Dr Nico Pizzolato

Biography

My research interests are located at the intersection between history, social theory and labour and management studies. Most of my work touches on the following themes: labour migration and social movements, unfree and coerced labour in advanced capitalism, social policy in the age of Fordism, workplace democracy, critical pedagogy.

I am the author of Challenging Global Capitalism: Labor Migration, Radical Struggle, and Urban Change in Detroit and Turin (Palgrave, 2013). I am the co-editor of the book Gramsci: A Pedagogy to Change the World (Springer, 2017). My work as appeared in leading peer-reviewed journals such as American Historical Review, Labor History, International Review of Social History, International Working Class History, Capital&Class and Contemporary European History. My research has also been disseminated in critical online magazines such as Viewpoint and Commonware.

I also have a strong interest in writing for professional and academic pratice. I run writing workshops as part of my teaching portfolio. 

I have gained my PhD at University College London, and lectured at Queen Mary, University of London, Università di Palermo, and the University of Edinburgh. I am a fellow of the Higher Education Academy and of the Royal Historical Society. I am a seminar convenor at the Institute of Historical Research, University of London..

Teaching

Most of my teaching is devoted to develop research students.

I am the Director of Postgraduate Research Studies and in that role I lead on the governance, quality assurance and development of postgraduate research in the University and across research partner institutions. I convene postgraduate researcher  development session on different methodologies, writing and different aspects of being a doctoral researcher.

I am a supervisor in the DProf (Transdisciplinary). This is a doctoral programme aimed at senior professionals who carry out academic research in their organisation or as part of their professional practice. I currently supervise 16 students and I have seen a few through completion.

I am an enthusiast of digital learning , in particular as applied to adult education in university and in the workplace, and in general the possibilities of learning in a digital, interconnected world.

I am a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy.