Colin Hay is a Professor of Political Science at Sciences Po, Paris, affiliated with the Center for European Studies and Comparative Politics (CEE) and the Interdisciplinary Laboratory for the Evaluation of Public Policies (LIEPP). He also holds an affiliate professorship at the University of Sheffield, UK, where he was a founding co-director of the Sheffield Political Economy Research Institute (SPERI). Previously, he was Professor of Political Analysis and Head of Department at the University of Birmingham. He has held visiting positions at Harvard, MIT, ANU, and the University of Manchester. Hay’s research focuses on the political economy of neoliberalism, European integration, globalization, welfare state transformation, and the crisis of democratic legitimacy. He is a leading proponent of constructivist institutionalism and has extensively analyzed Thatcherism, Brexit, and the failure of Anglo-liberal capitalism. His work bridges theoretical innovation with empirical depth, particularly in understanding political disaffection and institutional change. The recent articles (2021–2024) reflect a sustained focus on the political legacies of neoliberalism, the ideological persistence of Thatcherism, the reconfiguration of the welfare state, and the politicization of crises such as Brexit and the pandemic. His publications span top journals like New Political Economy , British Politics , and Comparative European Politics , as well as influential books that critically assess contemporary capitalism and democratic governance. Philip Abrams Memorial Prize (1997) BISA's Review of International Studies Prize (2001) UKPAC Prize (2004) WJM Mackenzie Prize (2008) Richard Rose Prize (2009) Fellow of the Academy of Social Sciences (2009) Hay has served as lead editor of New Political Economy , co-founded Comparative European Politics and British Politics , chaired the 2014 Research Excellence Framework (REF) panel for Politics and International Studies, and was President of the European University Institute’s Research Council. He has received major research grants from the ESRC on globalization, European integration, and anti-politics. He has advised on public policy and academic evaluation at national and international levels, reflecting his significant impact on the discipline. He is actively involved in academic leadership, editorial work, and policy-oriented research through his roles at Sciences Po, LIEPP, and SPERI, contributing to debates on civic capitalism, inclusive growth, and democratic renewal.
