About us
The Political Economy Institute (PEI) is a research centre at the University of Manchester which seeks to recapture and promote the idea of political economy as a concrete field of academic study.
The field is understood to span various discipline-based approaches and theoretical traditions, and to demand a genuinely heterodox and cross-disciplinary approach to political economy research. By bringing together over 70 individuals working in the field of political economy – particularly from the School of Social Sciences (SoSS), School of Environment and Development (SED) and Manchester Business School (MBS), but also from the School of Law and the School of Languages, Linguistics and Cultures – PEI aspires to push forward this cross-disciplinary political economy project and, on this basis, to develop innovative and world-class research into major issues of contemporary global concern.
PEI seeks to consolidate the considerable strength that exists in political economy at the University of Manchester in order to develop a centre of international standing in research and teaching. It builds on a long and highly distinguished tradition of political economy at the University. A chair of political economy was first established here in 1854, and the University boasts a history that features an array of distinguished political economists, including John Jewkes, Michael Polanyi, Sir Arthur Lewis and W.S. Jevons.
Benefiting from these strong foundations, PEI’s efforts include
- a strong and exciting research and publishing agenda
- events and activities designed to further collaborative and individual research projects reaching across traditional disciplinary boundaries
- the development of a strong and vigorous international network of individuals and institutions in order to facilitate collaborative research activities
Our research agenda is complemented by the development of a unique MA in Political Economy. The MA is taught across three Schools in the Faculty of Humanities – SoSS, SED and MBS – and the course options offered will reflect the underlying interdisciplinary approach to the study of political economy that PEI seeks to advance.
By extension, one of our foremost aims is to attract first-class students to pursue doctoral research in political economy at Manchester and provide a research environment of the highest quality. PEI has a postgraduate network which currently brings together some 70 postgraduate students working in this field. This network both organises events and activities specifically oriented to postgraduate students and facilitates the full integration of postgraduate students into PEI’s research activities.