Dr Emanuele Lobina PhD, MA, PGCert, PGCE

Associate Professor, Public Services International Research Unit (PSIRU)

Key details

Emanuele Lobina

Dr Emanuele Lobina

Associate Professor, Public Services International Research Unit (PSIRU)

Dr Emanuele Lobina specialises in the political economy of water service reform in the global North and South. His more recent work reconceptualises public service efficiency in light of 21st century global challenges. It also attempts to understand the process and outcome of remunicipalisation, or reverse privatisation. Dr Lobina was awarded an ISRF Political Economy Fellowship (2017-2018). Over the last 20 years, his research has produced policy impact at an international level. He has conducted policy research for and provided expert evidence to international organisations, national and local governments, utilities and their associations, trade unions and civil society organisations. He has been invited to speak at dozens of academic and policy events around the world and his work has been translated into seven languages.

After collaborating as a research associate with the Swiss Graduate School of Public Administration and the University of Siena in Italy, he joined PSIRU in 1998 and the University of Greenwich in 2000.

Business and management

Responsibilities within the university

Member of the Senior Management Team, Department of International Business and Economics

PhD supervision

  • Third supervisor, Yasaman Sarabi (completed).

MPhil/PhD examination

  • Internal examiner, transfer from MPhil to PhD: Bertha Darteh
  • Internal examiner, MPhil: Camilla Capotorto.

Teaching (Tutor)

  • Business Ethics and Corporate Social Responsibility
  • Operating in Emerging Markets
  • International Business Project

Awards
  • Visiting professorship, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Brazil, November to December 2012

Recognition
  • Member of the editorial board of the International Journal of Water Governance

Research / Scholarly interests

On-going research includes:

  • rebasing organisational economics on a realist paradigm
  • reconceptualising public service efficiency and productivity
  • the political economy of water remunicipalisation, or reverse privatisation
  • the political economy of the human right to water.

Key funded projects

  • SSHRC Insight Grant, "Remunicipalization: The Future of Water Services?", 2018-2019, Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council, Canada.
  • ISRF Political Economy Research Fellowship, "Reorienting Industrial Organisation Theory: From Necessary to Possible Outcomes", 2017-2018, Independent Social Research Foundation, (PI) £60,000.
  • COST Action Local Public Sector Reforms (LocRef), Working Group I - "External (Post-) NPM Reforms", 2013-2016, COST (European Cooperation in Science and Technology), EU RTD Framework Programme.
  • Exploratory grant on "Strengthening water and sanitation capacity in Russia", Internationalising Higher Education, British Council, 2012 (Project Manager) £5,000.
  • Visiting Scholar, Department of Sanitary and Environmental Engineering (DESA), Federal University of Minas Gerais (UFMG), Belo Horizonte, Brazil (November-December 2012).
  • Research Network on Governance and Citizenship in Water Management and Environmental Health in Latin America (WATERLAT), Leverhulme Trust, 2009-2011.
  • Sustainable Water management Improves Tomorrow's Cities' Health (SWITCH), European Commission, 6th Framework Programme, 2006-2010, Contract No. 018530 (GOCE). Integrated project.
  • Environmental Governance in Peri-urban Water Basin Management in Metropolitan Areas – social, environmental, territorial and institutional dynamics (GovAgua), European Commission, ALFA Programme, 2005-2008, Network No. II-0433-FA-FCD-FI.
  • Decision making in water systems in European cities (WATERTIME), European Commission, 5th Framework Programme, 2002-2005. Contract No. EVK4-2002-0095.

Recent publications

Article

Lobina, Emanuele and , Weghmann, Vera (2020), Commentary: the perils and promise of inter-paradigmatic dialogues on remunicipalisation. Taylor & Francis. In: , , , . Taylor & Francis, Journal of Economic Policy Reform, 24 (3) . pp. 398-404 ISSN: 1748-7870 (Print), 1748-7889 (Online) (doi: https://doi.org/10.1080/17487870.2020.1810473).

Lobina, Emanuele , Weghmann, Vera, Marwa, Marwa (2019), Water justice will not be televised: Moral advocacy and the struggle for transformative remunicipalisation in Jakarta. Water Alternatives Association. In: , , , . Water Alternatives Association, Water Alternatives, 12: 7 (2) . pp. 725-748 1965-0175 (Online) (doi: http://www.water-alternatives.org/index.php/alldoc/articles/vol12/v12issue3/534-a12-2-17).

Lobina, Emanuele and , (2017), A better future for water: what role for theory?. ISRF. In: , , , . ISRF, ISRF Bulletin (XIII) . pp. 16-21 (doi: http://www.isrf.org/bulletin/).

Kishimoto, Satoko , Petitjean, Olivier, Lobina, Emanuele (2016), Reclaiming public water through remunicipalisation. Verlag Österreich GmbH. In: , , , . Verlag Österreich GmbH, juridikum (2) . pp. 251-260 ISSN: 1019-5394 (Print), 2309-7477 (Online) (doi: https://www.juridikum.at/fileadmin/user_upload/ausgaben/juridikum_2016_2.pdf).

Book section

Lobina, Emanuele and , (2018), UK - Strong and weak lock-in of water governance outcomes in England. Palgrave Macmillan. In: , , In: Simon Porcher, Stéphane Saussier (eds.), Facing the Challenges of Water Governance (Palgrave Studies in Water Governance: Policy and Practice). Palgrave Macmillan, Basingstoke and New York . pp. 155-188 . ISBN: 9783319985145 (doi: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-98515-2_7).

