Pal Vik

Pal Vik serves as a Senior Research Fellow at Community Finance Solutions within the Salford Business School at the University of Salford. His research spans over 15 years of externally funded projects focusing on financial inclusion, microfinance sustainability, and credit union resilience. He actively contributes to academic discourse through the “Innovation in Financial Inclusion” podcast and supervises PhD candidates in financial inclusion topics.

His research interests center on the financial sustainability and social impact of microfinance initiatives, the nature and determinants of financial exclusion, effectiveness of self-regulation mechanisms, and the role of credit unions in promoting financial resilience. His work bridges historical banking analysis with contemporary crisis response, particularly examining how institutions weather events like the COVID-19 pandemic and cost-of-living crises.

Vik’s publication record demonstrates consistent thematic focus, evolving from historical banking studies (2016) toward urgent contemporary issues like digital skills impacts on financial inclusion (2024). His research consistently employs mixed-methods approaches, combining quantitative analysis with rich qualitative insights from sector stakeholders.

Award Highlights:

• 2017 Reg Mathews Memorial Prize for SROI research
• European Microcredit Research Award 2008 for UK CDFI sustainability analysis

His grant portfolio includes over 40 externally funded projects since 2009, with recent work examining pandemic impacts on community finance institutions and digital inclusion barriers. He maintains active supervision of PhD students in financial inclusion/exclusion, microfinance, credit unions, financial education, and ethical banking codes.

Vik leads research within the Community Finance Solutions unit, collaborating with multiple UK local authorities (Kirklees, Calderdale, Rochdale) to evaluate financial inclusion interventions. His current work focuses on the intersection of digital capabilities and financial access in low-income communities.