Professor Michela Vecchi

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Michela Vecchi
About
Teaching and learning
Research
Business, knowledge transfer and international
Professional practice, knowledge exchange and impact
Leadership and management

About

My role at Kingston Universityis to develop a collaborative research environment, next to contributing to the high quality teaching the University is famous for. I have over 20 years of experience in academia. Before joining Kingston, I worked at Middlesex University, where I was module leader for Econometrics, running undergraduate and postgraduate modules. I also worked at the National Institute of Economic and Social Research (NIESR), Stirling University and Glasgow University. I am Fellow of the Higher Education Academy, Fellow of the Royal Society of the Arts (RSA), Fellow of the Royal Economic Society and Visiting Fellow at the  National Institute of Economic and Social Research (NIESR). I have recently been nominated as Programme Deputy Chair for the Royal Economic Society 2024 Conference, which will take place in Belfast (25-27 March 2024).

I am passionate about research and I believe research must be at the core of university education. Research naturally feeds into teaching, and being an active researcher has allowed me to develop modules that are engaging, relevant and that expose students to how economics works in the real world.  

Academic responsibilities

Professor of Economics

Qualifications

  • PGcertHE, Middlesex University
  • PhD in Economics, University of Ancona, Italy
  • MSc in Economics, University of Glasgow
  • Laurea Cum Laude in Political Science, University of Macerata (Italy)

Teaching and learning

I am module leader for Intermediate Microeconomics (EC5004) and for Working as an Economist (EC6001). I contribute to the teaching of  other modules run by the Department of Economics, including Becoming an Economist (EC4001) and Macroeconomics (EC5003). For the Working as an Economist module I have developed a new topic 'Technology, productivity and the labour market' and I am in charge of the supervision of students' dissertation. I also have a 15 year experience in teaching Data Analysis and Econometrics, at all levels (Undergraduate, Master and PhD students).

Qualifications and expertise

  • PGcertHE, Middlesex University

Undergraduate courses taught

Research

My research focuses on policy-oriented topics, and revolve around the following areas:

1)    Understanding Green Skills provision and stimulating growth of Green Jobs. This project is funded but Hounslow council and it is part of Hounslow's Green Economy Programme.

2)    Skill mismatch among in the UK and its impact on wages, focusing on graduates. A large amount of resources is devoted to education and investigating the returns to these investments is important for both policy and individuals' choices. Results show that 30% of graduates in the UK are employed in non-graduate jobs and earn less compared to those who find a job that matches their degree level and degree subject.  However, approximately half of this proportion is due to graduates who studied abroad. The overall proportion has been declining since 2018, a trend that continued during the Covid-19 pandemic. (Funded by the ONS and the ESRC).

3)    Dance, well-being and productivity. This new research area links the economic literature on productivity with the psychology and neuroscience literature on dance and cognitive functions. My first work, in cooperation with a team from Middlesex University, shows that there is a positive and significant relationship between dance and productivity, which operates both indirectly, via the effect of dance on well-being, and directly. We believe the direct effect is due to the positive relationship between dance and cognition. (Funded by Middlesex University)

4)    Productivity, skills and technical change: I have worked on the interaction between skills and innovation (skill biased technical change) and the relationship between innovation and productivity, focusing on the role of R&D and Information and Communication Technologies (ICT). Throughout the years this work has expanded into two additional lines of research: the role of technology as a potential driver of the decline in the labour share of national income, and how new intangible assets affect the demand for different types of skills. (Funded by the EU and the ESRC).

Areas of specialism

  • Skill mismatch/overeducation
  • Skill biased technical change
  • Productivity
  • Dance and Well-Being
  • Cognitive and non-cognitive skills

Scholarly affiliations

  • Visiting fellow, National Institute of Economic and Social Research
  • Consultant, Office for National Statistics
  • Research Fellow, Centre for Enterprise and Economic Development Research
  • Fellow, Royal Society for Arts, Manufactures and Commerce

Publications

Jump to: Article | Book Section | Conference or Workshop Item | Monograph
Number of items: 37.

Article

Rizov, Marian, and Domenech, Josep (2022) Technological Forecasting and Social Change, 184, p. 121959. ISSN (print) 0040-1625

, Elf, Patrick, Ueno, Akiko, Dilmperi, Athina, Dennis, Charles and Devereux, Luke (2022) Journal of International Marketing, 1069031X2210796. ISSN (print) 1069-031X (Epub Ahead of Print)

O鈥橫ahony, Mary, and Venturini, Francesco (2021) Economica, 88(350), pp. 271-296. ISSN (print) 0013-0427

Castelnovo, Paolo, Morretta, Valentina and (2020) Regional Studies, 54(12), pp. 1709-1723. ISSN (print) 0034-3404

Pieri, Fabio, and Venturini, Francesco (2018) Research Policy, 47(9), pp. 1842-1852. ISSN (print) 0048-7333

Lenkei, Balint, Mustafa, Ghulam and (2018) Economic Modelling, 73, pp. 240-253. ISSN (print) 0264-9993

