Senior lecturer wins prestigious international award

A senior lecturer at Glasgow Caledonian University has received a prestigious international award for social enterprise research.

Dr Michael Roy, of the Yunus Centre for Social Business and Health, is the winner of Helen Potter Award for 2017.

The prize was announced at a meeting of American Economic Association and Allied Social Science in Philadelphia earlier this month.

Named after the economist Helen Potter, the award recognises outstanding work that challenges mainstream economic thinking. It is presented every year to the author of the best article in the academic journal Review of Social Economy.

Professor Cam Donaldson, Pro-Vice Chancellor and Vice-Principal (Research), said: “Michael’s work at the nexus of social enterprise and public health is breaking new ground and opening up an exciting new area of research.

“It is fitting that at the University of the Common Good, the quality of our research in such areas continues to be recognised internationally. We wholeheartedly congratulate him on this significant accolade."

Dr Roy, along with his Australian co-author, Dr Michelle Hackett, won the award for their article entitled Polanyi's ‘Substantive Approach’ to the Economy in Action? Conceptualising Social Enterprise as a Public Health ‘Intervention’. 

He said: “I am humbled and delighted that my work has been recognised in this way, and to follow in the footsteps of esteemed colleagues who have won this award in the past.

“Our key interest in this paper was in questioning whether social enterprises – businesses that act for social good, rather than for the enrichment of shareholders or owners – can successfully challenge the socio-political structures that we know can significantly influence health outcomes.”

An economic sociologist and social policy specialist, Dr Roy’s primary research interests relate to the health and well-being impacts of social enterprise activity. His work also explores various aspects of social innovation.