Atkinson Economics Lecture

The Department of Economics at the University of Essex has planned a new series of public lectures which look at issues relevant to us all.

The lectures are named the Atkinson Lectures, after Professor Tony Atkinson, a highly distinguished economist who was Professor at Essex from 1971 to 1976 and had a strong interest in applying economic research to important policy issues.

The talks will be held by guest lecturers who are academic economists, but the content will be relevant to all, from students to staff in all departments, and to the general public. They will deal with issues that we all face.

The first of the Atkinson Lectures will be given on Wednesday 30 November in the Lakeside Theatre at 5pm, by Professor Ben Moll, Professor of Economics at the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) on "The West without Russian Gas: The Case of Germany".

Professor Moll is a distinguished macroeconomist who, before joining the LSE in 2019, was Professor at Princeton University. He made extensive and important contributions to the study of inequality, both within and across countries. More recently he has been active in the policy debate on the economic consequences of the war in Ukraine, and in particular of the sanctions on Russian gas.

The title of the talk is: "The West without Russian Gas: The Case of Germany".

It will ask: what are the effects of western sanctions and Russia's energy war on western economies? This talk will discuss this question with a focus on Germany, a country that was particularly reliant on Russian energy prior to the Russian invasion of Ukraine. In an article earlier this year, Moll and collaborators examined the economic effects of a potential cut-off of the German economy from Russian energy imports. They argued that the effects are likely to be substantial but manageable. The talk will revisit the paper's findings in the light of developments since March 2022.

What you need to know: Please turn up fifteen minutes before to take your seats. The event is free. There will be the opportunity for questions and discussion afterwards.