Open For Offers
Australia and the University of Western Sydney have been very good to me for the last 20 years. I have been able to develop a unique monetary dynamic approach to economics “under the radar” out here, with the support of four consecutive Heads of School who have favored a pluralist approach to economics.
But it may be time for a change. Did you see the blog post I put up just this week about needing an Australian Industry Partner for an application to the Australian Research Council for a Linkage Grant?:
Australian Industry Partner needed
That, it seems, may have been wishful thinking. Though I have had one positive response, it seems that the entire scheme may be about to go–or at best be drastically curtailed–because of the Australian government’s obsession with returning to a budget surplus. Today we received the following email from UWS’s research unit:
Dear Researchers, We are extremely dismayed by the ‘funding freeze’ that the ARC is experiencing. The ARC are unable to say anything on this matter and despite our queries, they cannot even give us a date as to when any announcement will be made. The only news we have heard is from the newspapers! Funding freeze halts research Judging by the latest news article (above), we might expect to hear something around the time the federal budget is updated early next week. We regret we do not have any more definitive information for you and don’t know if the Linkage Projects round is to continue, be delayed or even cancelled. As soon as the ARC make an announcement we will let you know.Though I won’t go into detail, the news in terms of internal university funding is no better. Perhaps it’s time for me to see whether I can find a position in another country–and hopefully one that will mean my travel to most conferences no longer requires an intercontinental flight.
The difficulty here of course is that, as a well-known critic of Neoclassical economics, there are no advertised jobs for which I can apply–and certainly not at highly ranked institutions where, without fail, Neoclassical economics dominates the curriculum. For instance, the American Economic Association maintains a very good database of job openings for economists called JOE. A search of the October listing restricted to “Heterodox Approaches” yielded just 11 jobs worldwide–several of which were non-academic posts, and none of which were at Professorial level. In contrast there were 142 positions for “Microeconomics”, including several Professorial appointments, 124 for “Macroeconomics”, 127 for “Mathematical”, and so on.
Of course, what I do clearly covers those other fields as well, but it’s not recognized as such because my work is non-Neoclassical, and I don’t have publications in leading journals where Neoclassical assumptions are required for entry.
My application for any such position would also be a “red rag to a bull” to Neoclassicals in such departments, as indicated by posts on the blogosphere (like this one, and this one), so there’s little point trying anyway.
The only remaining possibilities are (a) that a more adventurous department somewhere might want to bring me aboard or (b) that a University President somewhere feels that economics needs a shakeup, given the failure of the mainstream to see this economic crisis coming.
Hence this post. If you’re in such a Department, or you’re such a University President who thinks that your Economics Department needs a shake-up, drop me a line (at debunking@gmail.com). I’m open for offers.
PeterjBolton,
I can’t critique very much of the essence of what you say, I would only urge you to incorporate Grace into your analysis. It frees you from making scorn a lifestyle instead of a purgative.
Steve – your full resume, with the list of publications (and all other achievements) can be useful in generating some interest and offers.
Is such resume posted somewhere on this site? If yes, it is not easy to find…
Hey Myne,
Maybe the very smart just aren’t interested in making squillions…
I’ve never had time to keep it up to date Oleg. I will post it at some point.
Good luck with the search (if you like the cold, you can try Alaska):
http://jobs.universityofcalifornia.edu/
http://academicaffairs.ucsd.edu/aps/adeo/recruitment/jobdetails.asp?PositionNumber=10-470
http://naples.cc.sunysb.edu/Admin/CampusJob.nsf/987ddc6b836068648525659c0072eafa/3bbb76635ea165c885257a1c0059de2d?OpenDocument
http://naples.cc.sunysb.edu/Admin/CampusJob.nsf/987ddc6b836068648525659c0072eafa/3bbb76635ea165c885257a1c0059de2d?OpenDocument
Dear peterjbolton.
In regards to your comments, I do believe you have some good points however this is the world we live in and one has to survive and better ourselves and our children in this setting. I was born in a communist country and I can definitely see how the system has a very close resemblance to the democratic system, I just think we are all very lucky to be living in the US or Australia, there is lots of fertile ground to pursue success.
I think the comment from mikeh1980 responding to you, to take a pill is perhaps for valium or something more like cymbolta, a serotonin booster and not poison. We just feel that you are a little bit rude, possibly due to over education and a disposition to superiority complex. True wisdom is an art form, it cannot be studied, it must be personally experienced through challenging decisions and taking the hard path . kind regards. Kalman.
Dear Steve,
I wish you all the best in your current predicament, I am confident that a rewarding job or avenue is awaiting you. Your diligent work has helped a lot of people, we thank you. Please respectfully consider purely focusing on making some serious cash for a period, than later perhaps get back to what you enjoy.