Bournakis, Ioannis, and Venturini, Francesco (2018) Review of Income and Wealth, 64(1), pp. 26-51. ISSN (print) 0034-6586

Perugini, Cristiano, and Venturini, Francesco (2017) Economic Systems, 41(4), pp. 524-536. ISSN (print) 0939-3625

Marsh, Ian William, Rincon-Aznar, Ana, and Venturini, Francesco (2017) Industrial and Corporate Change, 26(6), pp. 1067-1088. ISSN (print) 0960-6491

Aristei, David, and Venturini, Francesco (2016) The Journal of Technology Transfer, 41(4), pp. 841-871. ISSN (print) 0892-9912

Rincon Aznar, Ana, Saraidaris, Anastasios, and Venturini, Francesco (2014) VoxEU Columns,

Mason, Geoff, O'Leary, Brigid and (2012) Labour Economics, 19(3), pp. 351-360. ISSN (print) 0927-5371

Byrne, Joseph P. and (2010) Applied Economics Letters, 17(2), pp. 111-115. ISSN (print) 1350-4851

Bournakis, Ioannis and (2010) Review of Economics and Institutions, 1(2), ISSN (online) 2038-1379

O鈥橫ahony, Mary and (2009) Research Policy, 38(1), pp. 35-44. ISSN (print) 0048-7333

O'Mahony, Mary, Robinson, Catherine and (2008) Labour Economics, 15(6), pp. 1435-1450. ISSN (print) 0927-5371

O'Mahony, Mary and (2005) Economica, 72(288), pp. 615-633. ISSN (print) 0013-0427

O'Mahony, Mary and (2001) National Institute Economic Review, 177(1), pp. 85-99. ISSN (print) 0027-9501

Darby, Julia, Hart, Robert A. and (2001) Labour Economics, 8(2), pp. 243-258. ISSN (print) 0927-5371

Darby, Julia, Hart, Robert A. and (2001) Japan and the World Economy, 13(2), pp. 113-133. ISSN (print) 09221425

Book Section

Savic, Maja, and Lewis, Adama (2019) In: Khaliq, Muhammed, (ed.) Economic review: April 2019. Office for National Statistics.

O鈥橫ahony, Mary, and Venturini, Francesco (2019) In: Fields, Gary and Paul, Saumik, (eds.) Labor income share in Asia : conceptual issues and the drivers. Singapore : Springer. pp. 81-101. (ADB Institute Series on Development Economics) ISSN (print) 2363-9032 ISBN 9789811378027

Rincon-Aznar, Ana, and Venturini, Francesco (2015) In: Perugini, Cristiano and Pompei, Fabrizio, (eds.) Inequalities during and after transition in Central and Eastern Europe. Basingstoke, U.K. : Palgrave Macmillan. pp. 59-92. (Studies in Economic Transition (SET)) ISBN 9781137460974

Foster-McGregor, Neil, P枚schl, Johannes, Rincon-Aznar, Ana, Stehrer, Robert, and Venturini, Francesco (2013) In: Director-General for Enterprise and Industry, (ed.) European competitiveness report 2013 : towards knowledge-driven reindustrialisation. Luxembourg : Publications Office of the European Union. pp. 77-111. ISSN (print) 1682-0800 ISBN 9789279332678

Mason, Geoff, O'Leary, Brigid and (2008) In: Instituto Espa帽ol de Comercio Exterior (ICEX), (ed.) Claves de la econom铆a mundial. Madrid, Spain : Instituto Espanol De Comercio Exterior. pp. 139-148. (08) ISSN (print) 2531-274X ISBN 9788478116379

Rincon, Ana and (2003) In: O'Mahony, Mary and van Ark, Bart, (eds.) EU productivity and competitiveness : an industry perspective. Can Europe resume the catching-up process? Luxembourg City, Luxembourg : Office for Official Publications of the European Communities. pp. 169-208. (Enterprise Publications) ISBN 9789289463034

O'Mahony, Mary and (2000) In: Buigues, Pierre , Jacquemin, Alexis and Marchipont, Jean-Fran莽ois, (eds.) Competitiveness and the value of intangible assets. Cheltenham, U.K. : Edward Elgar. pp. 199-227. ISBN 9781840643916

Conference or Workshop Item

O鈥橫ahony, Mary, Robinson, Catherine and (2022) In: IZA Workshop : the Macroeconomics of Labor Productivity; 10 Nov 2022, Held online. (Unpublished)

O鈥橫ahony, Mary, Robinson, Catherine and (2022) In: 7th World KLEMS conference; 12-13 Oct 2022, University of Manchester, Manchester, U.K.. (Unpublished)

O'Mahony, Mary, and Venturini, Francesco (2014) In: 12th ZEW Conference on the Economics of Information and Communication Technologies; 16-17 Jun 2014, Mannheim, Germany. (Unpublished)

Monograph

, Robinson, Catherine, Savic, Maja and Romiti, Marina (2023) (Discussion Paper) London, U.K. : National Institute of Economic and Social Research.

