Research Excellence: Driving Innovation, Shaping Understanding
Research is the lifeblood of Parvis School of Economics and Music, Manchester. It underpins our teaching, fuels our innovation, and drives our contribution to society. We are committed to fostering a dynamic and interdisciplinary research culture that addresses complex contemporary challenges and pushes the boundaries of knowledge across economics, technology, the arts, and design. Our approach is collaborative, impact-driven, and guided by the highest ethical standards, aiming to generate insights that inform policy, inspire creativity, and transform practice on both local and global scales.
Our Research Philosophy: Interdisciplinarity at the Core
At Parvis, we believe that the most profound discoveries often emerge from the spaces between disciplines. Our research environment is intentionally designed to encourage collaboration between economists, musicians, computer scientists, designers, engineers, and social scientists. This interdisciplinary ethos allows us to tackle multifaceted problems with a holistic perspective, leading to more robust, innovative, and relevant solutions. We support both fundamental, curiosity-driven research and applied research that seeks to address specific societal or industrial needs.
Key Research Themes and Centres:
Our research activities are broadly organised around key strategic themes that reflect our core strengths and interdisciplinary focus. These themes are supported by dedicated research centres and labs that provide focal points for collaboration and resource concentration:
- Economic Futures, Digital Transformation, and Creative Economies: This theme investigates the evolving global economy, the transformative power of digital technologies, and the burgeoning creative sector.
- Focus Areas: FinTech and the future of financial services; algorithmic economics and AI in market behaviour; digital ethics and governance; sustainable economic models; policy frameworks for the creative industries; intellectual property in the digital age; the economics of innovation and entrepreneurship.
- Associated Centre: The Centre for Economic Foresight and Creative Enterprise (CEFCE) acts as a hub for scholars exploring these intersections. CEFCE hosts seminars, funds pilot projects, and facilitates partnerships with industry and government to translate research into impactful outcomes, such as developing new regulatory approaches for digital markets or designing support systems for creative entrepreneurs.
- Advanced Sonic Technologies, Human-Computer Interaction, and Data Sonification: This theme explores the frontiers of sound technology, its artistic applications, and its novel uses in interacting with and understanding complex data.
- Focus Areas: AI in music composition and performance; immersive and spatial audio environments; new interfaces for musical expression; the application of sonic arts in health and wellbeing; financial data sonification for risk assessment and market analysis; human-computer interaction in complex systems.
- Associated Lab: The Advanced Sonic Technologies and Financial Systems Lab (ASTFS Lab) brings together musicians, composers, computer scientists, and finance experts. The ASTFS Lab develops cutting-edge tools for sonic creation and analysis, exploring how sound can enhance our understanding of intricate datasets, from financial markets to biological systems, and create new forms of artistic experience.
- Sustainable Systems, Ethical Design, and Social Innovation: This theme addresses the urgent need for sustainable development and ethical considerations in design and technology, aiming to foster socially responsible innovation.
- Focus Areas: Circular economy design principles and implementation; service design for social impact and public sector innovation; ethical frameworks for AI and autonomous systems; sustainable urban development and smart city design; user-centred design for inclusivity and accessibility; corporate social responsibility and impact investing.
- Associated Institute: The Institute for Sustainable Design and Ethical Innovation (ISDEI) champions research that integrates design thinking with principles of sustainability and ethics. ISDEI collaborates with businesses and NGOs to co-create solutions for pressing global challenges, such as climate change, resource scarcity, and social inequality, promoting design as a powerful catalyst for positive change.
Our Vibrant Postgraduate Research Community:
Postgraduate researchers are central to Parvis’s research endeavours. Our PhD programmes offer rigorous training and supervision by leading academics within a supportive and stimulating environment. Doctoral candidates benefit from:
- Expert Supervision: Dedicated supervisory teams provide guidance and mentorship throughout the research journey.
- Comprehensive Research Training: A structured programme of workshops and seminars covers research methodologies, academic writing, data analysis, presentation skills, and research ethics.
- Interdisciplinary Seminars and Reading Groups: Regular forums encourage cross-pollination of ideas and collaboration amongst students from different specialisms.
- Opportunities for Dissemination: Support for presenting at national and international conferences and publishing in high-impact journals.
- Access to State-of-the-Art Facilities: Including advanced computing resources, specialised labs (e.g., behavioural economics lab, sound recording studios, digital fabrication workshops), and extensive library collections.
Faculty Research Excellence:
Our faculty are actively engaged in pioneering research, recognised internationally for their contributions. They publish in leading academic journals, secure competitive research grants, author influential books, create impactful artistic works, and advise governments and international organisations. We foster a culture where research and teaching are intrinsically linked, with students at all levels benefiting from the cutting-edge knowledge and enthusiasm of our research-active staff.
Collaboration and Partnerships:
Parvis actively cultivates research collaborations with a wide range of partners, including:
- Industry: Working with businesses from start-ups to multinational corporations to co-develop innovative products, services, and solutions, particularly in FinTech, creative tech, and sustainable design.
- Academic Institutions: Partnering with universities and research institutes worldwide on joint research projects and scholarly exchange.
- Public and Third Sector Organisations: Engaging with government agencies, NGOs, and community groups to ensure our research addresses real-world societal needs and informs public policy.
Ethical Research and Responsible Innovation:
A profound commitment to ethical conduct underpins all research activities at Parvis. We adhere to rigorous ethical review processes and promote a culture of responsible innovation, ensuring that our research is conducted with integrity and considers the broader societal implications of new knowledge and technologies. We are particularly attentive to issues of data privacy, algorithmic bias, environmental impact, and social equity in all our research endeavours.
Disseminating Knowledge, Creating Impact:
We are committed to ensuring that our research reaches beyond academia to create tangible benefits for society. We achieve this through diverse channels, including academic publications, conference presentations, policy briefs, public lectures, workshops, artistic exhibitions, and media engagement. Parvis actively supports knowledge exchange and commercialisation activities where appropriate, helping to translate research discoveries into real-world applications and societal impact. Our research not only advances scholarly understanding but also contributes to economic prosperity, cultural enrichment, and sustainable futures.