David Lawson

David Lawson is a Senior Lecturer in Development Economics and Public Policy at the Global Development Institute, University of Manchester. He holds adjunct positions at the University of Helsinki and is a Visiting Professor at the University of International Business and Economics, Beijing. Previously, he served as a Senior Researcher at the Nordic Africa Institute and led global projects for UN DESA/ECA on pandemic response and social protection. His education includes a PhD in Economics from the University of Nottingham.

Research Interests: Applied development economics, poverty dynamics, gender inequality, health equity, and policy solutions for SDGs. Current projects focus on carbon-based payments, access to justice, climate hazards, and gender empowerment.

Awards:

• 2024: Faculty of Humanities TLSE Awards - Outstanding Academic Advisor
• 2024: Outstanding Postgraduate Taught Dissertation Supervisor
• 2022: Outstanding Programme of the Year Award (MSc International Development)

Grants & Projects:

• UN-DESA’s Strengthening Social Protection for Pandemic Response (2020–22)
• Ensuring Access to Justice for Poverty Reduction (2018–21, Sweden/Nordic Africa Institute)
• What Works for the Poorest book series (2010–2020)

Labs & Teams: Active in the University of Manchester’s Global Inequalities research beacon and collaborates globally on poverty alleviation and gender equity initiatives.