Purpose
The Business and Human Rights Research Cluster seeks to foster collaborative interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary research in the field of business and human rights. The cluster aims to examine the diverse range of interactions that can arise when business conduct affects human rights from a variety of perspectives. The membership is comprised of academics in disciplines including politics, law, management, accounting and finance, strategy and marketing, economics, anthropology, geography and international relations.
Background
The Business and Human Rights Research Cluster was established in its current form in September 2024. The cluster’s first activity was an online meeting in January 2025 with colleagues at the Business and Human Rights Project at the University of Essex. In May 2025, the cluster held its first funded workshop at the University of Sussex.
Looking forward
The activities undertaken by the Business and Human Rights Research Cluster are driven by its members. We aim to work together to produce research outputs, prepare research funding bids and supervise PhD students. We are open to collaborating with academics based from all over the world. If you would like to work with the cluster, please contact Dr Edward Guntrip.
Membership
The current membership of the cluster is:
Dr Shoaib Ahmed – Associate Professor in Accounting (Accounting and Finance)
Dr Qingxiu Bu – Reader in Global Law (Law)
Prof. Grace Carswell – Professor of Geography and International Development (Geography)
Prof. Geert De Neve – Professor of Social Anthropology and South Asian Studies (Anthropology)
Dr Mattia Di Ubaldo – Principal Research Fellow in International Trade (Economics)
Dr Matthew Evans – Associate Professor in Law (Law)
Dr Shahrzad Fouladvand – Associate Professor in International Criminal Law (Law)
Dr Julian Germann – Associate Professor in International Relations (International Relations)
Dr Ahmad Ghouri – Associate Professor in Commercial Law (Law)
Dr Paul Gilbert – Reader in Development, Justice and Inequality (Anthropology)
Dr Edward Guntrip – Associate Professor in International Law (Law)
Prof. James Hampshire – Professor in Politics (Politics)
Dr Chaya Jayathileka – Assistant Professor in Accounting (Accounting and Finance)
Dr David Karp – Associate Professor of International Relations (International Relations)
Dr Matilde Lucheschi – Associate Professor in Marketing (Strategy and Marketing)
Prof. Lara Montesinos Coleman – Professor of International Law, Ethics and Political Economy (International Relations)
Prof. Louiza Odysseos – Professor of International Relations (International Relations)
Dr Becky Prentice – Associate Professor in Anthropology and International Development (Anthropology)
Dr Dinah Rajak – Associate Professor in Anthropology and International Development (Anthropology)
Dr Mike Rogerson – Assistant Professor in Operations Management (Management)
Dr Steven Rolf – Principal Research Fellow (Management)
Prof. Adrian Smith – Professor of Management (Management)
Prof. Anna Stavrianakis – Professor of International Relations (International Relations)
Sarah Stephens – Associate Professor in Legal Innovation (Law)
Dr Xiangming (Tommy) Tao – Assistant Professor in Innovation and Project Management (SPRU)
Prof. Sarah Tobin – former Visiting Professor (Anthropology) (Research Prof. at the Chr. Michelsen Institute in Bergen, Norway)
Dr Lilith Whiley – Associate Professor in Occupational and Organisational Psychology (Management)
Publications