague, Vienna, Krakow, and Warsaw.

The New England Foundation for the Arts has awarded Dr. Carolina Alonso Bejarano’s collaborative project ELMO-MENTO a 100,000 USD National Dance Project Grant to support the creation and U.S. touring of the piece.

[Art by Peter Quach]

Dr Hannes Houck, Department of Chemistry, has won a prestigious European Research Council (ERC) Starting Grant to explore recyclable light-activated 3D printing inks.

Dr Leda Mirbahai has been appointed as a member of the writing group for QAA’s UK Quality Code Advice and Guidance – Principle 11 (Teaching, Learning, and Assessment).

Leda will be contributing to the development of guidance on designing assessments that are fair, reliable, accessible, authentic, and inclusive, including exploring how providers can offer different assessment options to enhance accessibility and inclusion. Publication of the new guidance is expected by June 2026. This appointment recognises Leda’s sector-wide leadership in inclusive assessment design.

Professor James Fenske is one of 63 new Fellows appointed this week to the Academy of Social Sciences, the national academy of academics, practitioners and learned societies in the social sciences.

Professor Fenske’s work focuses on economic history and development economics. He joins existing Warwick Economics fellows Professor Sascha Becker, Professor Sonia Bhalotra and Emeritus Professor Mark Harrison.

The Academy’s FellowshipLink opens in a new window comprises 1,700 leading social scientists from academia, the public, private and third sectors. All Academy Fellows are elected for their excellence in their fields and their substantial contributions to social science for public benefit. Selection is through an independent peer review which recognises their excellence and impact.

10 September 2025

Professor Francesco Squintani has been appointed to the Research Excellence Framework (REF) 2029 Econometrics and Economics sub-panel following an open recruitment process which searched for academics able to command the respect of their research peers and the wider academic community.

The Research Excellence Framework (REF) is the UK’s system for evaluating the quality of research across the university sector and other higher education providers (HEIs). REF scores are used to inform the allocation of around £2 billion per year of research funding.

Professor Squintani is one of 17 Warwick researchersLink opens in a new window appointed to the REF’s Main panels and Sub-panels. Main panels will offer expert guidance on the REF process as a whole, while sub-panel members will be responsible for developing discipline-specific assessment criteria, defining how quality will be judged, and evaluating the submissions within their field.

Professor Squintani said:

“I am deeply honoured that I have been entrusted with this task. The REF is the most advanced national research ranking exercise worldwide. Several studies have shown a large positive impact of the REF on the quality of UK academic research, and higher education more broadly. It is one of the essential components of UK academia that makes the UK a major worldwide powerhouse in tertiary education.”

Head of the Department of Economics Professor Jeremy Smith said:

“We are delighted that Professor Squintani has been appointed to the REF 2029 sub-panel. His deep expertise and commitment to research excellence make him an ideal contributor to this important national process.

“His appointment also reflects the strength and reputation of Warwick Economics - Francesco becomes the fourth member of the Department appointed to REF sub-panels over the last 3 cycles, following in the footsteps of Nick Crafts, Ben Lockwood and Bishu Gupta.”

Commenting on the appointments, REF Director Rebecca Fairbairn said:

“It’s been inspiring to see the depth, strength, and commitment of the UK’s research community, and I’m very much looking forward to welcoming the new panel members to the team.”

• Read more about the REF 2029 Panels: https://2029.ref.ac.uk/panels/