The results from the latest Research Excellence Framework (REF) have highlighted the global impact of the University of Cambridge’s research in the field of economics, with an acknowledgement of the world leading quality of our overall research submission marked by both an increase in Grade Point Average (GPA), and an increase in the percentage of the submission scored as ‘world leading’.
Professor Leonardo Felli, Chair of the Faculty and Professor of Economics, said “I would like to congratulate and thank everyone who has taken part in this year’s REF for all their hard work, which we believe has paid off in these results.”
https://www.econ.cam.ac.uk/news/cambridge-economics-and-econometrics-recognised-in-ref-2021
Funding by the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office has allowed development of a new model for forecasting conflict, led by Assistant Professor Christopher Rauh.
Forecasting when an armed conflict is likely to break out is notoriously difficult, and history has shown conflict might suddenly appear out of a previously long lived and low-level dispute. However, the funding allows new developments in a ‘Conflict Model’ developed at the University of Cambridge and the IAE Spanish National Research Council (CSIC) in Barcelona are showing much more accuracy.
https://www.econ.cam.ac.uk/news/rauh-predicting-when-and-where-conflict-breaks-out
Professor Emeritus Sir Partha Dasgupta has been awarded the Freedom of the City of London by Special Nomination. His independent, global review on the Economics of Biodiversity commissioned by the UK Treasury in 2019, is expected to help set the agenda for the UK Government’s 25-year environment plan.
The Dasgupta Review describes nature as ‘our most precious asset’ and finds that humanity has collectively mismanaged its ‘global portfolio’. He says our demands far exceed Nature's capacity to supply ‘goods and services’ we all rely on.
https://www.econ.cam.ac.uk/news/dasgupta-awarded-freedom-of-city-of-london
Faculty of Economics student, Eric Yip has become the youngest person to ever win the UK’s National Poetry Competition.
19-year-old Eric Yip, who is from Hong Kong, won for his poem Fricatives, which plays with ideas about language to also comment on colonialism, race, migration, belonging and the guilt of leaving one’s home behind.
https://www.econ.cam.ac.uk/news/yip-economics-student-wins-national-poetry-competition
Many members of the faculty have been in the media over the past few weeks. Highlights on the BBC have included Assistant Professor of Economics Alexander Rodnyansky who has continued to broadcast from Ukraine with an analysis of the economic impact of the war, and how the country might be rebuilt. Also, the Faculty's Professor Meredith Crowley has discussed on the BBC’s World Business Report how US tariffs on UK Steel are being replaced by quotas. She says it is a ‘welcome sign that the relationship is warming’ but not a first step towards a UK-US trade agreement' Watch on the BBC iplayer at 4 minutes 15 seconds onwards.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/m001801l/world-business-report-01062022
In wider news about economics research at the University of Cambridge, the El-Erian Institute for Behavioural Economics and Policy has been launched. Prof Cass R Sunstein of Harvard University gave a talk on the topic of 'Welfare Now'. There was a welcome note address by Dr Mohmed El-Erian, President of Queen's College, introduced by Professor Lucia Reisch.
https://www.jbs.cam.ac.uk/faculty-research/centres/el-erian-behavioural-economics
Professor Sriya Iyer has been elected to the Council of The Royal Economic Society, a position she will hold for the next five years. The Royal Economic Society promotes the study of economic science, and has over 6,000 members worldwide. It is one of the oldest economic associations in the world, founded as the British Economic Association in 1890.
https://www.econ.cam.ac.uk/professor-sriya-iyer-elected-res-council