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Staff Profile

Dr Pascal Stiefenhofer

Senior Lecturer, Director of Studies (UG), Deputy Chair Academic Practice

Background

Pascal Stiefenhofer is a mathematician and economist. He joined the Newcastle Business School from the University of Exeter, where he was Deputy Director of Education. Pascal received a PhD in Mathematics (Dynamical Systems Theory, EPSRC Scholarship) and a PhD in Economics (Applications of Differential Topology/Geometry to General Equilibrium Theory, ESRC Scholarship). He previously worked at the University College London (Department of Statistical Sciences) and the University of York (Department of Economics and Related Studies). His current research includes artificial intelligence and machine learning in the context of social science data, applied econometrics, economic theory, and dynamical systems theory and its applications. He supervises PhD students in these areas.


Pascal is an experienced mathematics educator with education research interests in teaching mathematics to non-mathematicians and financial literacy.

Teaching

Pascal’s teaching expertise is advanced mathematics for economics, the theory of mathematical proof, machine learning, artificial intelligence, mathematical statistics, and econometrics. He is currently teaching on:


  • Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence
  • Mathematics for Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence
  • Applied Mathematics (Mathematics for Data Science, Economists)
Research

Pascal’s research interests span a wide range of topics in applied mathematics. His most recent work focuses on developing artificial intelligence-based systems and machine learning models to analyze social science data, particularly in the context of sustainable economics and finance. His research covers areas such as green energy economics, electric vehicle markets, resource misallocation, ethical production and consumption, and ethical artificial intelligence. Showcase: Ethical Consumption


Pascal, a mathematician and economist, collaborates with industrial partners to translate theoretical concepts into impactful industrial applications. His current research fosters discussions about the rise of ethical consumers and how businesses can utilize "ethical industrial artificial intelligence" to meet evolving consumer demands. He is also exploring the concept of creativity in artificial intelligence, aiming to drive positive changes in business processes and marketing strategies.


Additionally, Pascal is interested in education research, particularly in areas such as mathematics anxiety, consumer financial literacy and its economic implications, and the intersections of human and machine learning in education. He is open to collaborating with industrial partners on various aspects of financial literacy, offering expertise in impact evaluations, literature reviews, data analysis, concept development and evaluation, policy evaluations, and experimental behavioral finance.


Pascal has also extensively researched general equilibrium theory in the context of incomplete financial markets. He employs differential geometry and topology to study economic equilibrium properties and uses catastrophe theory to model production processes and firm financing. His recent findings highlight discontinuities in production that can lead to disruptive profits or the misallocation of economic resources.


I supervise PhD students in the areas above.



Publications