Erasmus Seminar Lent Term 2025

Dr Mohamed El-Erian will present:

'Bridging the Trust Gap: Economics, Economists and Public Policy'.

This Erasmus Seminar will take place on Wednesday 12 February 2025 at 18.00 in the Bradfield Room, Darwin College.

Abstract: 

Trust in economics and economists is essential for effective policymaking and societal well-being. However, this trust has been eroded by a series of missteps, including flawed assessments and inaccurate predictions.

This presentation explores the “what” and “why” behind key historical misjudgments in recent years, their consequences, and the opportunities for meaningful improvement. It underscores the need for greater accountability and a readiness to question entrenched assumptions and approaches. By addressing these issues, we can rebuild trust in economics and enhance its value to policymakers and the public.

Bio:

Dr Mohamed A. El-Erian is President of Queens’ College at Cambridge University. He is an advisor to several companies, including Allianz and Gramercy Funds. He chairs the board of Under Armour and serves on the board of several non-profits (including the National Bureau for Economic Research). He is a part-time professor at the Wharton School (business school) of the University of Pennsylvania and a Senior Fellow at the Lauder Institute.

Previously, he was CEO and co-CIO of PIMCO (2007-2014) and the former chair of President Obama’s Global Development Council (2012-2017). He was President and CEO of Harvard Management Company, Managing Director at Salomon Smith Barney/Citigroup, and Deputy Director at the International Monetary Fund in Washington, DC. He chaired Microsoft’s Investment Advisory Committee (2007-2022), as well as other corporate and government advisory boards.

Dr El-Erian writes regularly for major publications. He is a Financial Times Contributing Editor and Bloomberg Opinion columnist. He has written two New York Times best sellers – the 2008 “When Markets Collide” and the 2016 “The Only Game in Town” – and was named four years in a row to the Foreign Policy list of Top Global Thinkers. “Permacrisis: A Plan to Fix our Fractured World”—his last book co-authored with Gordon Brown, Michael Spence and Reid Lidow – was a Times (UK) Top Ten book.

Dr El-Erian has received multiple awards, honorary degrees, and accolades for both his professional and philanthropic accomplishments. He was on Foreign Policy’s list of 100 Top Global Thinkers four years in a row and received the Egyptian Cancer Network’s Lifetime Achievement Award for supporting cancer treatment and cures for children in Egypt.

Dr El-Erian holds a BA/MA in Economics from Cambridge University and a Master’s and Doctorate in Economics from Oxford University.