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Institute of Economic Affairs July 6 2019 · Royal Geographical Society · 1 Kensington Gore London

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Institute of Economic Affairs July 6 2019 · Royal Geographical Society · 1 Kensington Gore London 2019 from the Institute of Economic Affairs July 6 2019 · Royal Geographical Society · 1 Kensington Gore London WELCOME Welcome to THINK, the fifth iteration of theIEA ’s flagship student conference. Over the next few hours we hope that we will be able to equip you with the tools needed to seriously and robustly consider the economic and political challenges that face both Britain and the wider world. The goal of the conference is to help each of you ‘think the unthinkable’ and consider radical solutions to issues ranging from the role (and regulation) of modern technology, to issues risking the basic underpinnings of our capitalist system. We are living through a period of profound change in Britain. We are still, after three years of delay, waiting to discover what the next phase of our relationship with our continental neighbours will look like. Meanwhile, the recent European Parliamentary elections perhaps indicate the rumblings of the biggest political realignment in a century. These two issues are combined with technology changing our economy in a way not seen since the Industrial Revolution. These are serious issues, and I hope that today’s conference will leave you both intellectually stimulated and better informed on them all. But more than anything we hope that you come out of this conference with a deeper understanding of free market economics. Free trade and classically liberal policies have been at the foundation of the incredible improvement in living standards over the past two centuries, and our continued prosperity depends on young people like you making the case for free market economics in the future. Please do stay involved with the IEA, especially through our student events programme. To find out more, visit our student section of the website at iea.org.uk/events-and-conferences. Best wishes, Mark Littlewood Director General, IEA ABOUT THINK brings together some of the best speakers in the world to highlight how creativity and innovation fostered under free markets have helped halve world poverty in recent decades. This year, THINK has assembled prominent thinkers – including the incredible Thomas Hazlett and Deirdre McCloskey – from around the globe. They’ll shed light on key contemporary issues such as ideas and innovation, the smart phone revolution, political realignment, free speech, school choice, millennial economics – and much more. This fifth annual THINK conference will introduce you to thought-provoking ideas that will equip you to examine how best to approach some of the major social and economic issues present in the world today. And, along the way, you’ll hear exciting and surprising views on the way the world may change in your lifetime! ABOUT US ABOUT THE IEA The Institute of Economic Affairs is the UK’s original free market think tank, and it’s been at the forefront of the battle of ideas for over 60 years. We believe free markets play a major role in solving economic and social problems – and we spread that message through our books, papers, films, events and more. As an educational charity, we have strong connections with the UK’s leading universities and schools. From helping university economics societies to flourish, to our sixth form conference programme, we travel the length and breadth of the UK spreading the importance of economics. In our travels, it became clear there wasn’t an event where the best and brightest students could come together to look at ways to solve the world’s economic problems. This was the spark that led to the creation of THINK – and we very much hope you enjoy it in its fifth year. MEET MEET THE ORGANISER Ralph Buckle is the Acting Director of Education, Outreach, and Programmes as well as Acting Chief Executive of EPICENTER. Ralph previously worked at the IEA as the Events and Public Affairs Manager. His other experience includes working as the Head of Events at Policy Exchange, and as a Communications and Projects Consultant for Dods Parliamentary Services. He has also worked in Parliament, for political groups, and for public affairs agencies as well as being Director and Co-Founder of Commonwealth Exchange (CX). Ralph has a BA in Politics, Philosophy and Economics (PPE) from the University of York. Ralph Buckle Acting Director of Education, Outreach & Programmes 020 7799 8923 [email protected] @RalphBuckle Knightsbridge High Street Kensington South Kensington GETTING AROUND1 TUBE South Kensington (Circle, District and Piccadilly Lines) – a 10 minute walk up Exhibition Road (beyond the Science Museum and Imperial College) to the Society. Knightsbridge (Piccadilly Line) – a 10 minute walk along Kensington Road to the Society. Lancaster Gate (Central Line) – a 15 to 20 minute walk across Hyde Park to the Society. BUS There are several bus routes which stop outside or within the vicinity of the Society building. 