Supervision
Preparing the next generation of economic historians
Supervision philosophy
I think that economic history needs to be re-inserted into the research and teaching agendas of economics departments and business schools. If you share my conviction, then I am keen to work with you.
The academic job market is tough. It is important that students are prepared. My goal as a supervisor is to ensure my students graduate with a collection of interesting papers, addressing important topics, that are clearly publishable in good journals.
I support my economic history PhD students to launch their careers by imparting the attitudes and skills necessary to succeed as a junior academic. This sometimes means helping them to develop a strong second field of interest besides economic history. And to help them think explicitly how their economic history research relates to that second field - how they can contribute to big economic questions using insights derived from historical enquiry.
The academic job market is tough. It is important that students are prepared. My goal as a supervisor is to ensure my students graduate with a collection of interesting papers, addressing important topics, that are clearly publishable in good journals.
I support my economic history PhD students to launch their careers by imparting the attitudes and skills necessary to succeed as a junior academic. This sometimes means helping them to develop a strong second field of interest besides economic history. And to help them think explicitly how their economic history research relates to that second field - how they can contribute to big economic questions using insights derived from historical enquiry.
Current PhD students
Kyle Richmond (PhD Economics)
As primary supervisor
Second supervisors: Graham Brownlow and Stephen Billington
Thesis topic: UK & Irish economic and demographic history
Fields: Economic History, Innovation, Productivity
Pallavi Singh (PhD Management)
As second supervisor
Primary supervisor: Michael Aldous
Thesis topic: Indian business history
Fields: Business History, Economic History, Networks, Religion
As primary supervisor
Second supervisors: Graham Brownlow and Stephen Billington
Thesis topic: UK & Irish economic and demographic history
Fields: Economic History, Innovation, Productivity
Pallavi Singh (PhD Management)
As second supervisor
Primary supervisor: Michael Aldous
Thesis topic: Indian business history
Fields: Business History, Economic History, Networks, Religion
Completed PhD students
Paul Winfree (PhD Economics, 2023)
Co-supervised with John Turner
Thesis title: The Political Economy of Education and Propaganda in the US South after the Civil War
Fields: Economic History, Economic Policy, Political Economy
Homer Wagenaar (PhD Economics, 2022)
As primary supervisor
Second supervisors: Norma Dawson and Christopher Coyle
Thesis title: Rules, Discretion and Industrialisation: The Patent System of the Netherlands, 1817-1869
Fields: Economic History, Law & Economics, Innovation
First placement: Postdoctoral fellowship in economic history, University of Groningen, the Netherlands
Stephen Billington (PhD Economics, 2019)
Co-supervised with Christopher Coyle
Thesis title: Patents, Machine Learning, and War: Invention during the British Industrial Revolution
Fields: Economic History, Innovation, Machine Learning
First placement: Tenure-track post in economics, Ulster University Business School, Belfast
Nikita Lychakov (PhD Finance, 2018)
Co-supervised with John D. Turner
Thesis title: Industrialisation, Politics and Banking Instability in Late Imperial Russia
Fields: Financial History, Banking Crises, Political Economy
First placement: Postdoctoral fellowship in history, Higher School of Economics, Moscow
Stuart Henderson (PhD Finance, 2017)
Co-supervised with John D. Turner and Alan Fernihough
Thesis title: Historical Reflections on Religion, Finance and Economic Development
Fields: Financial History, Cultural Economics, Cooperative Organisations
First placement: Tenure-track post in finance, Dublin University of Technology
Co-supervised with John Turner
Thesis title: The Political Economy of Education and Propaganda in the US South after the Civil War
Fields: Economic History, Economic Policy, Political Economy
Homer Wagenaar (PhD Economics, 2022)
As primary supervisor
Second supervisors: Norma Dawson and Christopher Coyle
Thesis title: Rules, Discretion and Industrialisation: The Patent System of the Netherlands, 1817-1869
Fields: Economic History, Law & Economics, Innovation
First placement: Postdoctoral fellowship in economic history, University of Groningen, the Netherlands
Stephen Billington (PhD Economics, 2019)
Co-supervised with Christopher Coyle
Thesis title: Patents, Machine Learning, and War: Invention during the British Industrial Revolution
Fields: Economic History, Innovation, Machine Learning
First placement: Tenure-track post in economics, Ulster University Business School, Belfast
Nikita Lychakov (PhD Finance, 2018)
Co-supervised with John D. Turner
Thesis title: Industrialisation, Politics and Banking Instability in Late Imperial Russia
Fields: Financial History, Banking Crises, Political Economy
First placement: Postdoctoral fellowship in history, Higher School of Economics, Moscow
Stuart Henderson (PhD Finance, 2017)
Co-supervised with John D. Turner and Alan Fernihough
Thesis title: Historical Reflections on Religion, Finance and Economic Development
Fields: Financial History, Cultural Economics, Cooperative Organisations
First placement: Tenure-track post in finance, Dublin University of Technology