Nicky Stubbs

Dr Nicky Stubbs is a Teaching Associate at the School of Sociological Studies, Politics and International Relations, University of Sheffield, since September 2021, and concurrently serves as a Research Fellow at Leeds University Business School examining low-pay sectors in Yorkshire. His work critically engages with de-industrialisation, trade unions, and economic regeneration in Britain's former industrial regions.

His educational background:

• PhD from the University of Bath (2024), thesis: 'We’re like the land that time forgot': De-industrialisation and Economic Reconstruction in Barnsley
• MRes in Global Political Economy: Policy Analysis and Transformation from the University of Bath (2015)
• BA (Hons) in English from the University of Lincoln (2013)

Stubbs' research spans de-industrialisation, economic regeneration, political transformation, and just transitions, with deep focus on South Yorkshire coalfield communities. He actively contributes to policy debates through engagements with Chinese government officials and international coal industry representatives, emphasizing historical continuity in industrial decline narratives.

His publications consistently analyze socio-economic impacts of de-industrialisation through interdisciplinary lenses, blending labour history with contemporary policy evaluation to explore community resilience and structural inequality.

Scientific recognition:

• Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (2022)

Professionally, Stubbs leverages extensive field experience from roles with the National Union of Mineworkers (analyzing 1984/85 strike cabinet papers), the Orgreave Truth and Justice Campaign, and as speechwriter for South Yorkshire's first elected Mayor. His trustee position at the Coalfields Regeneration Trust directly informs community-focused research and policy interventions.

At Sheffield, he teaches Understanding Politics, Analysing the Policy Process, The Left: Past Present and Future, and Social Research Methods using student-centered approaches that frame learners as co-producers of knowledge, emphasizing critical engagement with sociological theory and policy processes.