Dr. Nicola Banks

Biography

Nicola Banks has decades of research experience focusing on urban poverty and youth within the framework of global development. She has published extensively in top-ranking journals and has played a significant role in critical scholarship aimed at generating real-world change. Her research begins with investigating urban poverty and exploring the role of social networks in poverty dynamics, specifically in Bangladesh and East Africa. Through her work, she addresses structural and institutional inequalities in global aid by examining the role of NGOs and charities. In 2022, she launched 'One World Together', a global movement focused on trust-based giving, marking a transformative approach to her research. As the Director of Social Responsibility at the University of Manchester, she is committed to creating meaningful impacts through teaching and initiatives like the SEED Change-makers program, which empowers students to engage with pressing issues. Her research situates development as a long-term process toward social justice, emphasizing the lived experiences of urban residents while aiming to align policies with the needs of low-income groups.

Research Interests