Yours sincerely, Kalman.
@ Kalman October 23, 2012 at 7:32 pm | #
“I think the comment from mikeh1980 responding to you, to take a pill is perhaps for valium or something more like cymbolta, a serotonin booster and not poison. We just feel..”
Within the context of the argument, and not having your luxury of your obvious collective true believer comfort of assumption, I naturally accepted the referred responce, as the contextually usual, typical and historical norm, to such heretics as myself who offend the consensual warm, that my death would easily, economically and quickly bring relief to those who believe in things delusional, such as applied economics, in this case. Worked for Marx, Lenin, Trotsky et al. Seems to be the current Policy of today’s USA leadership as well.
You may feel I am rude, and I respect that, but I with open eyes, and centuries of real experience, see that, that is, without knowing much at all, reality is about to descend upon humanity with an unforgiving and quite visible hand. Hard fate for most.
And when it arrives, please give a thought to the Profession of Economists that have blinded humanity from seeing the crimes and theft of the Global Banking System that they have been totally complicit in imposing on you; the innocent, gullible and trusting.
Watch as honest people’s pensions are sucked up to support the Banks, and Bureaucrats drain peoples savings and repossess their property, while Central Banks suck everything by lowering interest rates through manipulation, and then consider the computation of inflation, which in reality is just another hidden tax, and then the theft from your investment accounts supported by your government, and, not least, the withdrawal of National Investment Grants in Science, etc., including Economics, just so that the ruling Party will have advantage at the next elections and screw the people and screw the Nation! And I haven’t even started of the Fraud of GDP /GNP / BAse money / Political Access and Foreign Influence through bribery and corruption of those eager elected representives of the people (sic).
I can be killed; many have tried, yet I have survived all numerous attempts, just to bring you a message. You are a victim, as I too have lived under many Regimes but as I grew older, I became aware and hence I became the enemy of State; as you, a victim but definitely not as trusting.
I will give you some advice: 1. Never “assume” – 2, Never believe in “We”.
Both can get you liquidated.
Thank you for your comments.Some people just cannot be helped.
Ho hum
Dear peterjbolton
I agree with all your comments, this world economics and politics is a mess, corrupt and impossible to fully predict. I am young man but have found a way to work with the grain to move forward in life. My secret is to work very hard every day, live within my means and stay ahead of the curve. In Australia for example I refuse to purchase a house at these inflated prices.
My main point in difference is that you believe people are an innocent victim of this system, poor pensioners and common people. This in my opinion is completely wrong, people are by nature greedy, arrogant and are very happy to receive a handout or money for nothing. When things are going well for them, the value of real-estate or shares increase out of thin air that is fine, but when its turning back to reality than its the systems fault. Screw them, now it’s simply payback, the time for reckoning, most people accept for the young children deserve the depression that will fall upon them. I Don’t believe in wiping peoples debt or debt jubilee, I believe in imprisoning people in hard labor camps who go bankrupt .If people are happy to steal they must be prepared to pay it back.
The moral is: if you want a Nobel Prize, don’t say anything original:-)
Gee Kalman, you’ve disappointed me now. “people are by nature greedy, arrogant and are very happy to receive a handout or money for nothing”. Not all people are like that, I know plenty that aren’t. I’m not religious at all, but next time you see someone ‘struggling’ pause for a minute and repeat to yourself ‘But for the grace of god go I’ after all it’s human to er.
Debtors prisons finished hundreds of years ago Kalman the world has moved on from that.
There are quite a few people I know who have families and are in debt, if or when the crash comes I’d like to think I might be able to help them rather than gloat while they are thrown into a debtors prison. I doubt their young children are guilty of any criminal conduct, just innocent victims of a broken financial system.
The next step forward will be when we move away from worshipping the holy dollar and concentrate on what’s important like clean air, clean food, clean water and the health and well being of those that share the place with us.
Ralph37 +1
The following I post on behalf of Peterjb – it does I believe contain important clarification for “Kalman”
@Kalman October 24, 2012 at 8:18 am | #
“This in my opinion is completely wrong, people are by nature greedy, arrogant and are very happy to receive a handout or money for nothing.”
“If people are happy to steal they must be prepared to pay it back.”
