PEGFA Past Events | 2026

Technology overload? Macroeconomic implications of accelerated obsolescence - research seminar

5th Feb 2026 2:15pm - 3:30pm

Since the mid-1990s computing revolution, the U.S. economy has exhibited several striking regularities. Following a decade-long boom, labour productivity growth has slowed and fallen below its historical trend. Meanwhile, the labour share has declined sharply. I argue that an exogenous acceleration in capital obsolescence may be one driver of these developments. Evidence from U.S. data suggests a significant rise in the obsolescence rate. I explore this mechanism using an endogenous growth model in which the economy transitions to a new equilibrium with faster obsolescence. Initially, because capital designs become obsolete more quickly, the value of future returns to innovation falls. The economy responds with a temporary productivity boom driven by faster skill accumulation, which partially restores innovation profitability. Over time, however, efficient capital per efficient labour declines. Under factor complementarity, such scarcity increases the instantaneous profitability of creating new designs, redirecting resources from skill creation toward capital innovation. This reallocation lowers labour share and ultimately slows long-run productivity growth, as innovative effort is increasingly channelled into creating designs that do not last long. Under baseline calibration, key model outcomes are largely consistent with observed trends.

Presenter:
Seda Basihos.

Dr Seda Basihos is a postdoctoral research fellow in economics at the University of Cambridge (affiliated with King's College). Her primary research fields are macroeconomics, economic growth, and political economy, with a focus on technology and firm dynamics. She is also interested in economic history and development, particularly from the unified growth theory perspective.

Trust and trade credit - PEGFA Seminar

9th Feb 2026 5pm - 6:45pm

Social trust is a form of reputational capital. When people in a society are viewed as trustworthy, they are expected to follow shared norms and fulfil obligations, behaving reliably even without prior relationships. In this research, we examine how this form of social‑based capital affects the trade credit approval of SME firms across 16 European countries. Unlike prior studies that employ accounting data, we use responses from the Survey on the Access to Finance of Enterprises (SAFE), incorporated into a binomial‑tree framework. Our results show that SMEs in countries with higher levels of social trust have higher probabilities (or odds ratios) of having their trade credit applications approved. When examining the conditions of trade credit, firms in high‑trust environments are also more likely to receive unconditional approval (100% in full) and face fewer conditional terms such as credit limits or price discrimination. The findings further suggest that, in the context of SME trade credit, trust capital can substitute for reliance on legal enforcement.

Presenter:
Bao Trung Hoang

Co-authors:
Mary-Paz Arrieta Paredes, Nadia Benbouzid, Aleksandar Stojanovic

The international political economy of waste to energy - PEGFA Seminar

9th Feb 2026 5pm - 6:45pm

Global waste is expected to rise by 70% by 2050. Against this backdrop the Waste to Energy (WtE) industry is rapidly expanding. This paper examines the global political economy driving the rise of privatised WtE, its environmental and social consequences, and the growing resistance to it. Drawing on a transnational methodology, the research analyses WtE and the resistance against it not as a series of isolated national developments but as part of an interconnected system shaped by international finance, lobbying, and long-term private contracts and interconnected struggles of for waste prevention and against WtE. The paper highlights key cases of opposition and explores how public ownership can enable alternatives focused on waste prevention and circularity. Examples from Denmark and Slovenia show that public governance can avoid waste lock-ins and support integrated systems. Empirically based on 23 interviews with global stakeholders, the study contributes conceptually to remunicipalisation debates and calls for democratic, publicly owned waste governance aligned with environmental and social justice. By bringing together a historical materialist political economy perspective with the literature on remunicipalisation and public ownership, the article offers a critical lens on the global expansion of privatised WtE and the struggles to build public alternatives.

