Political Economy Futures Forum

Political Economy Futures Forum Leadership Team

The leadership team maintains close connections to other University initiatives and fully aligns with their work. These include the Centre for Public Policy, the Glasgow Centre for International Development, the Glasgow Labour and Employment Network, and the College of Social Sciences Research Office.

The leadership team is committed to early career leadership, democratic decision-making, and long-term flexibility to ensure inclusivity and support of a wide range of colleagues across the College. Our thematic structure is designed to foster both inclusion across the College and democratic decision-making on research activities, with College members, who participate in cluster activities, determining activities along with the relevant IRT lead. We enthusiastically welcome proposals (formal and informal) for new PEFF related activities and are eager to co-sponsor relevant events.

We are also committed, on an annual basis, to re-evaluating our governance and thematic clusters, with the specific aim of developing and launching new clusters based on the interests and ambitions of our CoSS colleagues.

The current leadership team represents the diversity of disciplines with relevant insights into the functioning of states and markets, including Politics and International Relations, Economic and Social History, Political Economy, and Law.

Theme Leads

Maha Rafi Atal Headshot

Dr Maha Rafi Atal

Adam Smith Lecturer in Political Economy in the School of Social and Political Sciences. Her research focuses on the origins and effects of corporate power. Her current book project, examines corporate social responsibility as a system of company rule, tracing its history from colonial trading corporations to contemporary multinationals. Maha leads the Corporate Accountability cluster and acts as Impact lead.

Franziska Paul Headshot

Dr Franziska Paul

Lecturer in Political Economy at the Adam Smith Business School. Her research explores issues of ownership and transformation (social, economic, and ecological), with a specific interest in processes of democratisation and de-privatisation. She is involved with the Public Futures database and is an Associate on the Public Banking Project hosted at McMaster University. Franziska leads the Public and Collective Ownership cluster.

Bernhard Reinsberg Headshot

Dr Bernhard Reinsberg

Reader in Political Economy and Development in the School of Social and Political Sciences. His research examines the policies and politics of international organizations. In his current project, funded by UK Research & Innovation, he examines how funding structures affect the effectiveness of international organizations. Bernhard leads the Global Political Economy cluster.

Sean Vanatta Headshot

Dr Sean Vanatta

Lecturer in U.S. Economic & Social History in the School of Social and Political Sciences. He researches and writes about the political economy of modern U.S. finance, especially the ways that stakeholders in the financial system use law and democratic institutions to structure financial markets. Sean is the Research Lead.

Mingzhe Zhu Headshot

Dr. Mingzhe Zhu

Lecturer in Just Transition in the School of Law. He is a legal theorist and historian who’s research explores the connections between political authority, science and nature in the Anthropocene. By integrating radical political ecology with legal studies, he seeks to challenge State violence and extractivist capitalism, identify root causes of social and environmental disasters and explore legal transformations for a sustainable future. Mingzhe leads the Law and Political Economy cluster.