Experts

UU 2016+. 2010-16 Chief Economist PwC in NI. 2007-10 Special Advisor. 1998-2007 MLA NI Assembly. 1989-98 Lecturer Queen’s University. Research Interests: NI economy, devolution policy, inter-regional and international productivity, and religion, ethics and economic thought. Recent article: “A critical review of competitiveness measurement in Northern Ireland”, Regional Studies, 53, 10, pp. 1494-1504.

Matt is a political economist specialising in global economic governance, the nature of globalisation, trade and development, the rising powers, and, increasingly, narcopolitics and drug policy. He previously worked at the University of the West Indies, and has regional expertise on Latin America and the Caribbean. He is based at the University of Sheffield and also co-directs the Resilient and Sustainable Islands Initiative at the Overseas Development Institute in London.

Esther’s research analyses how economic agents make decisions in social dilemmas, the role of incentives and how these incentives are affected by contextual factors – such as institutional change. Specifically, her research focuses on pro-social behaviour, including corporate social responsibility, provision of public goods and donations. Her research uses different methods, including behavioural game theory and experimental economics, and embraces multi-disciplinary approaches.

Jo Blanden is a Reader in Economics at the University of Surrey and a Research Associate at the Centre for Economic Performance, LSE. Her research focuses on in two aspects, early years and social mobility. In particular her work considers how policy in early years can influence children’s attainment and reduce development gaps associated with family background. The second looks at individual’s fortunes as they move into independence, considering how family background affects labour market

Nicholas (Nick) Bloom is a Professor of Economics at Stanford University, and a Co-Director of the Productivity, Innovation and Entrepreneurship program at the National Bureau of Economic Research. His research focuses on management practices and uncertainty. He previously worked at the UK Treasury and McKinsey & Company.

Jack Blundell is a PhD Candidate in Economics at Stanford University. His academic research covers intergenerational mobility, income volatility and the effectiveness of government policies surrounding the gender pay gap. He has written on the impact of economic downturns on different types of workers, with a special focus on the self-employed in the current crisis.