Dr Matthew Barnes

Matthew completed his PhD in 2019, exploring the risks and shortcomings of Basel III – an international regulatory framework for banks. Matthew’s research considered the history of the Basel regulations to provide narrative and a foundational understanding so that the reader could appreciate the magnitude of what was trying to be accomplished. It is at this point that Basel III was examined in Chapters 4 and 5 whereby risks and shortcomings were discussed in the former and recommendations and conclusions in the latter.

Matthew was supervised and examined by leading figures in the field. Matthew's supervisory team consisted of Professor Andrew Haynes, Professor Charles Chatterjee and Dr Lézelle Jacobs. It was examined by Professor George Walker, Professor Andrew Campbell and Professor Peter Walton.

Matthew began his academic career as a Visiting Lecturer at the University of Wolverhampton teaching both undergraduate and postgraduate students at domestic and international level (China, Mauritius and Sri Lanka). During this time Matthew gained valuable teaching, marking, and supervising experience having been exposed to a variety of subject areas including but not limited to the following:

Company Law
Contract Law
Financial Services Law and Financial Crime
Insolvency Law
Principles of Business and Corporate Law

Matthew gained a full time academic post in 2018 at the University of Wolverhampton continuing his academic career and progressing in the above subject areas as well as research. This position was held until January 2022 at which point Matthew joined Aston University.

Although Matthew’s primary interests lie in commercial and corporate based subjects, the exposure gained from other subject areas has enabled Matthew to refine his teaching and mentoring capabilities and to improve his ability to teach a wider spectrum of student.

Prior to academia, Matthew worked at a large financial institution for over seven years and gained experience in many areas, from audit and compliance to financial crime and risk. This period influenced and encouraged Matthew to research into the area of banking regulation, as he saw the effects of what the financial crisis of 2008 could do at both societal and industry levels.

Matthew worked at branch level predominantly but was exposed to the inner workings of head office and the many other aspects that were needed to run the second largest building society in the U.K. The depth and variety obtained has been transferrable to Matthew’s current role as Lecturer in Law. The regulatory aspects, for example, can be used on applicable modules taught at Aston University. On this basis, Matthew can provide both academic and professional knowledge and perspective.

Matthew has held several additional positions since 2018 which include:

PG Research Support Tutor – Supporting research students during their academic studies

Link tutor for the LLB, MBA and BABM in Sri Lanka, and the Diploma in Business in China – This required Matthew to visit the campus, colleagues and cohort in respect of maintaining high standards and quality partnerships

PhD Supervisor – Second supervisor

Matthew is currently supporting the Law of Business and Business Concepts, and Principles of Commercial Law modules at Aston Law.

• Associate Fellow: Society for Advanced Legal Studies
• Fellow: Higher Education Academy
• Member: Society of Legal Scholars
• Member: Socio-Legal Studies Association

• Law of Business and Business Concepts
• Principles of Commercial Law