, Savic, Maja and Romiti, Marina (2021) (Discussion Paper) London, U.K. : Economic Statistics Centre of Excellence. (ESCoE Discussion Paper, no. 2021-11)

O'Mahony, Mary, and Venturini, Francesco (2019) (Discussion Paper) London, U.K. : Economic Statistics Centre of Excellence. (ESCoE Discussion Paper, no. 2019-17)

Pieri, Fabio, and Venturini, Francesco (2017) (Working Paper) Trento : Universit脿 degli Studi di Trento. (DEM Working Papers, no. 2017/13)

, Rincon, Ana, Venturini, Francesco, Stehrer, Robert, Foster-McGregor, Neil and P枚schl, Johannes (2013) (Technical Report) UNSPECIFIED (Unpublished)

Ana, Rincon, and Venturini, Francesco (2012) (Working Paper) Perugia : Universit脿 di Perugia, Dipartimento Economia. (Quaderni del Dipartimento di Economia, Finanza e Statistica, no. 103/2012)

Bournakis, Ioannis, and Venturini, Francesco (2011) (Working Paper) Perugia : Universit脿 di Perugia, Dipartimento Economia. (Quaderni del Dipartimento di Economia, Finanza e Statistica, no. 98/2011)

This list was generated on Mon May 20 06:30:42 2024 BST.

Business, knowledge transfer and international

I am co-organizing an International workshop on Skills, Intangibles and Productivity, in cooperation with the University of Perugia, King's College London and NIESR (28-29 April 2023). The workshop is in memory of a former colleague and friend Geoff Mason. For more information, please contact me at m.vecchi@kingston.ac.uk.

Closer to home, together with Professor Frederic Valle-Tourangeau, I am organizing a symposium on Creativity, Wellbeing and Society, 23rd June 2023, at 重口味SM. The aim of the symposium is to bring together researchers from different fields, working on creativity and the creative industry, as well as industry professionals, to discuss the role of creativity for individuals' wellbeing, society and the economy. Topics of interest of the symposium include: The role of creativity for wellbeing/mental health, after the Covid crisis; Creativity, innovation, and productivity;  The role of the creative industry in the UK economy; Wellbeing of creatives; The importance of creativity in old age. For more information, please drop me or Fred a message. 

Professional practice, knowledge exchange and impact

Recent press coverage of my work 

Skill mismatch

  • https://www.adruk.org/our-mission/our-impact/graduates-labour-market-outcomes-during-the-coronavirus-pandemic/
  • https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-03-08/pandemic-leaves-one-in-eight-recent-u-k-graduates-unemployed?srnd=markets-vp&leadSource=uverify%20wall
  • https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-9338143/Unemployment-rate-recent-graduates-DOUBLE-rate-UK-workers-whole.html
  • https://www.peoplemanagement.co.uk/article/1745074/one-in-eight-graduate-unemployed-because-of-the-pandemic#gref
  • https://www.theguardian.com/politics/live/2021/mar/08/uk-covid-live-news-minister-defends-pupil-isolation-after-rapid-test-results-as-schools-return-in-englandhttps://www.ft.com/content/20c0e456-396b-46d3-ba20-abf6542d5cf6
  • https://www.personneltoday.com/hr/overeducation-poses-questions-over-skills-gap-pay-and-productivity/
  • https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-48091971
  • https://www.theguardian.com/money/2019/apr/29/third-of-uk-graduates-overqualified-for-their-job
  • https://www.theweek.co.uk/100977/third-of-uk-graduates-overqualified-for-their-job
  • https://www.telegraph.co.uk/education/2018/09/11/almost-one-three-graduates-overqualified-job-major-report-finds/
  • https://theboar.org/2019/05/almost-a-third-of-uk-graduates-are-overqualified-for-their-work/
  • https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/one-third-of-recent-graduates-underpaid-and-overqualified-q6zvgh59c
  • https://ise.org.uk/news/449089/Third-of-UK-graduates-overqualified-for-their-job.htm

 Dance and well-being

  • https://newseu.cgtn.com/news/2021-01-24/How-dancing-can-make-you-feel-better-even-in-COVID-19-lockdown-XisawSF6U0/index.html

Leadership and management

I am currently leading the discussion related to the development of a new MSc programme in Economics at Kingston. 

I am also launching a new series of seminars, the Pluralist Economics Seminar Series. This seminar series will reflect the pluralist nature of our department and will bring together experts from both orthodox and heterodox economics. I believe that a dialogue between the two approaches will enrich our understanding of economic issues, promote the development of new ideas and better address societal challenges. The seminar series will start on 19th April with a presentation by Dr. Saumik Paul (Newcastle University and 重口味SM). Saumik will present a paper entitled 'Project Aid and Firm Performance'.

Related to my research on skills and the skill mismatch, I am developing a research project on graduates skills and labour market outcomes, that will contribute to 重口味SM's Future Skills agenda. 

On the teaching side, I am module leader of Intermediate Microeconomics (EC5004) and I lead one of the dissertation topics within the Working as an Economist module (EC6001). The topic entitled 'Technology, productivity and the labour market' draws upon my several years of research on productivity, human capital and technological change. 

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