Professor Andrew Jones

Professor Andrew Jones is an inter-disciplinary social scientist with a background as an economic geographer. He has held a number of successful leadership roles in higher education, including Dean of School of Arts and Social Sciences, Vice-President (Research & Enterprise) and latterly Deputy President at City, University of London. He is a Fellow of the Academy of Social Sciences, the Royal Geographical Society and the Royal Society of Arts and has held a wide variety of roles for UKRI, including as a member of REF2014 and REF2021 panels. He is a trustee of the Campaign for Science and Engineering (CaSE), and was previously of the Academy of Social Sciences. 

Professor Jones’ interest in issues of globalisation has seen him contribute to studies in the fields of political science, sociology and management studies. His research focuses on the global economy, including firms, governing organisations and the activities of key individuals.

His research has been particularly interested in how the activities of organisations relate to the ongoing development of a globalised economy. In relation to this he has investigated the working practices of staff in large 'global' organisations and how they use information technology, travel and mobility strategies; the nature of global knowledge management and the way in which local contexts and places shape competitiveness. Past projects include the globalisation of investment banking, consultancy and legal industries as well as the role played by specific cities as locations for these industries.

In 2004 he authored a study for the UK Government's Department for Education & Skills on the nature and significance of 'gap years', leading to a further long-term project examining overseas youth volunteering projects. This work explored the impacts on volunteers and, to a lesser extent, host communities of gap-year volunteering across the globe including schemes in Tanzania, Guatemala, Belize, Australia and Vietnam. A particular focus was how the kinds of soft skills developed in voluntary work are relevant to the way young people gain certain important skill-sets and abilities in an increasingly global job market.

Professor Jones' recent research has returned to business services, and considers in particular how globalisation in these industries is caught up in the rise and development of emerging economies in Asia, and most recently in achieving service sector led economic growth in Latin America and the Caribbean. He also continues to work on the role of service industries in the green economy, and their important contribution to a low-carbon global economy.