9: Hammersmith/Aldwych 10: Hammersmith/King’s Cross 52: Willesden/Victoria 360: Kensington/Elephant and Castle 452: Wandsworth/Willesden RAIL The nearest mainline railway stations are London Victoria (you can then take the 52 bus to the Society) and London Paddington (a 25 minute walk to the Society). BICYCLE Bicycles can be locked against the bike stands, located at the main entrance on Exhibition Road. Space is limited. Bicycles are left at their owner’s risk. Please make sure bicycles are secured as thieves are known to work in the area. CAR There are no car parking facilities at the Society. The Society is no longer located within central London’s Congestion Charge area. There is limited public parking in Hyde Park, although car parking restrictions operate in the area, often until late at night. GETTING AROUND2 9.45 – 10.15 REGISTRATION 10.15 – 10.30 Welcome and Introduction – Mark Littlewood 10.30 – 11.00 How Ideas can Change the World – Prof Dierdre McCloskey Deirdre McCloskey has made important contributions to a wide range of disciplines during her academic career of over forty years so far. She is known for several of these including her critique of the ‘mathematisation’ of contemporary economics. Her most recent, and best known work, is her trilogy on innovation and the ‘great enrichment’ of the modern world – The Bourgeois Virtues: Ethics for an Age of Commerce (2006), Bourgeois Dignity: Why Economics Can’t Explain the Modern World (2010), Bourgeois Equality: How Ideas, Not Capital or Institutions, Enriched the World (2016). In this she argues that the central feature of the modern world that explains its great wealth compared to all previous human history is sustained innovation and that this reflects an intellectual and cultural change that happened some three SESSIONS hundred years ago. 11.00 – 11.30 Realignment of Politics – Dr Stephen Davies Today it may seem that politics in many countries is in chaos or that we are seeing a kind of generalised revolt of radical populism. Suddenly old alliances are under strain and unexpected new ones are arising. How can we make sense of all this? Dr Stephen Davies has been arguing for several years that there is an explanation for all of this that helps us to understand what is going on and what is likely to happen in the future – we are in the middle of a political realignment which will reshuffle political structures, parties, voting blocs and redefine left and right. This realignment will be completed in just a few years and we will move into a new kind of politics, organised around different issues. SESSIONS 11.30 – 11.50 BREAK 11.50 – 12.20 Free Speech on Campus – Dr Joanna Williams, Prof Eric Kaufmann Issues of free speech and the right to free expression are nowadays at the forefront of news and public debate. This is particularly true on university campuses with demonstrations against invited speakers and arguments about whether or not there should be a platform for people who hold or articulate certain beliefs. Is this right? Do universities have the right to do this and if they do, should they? Are there or should there be limits to what can be said in an academic environment? Is free thought in academia under threat and, if so, where does that threat come from and what should be done about it? Do we, for example, need an academic journal where research can be published anonymously? Alternatively is this just a moral panic, an exaggeration of a minor problem into a major one? Our panel has people who are actively involved in this debate and the questions it raises. 12.20 – 12.50 Private Philanthropy in Modern Capitalism – Prof Helen Berry, Dr Syed Kamall, Dr Frank Prochaska Private philanthropy is one of our most important and influential social institutions and yet understudied given that importance. Historically philanthropy and charity has been a major movement and social force and it is still a large and active part of economic and social life in the UK. What does the history of philanthropy look like and what can that tell us about its possible future? Are there dangers in philanthropy and if so how should we guard against them? What relationship, if any, should there be between private charity, philanthropy and the state? Our panel has a mixture of both leading historians of charity and people currently involved in it. 12.50 – 13.30 LUNCH – Exhibition Fair and Book Signings 13.30 – 14.10 School Choice and the Education Revolution – Prof Pauline Dixon, Corey DeAngelis, Toby Young, Dr Steve Humble MBE Education is currently undergoing a revolution around the world, one that few people in the UK are aware of or have heard of. All over the world the principle of school choice and competition between schools is gaining ground, usually in the face of fierce resistance.
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