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Faculty of Economics

 

The Faculty of Economics at Cambridge has roots going back to the 1890s.  Though frequently marked in the past by fervent internal academic debate, over theory, ontological approach and methodological orientation, the cumulative contribution of Cambridge economics to the development and evolution of the discipline nationally and internationally has been profound and unique.  The Cambridge Faculty of Economics has repeatedly attracted international recognition and distinction by spawning some of the leading economics thinkers and paradigm changers of the times, including, for example, Alfred Marshall (one of the founders of Neoclassical economics), John Maynard Keynes (his general theory of employment, interest and money), Joan Robinson (capital theory), Richard Kahn (multiplier theory), James Meade (international economics), Nicholas Kaldor (increasing returns and economic growth), James Mirrlees (taxation), and Partha Dasguta (poverty and environmental economics).  During the 1970s, the ‘Cambridge School of Post-Keynesian Economics’ was a frequently used term to describe the distinctiveness of the research undertaken in the Faculty.  The Faculty can boast several Nobel Prize winners over the past century.  Many of its undergraduates have gone on to hold senior and prestigious academic posts elsewhere, both in the UK and overseas (including Harvard, Princeton and Stanford in the United Sates), and in some cases have themselves been Nobel Prize winners.

The Faculty has major teaching programmes at both undergraduate and postgraduate level and has one of largest group of research-active economists of any British university. It has around 80 resident or visiting academic staff and about 100 research students. Facilities include the Marshall Library in the Austin Robinson Economics building and the University Library nearby.


The Marshall Library is one of the finest specialist libraries in the country devoted to economics and related subjects, with over 70,000 monographs and working papers and over 30,000 journal volumes. It also has extensive databases and bibliographic searching tools including EconLit. The Faculty has extensive computing facilities and two Computer Officers to advise graduate students. There are about 50 workstations available for graduates, connected to a local area network and to the internet. The colleges provide computing, copying and printing services and the University Information Services (Academic & Infrastructure) also provides support.

The priority of the Faculty is to achieve and maintain international standards of research excellence in economics. Research projects are encouraged which not only contribute to knowledge but also provide research experience, and create a pool of young, talented and energetic researchers to supply teaching posts in the Faculty and the future needs of the profession at large. Taken together, the academic community and its resources provide a stimulating environment, highly conducive to research.