Let me begin by saying that ‘greed’is an emotional definitive to a Human Trait, without which, we would not be that which we are: It is the trait to excel, to overcome; to venture forth; to pioneer; to achieve’ to go where no man can place his tongue, yet. It is to be human. However, when forced to feed upon itself, as now, man in his materialistic founded socio-economy, loses his spirituality particulalry when the proaganda du jour, demands a material attitude’ enter Edward Bernays and the battalions of eagerly corruptable Economists to pay lip service as to why you should buy – “stuff”
As regards handouts, we have these offered from the hustings at every so-called election; bribes to vote for those that promise the most. Of course, they don’t tell you that government has no money, so to give to you they must steal from somebody else, like from your next door neighbor or close friend. Government also has no Power, so it steals that from you by educating you in the wonders of dying for your Country, and protecting you from “terrorists” is some country -like Afghanistan – you have never heard from. Yes, you give Power to your Government.Terrorism btw is a political tool invented by “Uncle Joe” Stalin and all acts of terrorsiswm are perpetrated for and by “political expediency”; just the same as all “Economic” decisions are made
Most “Economists” spend their whole professional (sic) life living on your productivity (I congratulate you on your resolve), that is, Government handouts in one form or another, and now we see Keen throwing a tissy because the ALP Communist government of Australia has cut his funding so that they the Communist alp Party – stand a better chance at being re-elected. Life just sucks, mais oui?
The Constitutional Republic of the USA at its inception became a “Society” – of like minded persons who sought nought but liberty, freedom and the right to pursue happiness – with no guarantees of findong same. It didn’t last long for the first Bank that would create the Nation’s currency, soon arrived on its shores; from there on, this Society, became a “State”, where the powerful and so-called elite maintained their impositions to scam its populace. A Society is of free men; a State is an oppressed Society.
Australia was a State from the beginnings (x6 in fact); a colony controlled by the British Crown and today with two political Parties; the ALP representing Organized Crime and the LIberals, representing the Crown. Today, both are identical and work together in sychronisity, to their various agenda to milk the Public. Central Bank is controlled by BoE (please note that Glen Steven moves off to take up residence in the UK as a BofE chief pilferor of the Public Funds at the end of his current terms with the RBA – or so it has been reported).The final reward of a fine colonial servant.
Australians’ have been gouged by their various governments and central bank (RBA) since the beginnings and hence it is little wonder in such a milieu, that we have some thieves amongst us. But then, what happens at the upper rungs, always trickles down. I don’t blame them at all and this is accepted Economic Theory.
However, Economic Theory (sic) doesn’t take into consieration the myriad of aspects and variants of human nature (people must behave according to the mathematical definition of the Economists’ formulae), nor the milieu in which they demographically find themselves dispersed upon the Earth, per se. Economic Theory (s), and there are many, takes into consideration only those complexities that can never be challenged (most of it makes any sense at all. In other words, nobody in government making a Economic decisions really gives a shit (store high in Transit) what Steve Keen or any other Economists has computed. It is always a matter of scamming the System, Political longevity (tenure) or taking orders/instructions from the Banking System.
As a consequence, the masses are victimed, daily, and by whatever Party is in Power and therefore in this highly biased Recursive Scamming Economic delight called Economic System, people must at all times try to protect themselves.Do you think that these so-called Economists care? Most stand up and cheer when the people take another hit of taxes; look at the Carbon Tax wrought.
Lyonwiss was correct; Just a cheap meal ticket – albeit without care and responsibility. The only time they scream, it seems, is when their access to Public funding is stopped; waiting to die.
Would it be too much to expect some element of responsibility from these Economists that live their lives off the Public Teat in deriving some real insights into a system of Economics that is sustainable and without War and Genocide and the like, for human socity? Unfortunately, the answer is, Yes; it is too much to expect as they all are afraid for their tenure; their bottom line. Indeed, the Banking System would immediately end their careers and possibly their lives, and they all know that, so there can be no excuse of ignorance?
To be an elite and to be of privilege at the Public Purse, demands an ethic, morality, integrity and most of all, courage and values. The unwashed cannot look after themselves beyond serving blindly under the blanket of lies and manipulations by the useful fools that serve the Banking System.
Let the Banks go Bankrupt and jail the guilty Yes, but have compassion for those that cannot be helped.
It will soon be time to experience the “awful Grace of God”. And,if one survives, ensure that you learn the lessons.
“Revenge shall be mine sayeth the Lord.”
Ho hum
Gee Clive, I am sorry you feel its fine not to pay back people and take responsibility for stacking on debt and spending beyond ones ability to earn. That is called theft and is a reckless way to live.
People need to help themselves before they steal and spend all the borrowed money.
Never underestimate the other mans greed- Scarface 1983.
Dear Sirius and Peterjb,
You are of course correct in all your points.
My only point is that people must take responsibility for their actions or lack of. Nobody forces one to take on debt and one must realize that it is not a right to earn a profit out of speculation. It is gambling and not investing to expect to gain out of not working.
@Kalman
October 26, 2012 at 8:10 am | #
Your Point is precisely correct. FYI “gambling” was once illegal in this country, but today, as long as government takes a major share, it is not only encouraged, but expected.
