Stuart Shields

Stuart Shields is a Reader in Politics at the University of Manchester's School of Social Sciences, Department of Politics. He completed his PhD at Aberystwyth University in 2002 and joined Manchester in 2003. He serves on the editorial board of New Perspectives journal and is an editor for the Lynne Rienner Advances in International Political Economy series. His extensive academic network includes previous roles as founding secretary of the Critical Political Economy Research Network of the European Sociological Association and convenor of the BISA International Political Economy working group.

• PhD: Aberystwyth University, Department of International Politics (2002)
• Current Position: Reader in Politics, University of Manchester
• Visiting Positions: University of Wroclaw, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Centre for Global Political Economy (Prague)

Dr Shields' research focuses on critical approaches to International Political Economy with particular emphasis on Eastern Europe and post-communist transitions. His work examines how neoliberalism was configured in Poland after 1989 and explores why resistance to neoliberalism in Eastern Europe often takes populist, right-wing, and nationalist forms. He is currently investigating regional development banks, particularly the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, and their role in advising post-communist governments. His research also addresses the relationship between neoliberalism and populism, with specific attention to Poland's PiS government and its 500+ child benefit policy as a form of state social policy intervention.

His scholarly output reveals a strong focus on International Political Economy, with recurring themes of hegemony, post-communist transition, and the political dimensions of economic policy. Recent publications demonstrate his growing interest in institutional complexes around global governance and the role of regional development banks in shaping economic policy in transitioning economies. His work bridges theoretical frameworks with empirical studies of specific national contexts, particularly in Eastern Europe.

• Shortlisted for 2013 BISA IPEG book prize
• Nominated for Aquila Polonica Prize for best English-language article on Polish studies
• British Academy/Leverhulme Foundation funding for Foundations and Frontiers in International Political Economy project

Dr Shields has supervised numerous PhD students whose work spans diverse topics including post-communist transitions, global governance, and political economy. Many of his former students now hold academic positions at institutions worldwide. His current research projects include a political economy of the EBRD, analysis of populist resistance to neoliberalism in Poland, and a British Academy-funded project exploring the construction of International Political Economy as an academic discipline. He teaches undergraduate courses on The Politics of the Global Economy and International Political Economy, as well as a postgraduate course on Critical Approaches to International Political Economy.