Evening Program
The evening program was a key component of the Online Summer Academy. On Saturday (July 31) and Thursday (August 5), participants were given the opportunity to get to know each other beyond their workshop groups and topics.
For the remaining evenings, we had intriguing panels and lectures planned that were of interest to all participants and the public. We were be joined by speakers who are experts on and passionate about the questions at hand. They shared their views with us and were happy to discuss with the Summer Academy's participants. The lectures and panel discussions were made publicly available so that participants from all time zones could benefit from them.
Below you find descriptions of the lecturers and panels as well as links to the recordings.
To learn more about our lecturers click here.
Friday, July 30: 7:00 - 8:30 pm (Berlin, UTC+2). Other time zones
Decolonising Economics in Practice
in cooperation with D-Econ
Dr. Danielle Guizzo (University of Bristol)
Dr. Devika Dutt (Global Development Policy Center)
Dr. Surbhi Kesar (Azim Premji University)
Dr. Amir Lebdioui (London School of Economics)
Recent events, such as the Black Lives Matter protests, the the murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis (US) and the toppling of the statue of Edward Colston in Bristol (UK) have exposed existing racism, colonialism and sexism in our society and in Economics. While calls to improve diversity in Economics have gained momentum, the idea of decolonising Economics is still a new one. Outside of Economics, ”decolonisation” has become a buzzword amongst universities, academics and in the media - particularly in the Global North - but many wonder what decolonising actually means in practice, and how it can be approached from the perspective of research, teaching and networking/activism in Economics.
This roundtable offers a discussion on what decolonising means for everyday academic practice from the perspective of four economics experts. It will touch upon a variety of issues, including: what decolonising entails, how it differs from simple diversity, how does the theoretical understanding of decolonisation opens space for praxis, besides exploring examples in economics research and teaching (in macroeconomics, trade and development, history of economic thought and political economy) of how it can be achieved.
Sunday, August 1: 7:00 - 8:30 pm (Berlin, UTC+2). Other time zones:
Is ecological economics for rebels? Accounting for natural resources
Ecologcial economics conceptualizes our society as embedded within the environment and our economic system as embedded within society and the environment. This may seem only logical but in fact is a proposition that is irreconcilable not only with some of the tenets of neoclassical economic theory but also with any growth-based economic system. Natural resources - in their materiality, not (only) in terms of their monetary value - as part of economy-wide accounting allow us to observe close ties between economic growth and the 'Great Acceleration' and provide support for the degrowth agenda.
Monday, August 2: 7:00 - 8:30 pm (Berlin, UTC+2). Other time zones
Economics of Discrimination - A CBD Perspective
Dr. Annie Tubadji (Swansea University)
Prof. Jan Fidrmuc (Lille University)
The need for the movement Black Lives Matter and the tragic events that preceded it are the clear manifestation of the problem of discrimination today, which we all intuitively perceive as a poignant socio-economic question of our times. Economists are the most usual consultants on socio-economic policies, meant to tackle and rectify such socio-economic ills as discrimination. But what do economists know about identifying, understanding and intervening into the process of discrimination? Dr. Annie Tubadji argues in her research that both Economic Theory and Cultural Theory have contributed enormously to the understanding of the problems of discrimination, but critical bridges between the two fields still need to be built. These bridges are needed in order for policy makers and society to be fully able to utilize the pieces of knowledge that are now only latently present in each field, waiting to be recombined and put into useful action together for making our world a better place.
Tuesday, August 3: 7:00 - 8:30 pm (Berlin, UTC+2). Other time zones
Beyond GDP - Wellbeing Economy, Happiness Index and the postgrowth debate
Anna Murphy (Future-fit Business)
Dr. Fred K. Muhumuza (Makerere University)
As the global economic landscape evolves, demographics shift, inequality expands, climate change gets worse and technology continues to advance at breakneck speed, Gross Domestic Product (GDP) is struggling to stay relevant. In order to keep up with the changes shaped by the Fourth Industrial Revolution, many are arguing that we need to find a new measure to assess the wellbeing of our economies and – more importantly – the people living in them. This panel discussion examines the past, present and future role of GDP – and the new economic models/measures that could replace it.
Wednesday, August 4: 7:00 - 8:30 pm (Berlin, UTC+2). Other time zones
Understanding Crises - What to take from here for better policy advice in the future?
Prof. Dr. Ishac Diwan (Paris School of Economics)
The world is regularly shaken by crises: some are bigger, others are smaller in scope. Local turmoil, military conflicts, commodity scarcity, bank runs, health threats - the history of mankind can be written as a history of crises. Three major global crises occurred in the last fifty years alone: the oil crisis in 1973, the financial crisis 2008 and the corona pandemic 2020/2021. However, mainstream economics does not seem to pay much attention to them. Crises are thought of as external effects which just randomly interfere with the models used. This conflicts with real life experience when crises have massive consequences on jobs, education opportunities, prosperity, and health of millions of people.
Two renowned economists will share their expertise about how to understand crisis phenomena and which crisis response measures work. They will also discuss how economics needs to change to appropriately reflect crises and their real life consequences in theory building. Since to build a more resilient and sustainable economy driving development around the globe, new approaches, models and policy advice will be needed.
Organised by
In Cooperation with and Supported by