Presenter:
Vera Weghmann

Childlessness and parenthood: a feminist macro-model - PEGFA Seminar

25th Feb 2026 12pm - 1:45pm

Building on the influential work of Folbre, 1994, England and Folbre, 1999 and Braunstein, Staveren, and Tavani, 2011, we propose a Post-Keynesian feminist macroeconomic model. We start on the premise that children generate societal benefits extending beyond their immediate families. For a variety of reasons, not all members of a society end up reproducing and raising children; however, childfree members inevitably benefit from parents investing increased household expenditure, foregone income (Blau and Kahn, 2017) and unpaid labour into child-rearing regardless of the cause for their child-free lifestyle. The costs for raising children are mostly borne by parents, particularly mothers, who disproportionately experience lifetime income losses and other disadvantages due to gendered care work distribution (OECD, 2017). Benefits include present-day and future demand effects as well as future supply effects: children are future workforce participants and taxpayers; they generate through positive externalities and are pertinent for intergenerational support systems that maintain social stability. Many net benefits of child-rearing are non-excludable and – to an extent – non-rivalrous, i.e. they feature certain characteristics of public goods. We frame the question of childlessness as a distributional question between parents and non-parents. The distribution of income, foregone income and unpaid labour is a direct result of the number of children parents choose to have. These findings raise important questions regarding social justice and policy design. Following from our work, we propose reducing the paid working time of all members of society to allow time for reproductive activities. Currently, women bear the personal economic consequences of these activities. By redistributing the time allocated to paid and unpaid labour, existing inequities in the distribution of child-rearing costs and benefits are addressed, and a crucial step is taken towards creating societies in which parenthood does not entail disproportionate financial penalties.

Presenter:
Ines Heck

Co-authors:
Theresa Hager

Integrating patient voice into hospital performance management - PEGFA Seminar

25th Feb 2026 12pm - 1:45pm

Public hospitals are increasingly expected to strengthen patient-centred care, yet internal performance management systems remain largely dominated by financial and operational priorities. Although patient satisfaction feedback is widely collected, it is often used mainly for external reporting or public ranking rather than for internal learning and managerial improvement. The rapid advancement of data analytics and Natural Language Processing (NLP) offers a promising opportunity to transform unstructured qualitative feedback into managerial insights that can inform hospital management accounting and performance systems. This study recognises that patient feedback constitutes not merely a source of data but also a culturally constructed form of expression. The ways in which patients articulate satisfaction, disappointment, or trust are shaped by linguistic norms, politeness conventions, and social expectations. For instance, patients from high-context or collectivist cultures may employ indirect language or mild expressions to communicate dissatisfaction, which can lead to misinterpretation by sentiment analysis models trained on literal word polarity. Likewise, organisational culture influences whether hospital managers regard such digital analyses as credible and actionable information or merely as symbolic artefacts. Thus, the effectiveness of NLP in generating performance-related insights for internal control depends not only on algorithmic sophistication but also on the cultural readiness of both patients and hospital staff to interpret and utilise this information meaningfully. Building upon the NLP-based analysis, the study further explores the roles of management accountants in processing and translating such performance-related information into managerial decision-making and control mechanisms within hospitals. In doing so, it sheds light on how management accountants engage with and adapt to emerging AI-driven developments in performance measurement and management. Ultimately, the study aims to bridge the technological and organisational dimensions of hospital performance management by integrating patient voice analytics into the design and use of management accounting systems, offering both theoretical and practical insights into the digital transformation of public healthcare management.

Presenter:
Linxi Shi

Co-authors:
Jun Wang, Mohit Kumar Singh

Where are the feminist economists? A publication analysis of an evolving field - PEGFA Seminar

9th Mar 2026 5pm - 5:45pm

Has Feminist Economics (FE) shifted the set of journals with which it communicates? We examine this question by constructing FE-centred citation networks using Dimensions data spanning 2000–2023. First, we compile time-varying inbound and outbound journal citation distributions for FE by linking FE articles to their referenced publications and by identifying the journals of publications that cite FE. Second, to ensure comparability across time in an interdisciplinary setting with long citation tails, we define a stable “community lens” of journals that exhibit persistent and non-trivial citation connections with FE, yielding a lens of 298 journals. Third, within this fixed lens, we construct restricted journal–journal citation matrices for subperiods and characterise changes in FE’s neighbourhood through shifts in citation-share distributions, turnover among core partners, and changes in network structure. We apply community detection to the restricted networks using the Infomap algorithm, allowing us to track changes in FE’s module membership and the composition of adjacent modules over time.

Presenter:
José Alejandro Coronado Arciniegas

Co-authors:
Luiza Nassif-Pires and Zach Coble

Chip Battlefield: China’s strategic response to U.S. technology barriers - PEGFA Seminar

9th Mar 2026 5pm - 5:45pm

'Chip Battlefield: Strategic competition and indigenous innovation of China in the 21st century' is not merely an industry study of semiconductors but a comprehensive strategic analysis of the bipolar technological competition between the United States and China — a central force shaping the current global economic and security order. The book delivers a systematic and empirically grounded examination of state strategies, value-chain structures, and industrial policies of China, elucidating how China mobilizes resources to advance core technologies and achieve innovation self-reliance. It further clarifies China’s catch-up logic in the face of U.S. export controls and technological barriers in recent years.

