David Beel

After completing my undergraduate degree in Geography at the University of Hull and then a masters and PhD at the University of Glasgow again in Geography, I then became Research Fellow at the University of Aberdeen, working in the dot.rural digital economy hub. I then worked as a Research Associate at the University of Sheffield working on ‘Spaces of New Localism – Stakeholder Engagement and Economic Development in Wales and England’ (WISERD Civil Society, Cardiff University). I then moved to be a Senior Researcher at the Staffordshire University working in Centre for City Region Dynamics and the Department of Geography. I am also an Honorary Research Fellow in Geography at the University of Sheffield and Associate Fellow at SPERI.

I am now, Senior Lecturer in Political Economy at MMU based within the Future Economies team. In this role I am currently completing research and publications from the ‘Spaces of New Localism’ project which is part of the WISERD Civil Society Research Centre. The project has been interested in understanding the ways in which New Localism and devolution has been delivered at the City-Regional scale within the UK. Specifically, we have six case study areas (Swansea, Cardiff, Manchester, Sheffield, Stoke-on-Trent and Mersey-Dee/North Wales) investigating the role of Civil Society and the changing territoriality that city-region devolution is developing within the UK.