معرفی
Lena Rethel is a Professor of International Political Economy at the University of Warwick, with her office located in room D1.18. She works Monday through Thursday and can be contacted at L.Rethel@warwick.ac.uk. From 2019 to 2024, she served as Director of the Centre for the Study of Globalisation and Regionalisation (CSGR), and from 2020 to 2022, she was the Lead Editor of the Review of International Political Economy. Currently, she is leading the significant research project "FINDEM-The Politics of Financial Citizenship" (2024-2029), funded by a UKRI Frontier Research grant as part of the UK guarantee scheme for successful ERC Consolidator Grant applications.
Professor Rethel's research spans several interconnected domains within International Political Economy. Her primary interests include the international politics of finance and development, the global governance of Islamic economies (finance, food systems, and related areas), and the disciplinary boundaries of contemporary International Political Economy. She examines how theories and common sense shape economic and financial policymaking, leading to institutional change such as the expansion of capital markets and development of Islamic finance, with particular attention to Southeast Asia, especially Indonesia and Malaysia. Her methodological approach incorporates Everyday and Cultural Political Economy perspectives and event ethnography, focusing on how middle-class expectations shape financial policy in emerging market democracies.
Her scholarly output reveals consistent engagement with Southeast Asian financial systems, Islamic finance, and the politics of financialization. The publications show an evolution from early work on the Malaysian political economy toward more recent explorations of sustainable finance regulations, alternative finance practices, and the gendered dimensions of financial citizenship. There's a clear thread connecting her research on how global financial practices are adapted and transformed in local contexts, particularly in Southeast Asia, with increasing attention to sustainability and social equity concerns in more recent work.
Among her notable achievements, her book "The Problem with Banks" was shortlisted for the 2013 IPEG Book Prize. While specific teaching awards aren't mentioned in the provided materials, her recent work on pedagogy, including "Teaching the International Political Economy of Everyday Life Through Global Groupwork," demonstrates commitment to innovative educational approaches.
Professor Rethel has secured substantial research funding, most notably the UKRI Frontier Research grant for the FINDEM project. Her leadership roles include directing the Centre for the Study of Globalisation and Regionalisation and editing the Review of International Political Economy. She has also organized numerous special journal issues and edited important collections that have shaped scholarly conversations in her field.
Her scholarly network is extensive, with collaborations across multiple institutions and disciplines. She has co-edited major works with scholars like James Brassett, Juanita Elias, and Ben Richardson, and has established herself as a key figure in the International Political Economy community, particularly regarding Southeast Asian financial systems and Islamic finance.