Lobina, Emanuele and , (2018), The necessity of wickedness and the possibilities of participation - Reframing dilemmas on water planning between conceptual fuzziness and real-world practice. Editora UFMG. In: , , In: Léo Heller, Marluce Aguiar, Sonaly Rezende (eds.), Participação e controle social em saneamento básico: conceitos, potencialidades e limites. Editora UFMG, Belo Horizonte, Brazil . pp. 51-73 (doi: ).

Lobina, Emanuele and , (2016), Water remunicipalisation: Between pendulum swings and paradigm advocacy. Springer International Publishing. In: , , In: S. Bell, A. Allen, P. Hofmann, T.-H. Teh (eds.), Urban Water Trajectories. Springer International Publishing, London, UK , 6 (1st) . pp. 149-161 . ISBN: 9783319426846 (doi: http://www.springer.com/us/book/9783319426846).

Conference item

Hall, David and , Lobina, Emanuele (2024), Clean water: a case for public ownership. In: UNISON Water, Environment and Transport (WET) Conference Fringe, 16 Jun 2024, Brighton, UK , . , London, UK (doi: ).

Lobina, Emanuele and , (2024), Critical realism and the problem of (judgemental) rationality. In: Critical Realism Network: Critical Social Ontology Workshop 2024, 6th - 7th Apr, 2024, Online , . , (doi: https://criticalrealismnetwork.org/2024/03/08/annual-critical-social-ontology-workshop-online-april-6th-7th-2024-call-for-papers/#:~:text=Critical%20Realism%20Network-,Annual%20Critical%20Social%20Ontology%20Workshop%20%E2%80%93%20online%2C%20April%206th%20%26,7th%2C%202024%20%E2%80%93%20Call%20for%20papers&text=A%20guest%20post%20by%20Ruth,metaphysics%20of%20irreducibly%20social%20phenomena.).

Lobina, Emanuele and , (2023), Social positioning and the question of power. In: Critical Social Ontology Workshop 2023, 25th - 26th Mar, 2023, Online , . , (doi: https://philevents.org/event/show/107021).

Conference proceedings

Lobina, Emanuele and , (2017), Water remunicipalisation as a global trend: Calling for progressive policies. Red Agua Publica, Spain. In: , , , Proceedings of “Encuentro de Ciudades por el Agua Pública” City of Madrid, 3-4 November 2016. Red Agua Publica, Spain, Madrid, Spain (doi: https://redaguapublica.wordpress.com/).

Monograph

Weghmann, Vera , Lobina, Emanuele, Adam, Al-Hassan (2024), French early child education and care companies. European Public Service Union (EPSU). In: , , , . European Public Service Union (EPSU), Brussels; London (1st) (doi: https://www.epsu.org/sites/default/files/article/files/French%20Early%20Child%20care%20EPSU%20report.pdf).

Lobina, Emanuele and , Planas, Míriam (2021), Transformative water remunicipalisation in Valladolid, Spain. PSIRU, Business Faculty, University of Greenwich. In: , , , . PSIRU, Business Faculty, University of Greenwich, Greenwich (doi: https://www.gre.ac.uk/business/research/centres/public-services/home).

Lobina, Emanuele , Weghmann, Vera, Nicke, Katrin (2019), Water remunicipalisation in Paris, France and Berlin, Germany. PSIRU, University of Greenwich. In: , , , . PSIRU, University of Greenwich, Greenwich (doi: https://www.gre.ac.uk/business/research/centres/public-services).

Lobina, Emanuele and , (2019), For another idea of efficiency in the water sector. University of Greenwich. In: , , , . University of Greenwich, London (doi: https://www.gre.ac.uk/events/current-events/faculty-of-business/ISRF-PSIRU-seminar-on-Another-public-vs.-private-debate-is-necessary-Water-and-other-public-services-13-06-2018-1577456).

Lobina, Emanuele and , (2018), Commentary on the European Commission’s “Study on Water Services in Selected Member States”. European Federation of Public Service Unions (EPSU). In: , , , . European Federation of Public Service Unions (EPSU), https://www.epsu.org/sites/default/files/article/files/PSIRU%20Commentary%20on%20EC%20Study%20on%20Water%20Services_FINAL%20final.pdf (doi: https://www.epsu.org/sites/default/files/article/files/PSIRU%20Commentary%20on%20EC%20Study%20on%20Water%20Services_FINAL%20final.pdf).

Lobina, Emanuele and , (2017), Categorical errors on water renationalisation. PSIRU. In: , , , . PSIRU, London (doi: ).

Lobina, Emanuele and , (2017), Renationalisation is needed to tackle water poverty. PSIRU, London. In: , , , . PSIRU, London, London, UK (doi: http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2017/may/21/privatisation-water-poverty-and-leaks).

Other

Weghmann, Vera and , Lobina, Emanuele (2018), Water Renationalisation in Cameroon 2018. Public Services International. In: , , , . Public Services International, (doi: https://www.world-psi.org/sites/default/files/attachment/news/cameroon_water_renationalised_psiru_brief_may_2018.pdf) NB Item availability restricted.

Working paper

Hall, David , Lobina, Emanuele, Castro, José Esteban (2016), Old water in new waterskins: critical analyses of the new wave of privatization policies. WATERLAT-GOBACIT Network. In: , , , . WATERLAT-GOBACIT Network, Newcastle upon Tyne and Greenwich, UK ISSN: 2056-4856 (Print), 2056-4864 (Online) (doi: https://waterlat.org/WPapers/WPSATCUASPE35.pdf).

View all publications