The book won the prestigious Vietnam’s National Book Award 2025 due to its integration of industrial economics, innovation policy, and analytical taxonomy, going beyond semiconductor technicalities and grasp the macro-level implications of U.S.–China competition on global supply chains, industrial policy orientation, and national technology security strategies. The comparative strategic narratives and historical lessons drawn from both the United States and China, alongside forward-looking insights on developing adaptive innovation ecosystems under intense competition, position this book as a valuable reference for scholars interested in technology policy and strategic planning.

Presenters:
Tue Anh Nguyen and Pham Sy Thanh

Co-authors:
Dr. Pham Sy Thanh, Director of the Centre for Chinese Economic and Strategic Studies (CESS)
Dr Tue Anh Nguyen, PSIRU-PEGFA, University of Greenwich

Institutions, attitudes, and LGBTQ+ population: evidence from the extractive sector in UK - PEGFA Seminar

25th Mar 2026 12pm - 1:45pm

This paper examines whether historical mining activity has shaped the contemporary spatial distribution of LGBTQ+ populations in the United Kingdom. Using census data, we relate the presence of coal and mineral mines in 1921 to present-day measures of LGBTQ+ population shares derived from the most recent UK Census. Controlling for a set of covariates, we find a positive association between historical mining presence and the size of today’s LGBTQ+ population. Counties with mining and mineral activity in the early twentieth century nowadays exhibit significantly higher concentrations of LGBTQ+ residents than comparable non-mining counties.

We interpret these findings through the lens of cultural persistence and selective migration. Mining communities were characterised by rapid industrial expansion, high levels of in-migration, weaker traditional elites, and comparatively lower influence of religious institutions, conditions that may have fostered more tolerant social norms. We provide evidence that former mining areas today display more progressive social attitudes and lower historical religious intensity, as well as patterns of in- and out-migration consistent with LGBTQ+ sorting over time. Our results suggest that historical economic structures can leave long-lasting imprints on local cultural environments, shaping the geography of sexual minority populations decades after the original industries have disappeared.

Presenter:
Luca Tasciotti

Co-authors:
George Brooke-Smith and Elissaios Papyrakis

From perception to preference: anticipated discrimination and housing search behaviour among minorities - PEGFA Seminar

25th Mar 2026 12pm - 1:45pm

Discrimination in housing markets has been widely documented, yet existing studies focus almost entirely on the supply side - how landlords treat minority applicants - while overlooking how minorities themselves respond to the expectation of bias. This paper examines how anticipated discrimination shapes housing search behaviour in the United Kingdom. Using an online survey experiment with 848 respondents stratified by ethnicity, participants were shown images of high-, medium-, and low-quality rental properties and asked to rate both their likelihood of applying and their perceived probability of landlord acceptance. Results show that minority respondents do not report lower expected acceptance rates than White respondents, yet they are significantly more likely to apply for medium- and low-quality housing. These differences remain after controlling for income, education, age, gender and employment, suggesting that minorities engage in self-limiting behaviour. The findings highlight a potential demand-side mechanism through which perceptions of bias may influence housing choices and, in turn, shape residential outcomes.

Presenter:
Navjot Sangwan

PEGFA Conference: knowledge exchange and impact highlights for achieving Sustainable Development Goals

13th May 2026 2pm - 5pm

An afternoon with PEGFA discovering how the Centre’s work delivers research impact and fosters knowledge exchange aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals.

In May, the Centre of Political Economy, Governance, Finance and Accountability (PEGFA) hosted a conference showcasing the reach and diversity of its members’ research. Following opening speeches by colleagues from Greenwich Research and Innovation (GRI), the afternoon saw talks by 13 PEGFA academics presenting their work and discussing how they have fostered knowledge exchange and impact aligned with the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals.

The programme covered a diverse range of topics from sustainable water reform to green financial systems, wealth distribution’s impact on CO2, investment for a green and caring economy, the profit-price spiral in food and energy, the four-day week, taxing excess profits - and much more.

It was an afternoon of insightful presentations and inspiration for research impact. The event was open to all University of Greenwich staff and students.

Agenda

2pm - Opening remarks

2:30pm - Research presentations

  • Ozlem Onaran, Public investment for a green and caring economy
  • Emanuele Lobina, One year of public engagement on sustainable water reform
  • David Hall, Knowledge exchange as public engagement and political economy
  • Vera Weghmann, Advisory role at the European Economic Social Committee on Storage Technologies & EU Energy Policy
  • Maria Nikolaidi, Greening financial systems
  • Robert Calvert Jump, Four day week
  • Olufemi Sallyanne Decker, Enabling strategic change in a UK credit union
  • Rafael Wildauer, The distribution of wealth and implications for tax revenues and CO2 emissions
  • Alexander Guschanski, Income distribution and inflation in times of crises
  • Thomas Rabensteiner, The profit-price spiral in food and energy: analysis and toolbox to fight inflation
  • Ines Heck, A progressive excess profits tax for the European Union
  • Jose Coronado, Industrial clusters and the energy transition: insights from engagement with the Chamber of Commerce of Cúcuta, Colombia
  • Cem Oyvat, Minimum wages in a high-inflation economy: the case of Türkiye
  • Kefei You, Fintech and its impact on financial markets

4pm - Discussion

5pm - Finish

PEGFA events at Research Culture Week: 19, 20, 21 May

PEGFA staff and PhD, MSc and BSc/BA students joined together on 19th, 20th, and 21st May at PEGFA's events for the university's Research Culture Week.

PEGFA at Research Culture Week - Tuesday 19th May
Lens - Student Discovery: How students encounter, experience and discover research

  • PEGFA – Co-producing knowledge exchange with students: A project for the Women’s Budget Group
    • Greenwich Queen Anne 180, 11:00-11:50
    • Organised by PEGFA, Rob Calvert Jump, an Associate Professor in AFE, presented alongside Luca Tasciotti, and with Tasia Matcharadze and Salin Sitaula, BSc and MSc Economics students at Greenwich, discussed a knowledge exchange project for the Women's Budget Group. This was completed during the 2025/26 academic year with three other third year undergraduates, and outlined fiscal policy options for funding investment in social infrastructure. It feeds into a conference taking place on 30th May 2026.

PEGFA at Research Culture Week - Wednesday 20th May
Lens - People, careers and futures: How researchers develop, adapt, and thrive

  • PEGFA – PhD flagship presentations: public investment, institutions and inequality
    • Greenwich Queen Anne 065, 10:00–10:50
    • Jasmin Lukasz, Micaela Fernandez, Julia Bacchieri Indiani, Conor Gray
    • This session brought together PhD researchers from PEGFA to explore how public investment and institutional design can support a green and caring transition across key sectors of the economy. Drawing on research into green public investment, care systems, urban transport and water services, the session examined both the potential and the risks of transformative policies in practice. Across a range of contexts and regions, the presentations highlighted how policy choices shape outcomes for emissions, employment, productivity, and social and gender equality. Together, they offered insight into how political economy research engages with contemporary sustainability challenges and questions of inequality.
    • Presentations:
      • Jasmin Lukasz – Global employment and emissions effects of green investment
      • Micaela Fernandez – Care economy, gender equality and productivity
      • Julia Bacchieri Indiani – Public ownership and the decarbonisation of transport
      • Conor Gray – Reinventing institutions for sustainable water development in England and Wales

PEGFA at Research Culture Week - Thursday 21st May
Lens - Practice and collaboration: How research is practiced through collaboration, applied work, interdisciplinary approaches, policy engagement and work with communities and partners.

  • PEGFA – Green, caring and just transitions: research from PEGFA
    • Greenwich Queen Anne 065, 16:00–16:50
    • Ozlem Onaran and Cem Oyvat: Public Investment for a Green and Caring Economy
    • Rob Calvert Jump: Four Day Week
    • Alexander Guschanski: Income distribution and inflation in times of crises
    • Thomas Rabensteiner: The profit-price spiral in food and energy: analysis and toolbox to fight inflation
    • Ines Heck: A Progressive excess profits tax for the European Union
    • This session shared emerging research from the Centre for Political Economy, Governance, Finance and Accountability (PEGFA), which explores pathways towards a green, caring and equitable economy, financial system and society. Through a series of short contributions, speakers reflected on pressing global challenges including public investment for green and caring economies, working time and wellbeing, income inequality and inflation, and policy responses to rising living costs. Rather than presenting finished solutions, the session offered insight into how political economy research engages with contemporary crises, trade-offs and policy debates, and how research can inform more just and sustainable economic futures. Contributions include Public investment for a green and caring economy; The four-day week; Income distribution and inflation in times of crisis; The profit price spiral in food and energy; Progressive excess profits taxation.