Ho hum
Steve, why don’t you look for a position in private industry? It’ll provide a fresh perspective, and a lot more work with empiricism, just as you teach should be the way for economists. Plus you’ll get a chance to see the inner workings of finance like never before. Things that are never reported to public or taught in schools. Companies dont care about Keynes vs Austrians vs post-keynes. All they want is short and medium term forecasts that work.
Finally, you’ll get more software and simulation support than you can shake a stick at.
I don’t use MATlab because we have our own propietary dynamic sim code with an entire software engineering team to write whatever special tool I need. With a very advanced graphical user interface. Its very slick.
Steve why not think outside the box and look for funding to be a visiting professor at an interdisciplinary institute on the application of maths to social issues, like the Santa Fe institute.
Steve, In my opinion you should start something of your own. Like there are lots of business like car dealership, online business and many more.
A long time ago, probably 6 years now, i learned an important lesson
from the blogosphere; That being that Gresham’s law, long thought
to pertain only to competing currencies, also applies to comments.
Sad, but true.
Hadn’t thought about it before, Robert. But I have to agree.
@ Kalman
“I am sorry you feel its fine not to pay back people and take responsibility for stacking on debt and spending beyond ones ability to earn. That is called theft and is a reckless way to live.
People need to help themselves before they steal and spend all the borrowed money.”
Kalman perhaps you need to read again what I said. At no time did I say the above. Matter of fact I think it’s careless to go deep into debt. Your attitude seems to be that if people find themselves in financial difficulty then they are stealing. People fall on hard times for many reasons, the idea that you just throw them all in jail is what I’d call 19th century thinking.
My great great grandfather owned property in the depression of the late 1800′s he was forced into bankruptcy by the incapacity of others to pay him. Let’s take some of the building failures at the moment, there are some contractors I know will loose their houses not directly through there own doing but from the insolvency of the building company they were working for. There’s even quite a few
people have helped there kids with loans, if things go bad and their son or daughter looses their job then they may loose their own house.
I like to think of Australia as a compassionate society rather than some throwback to the 19th century. As I said earlier the world has moved on.
Answer to: Sydney economics school in crisis
http://www.brw.com.au/p/sections/eco/ditching_economics_schools_say_bad_dXyrDc2e0ix1uOMXWdEw0J
The professors’ employers might not like the professors to say this, but I can.
Tuition is too high.
Most likely, less students and their parents can afford the high tuition (other fees apply) of >=$20K at UWS. Those who have to or want to find lower financial price alternatives. If parents have been hit by a down turn and are in debt for non productive real estate this follows. Going into debt in a down market is not attractive to smart people. You figure out how to give your customers what they want and need and they wont run away!
I looked at one of the other universities tuition (only) in the city and it was about >=$8K.
*** You can find out by talking to your student and parent, customers, the students in the competing schools, and the ones that applied but did not come. Easy as that. They can tell you what is going on. No need to come up with your own theories. They are your customers. You smart people put your minds to it and you can give your customers what they desire and need.
I don’t buy the idea of the competitor lowering standards. So what if they did. Some might consider that raising service levels! School is a value added activity to bring students up. Most of who ever you accept should be able to get a good education and a degree.
Professor Keen makes a good point about reacting to a temporary glitch.
I have been watching tuition go up in an other country. This idea might be workable but might differ from the status quo. There are lots of opportunities to increase the efficency of education for the student and the school. In universities I have observed that the classrooms are often empty.
Walking around, the universities, they look like high fixed cost operations. They are. Take UWS about $1.3 Billion of the about $1.5B of total assets are Property Plant and equipment, land, buildings, and physical plant (2011 report.) The expenses for the year were 0.5-0.6 odd billion. So we have a proportionally high fixed cost. You could physically put more students through a school, using class rooms that are empty and charge them less. The fixed costs would be divided among more students, reducing the cost per student. This is known as increasing the turn over. Some examples are running more product through a factory by increasing the rate of production. Providing twice the value for a product and selling them in your store at ten times the rate!
If you are in an economy where there is higher youth unemployment this might be a good idea.
Professor Keen, if your school is going to do such a thing get a hold of me and I’ll give you some ethical and legal money making ideas.
The main point in the last post was:
Find out why there are a drop in students by questioning your students and parents then listen to them. To find the root of the problem it is time to be empirical rather than theoretical. In this case its easy, cheap, and efficient. Phone, face to face, email, fax. Easy. They are your customers.
I’m sorry to hear this Steve – there can be no-one less deserving of this than yourself.
I’m sure you are aware of most of the non-neoclassical universities in the UK – just in case, however:
SOAS – very well-regarded branch of the University of London – heavy Marxist core there with many classical marxists (which you may not like), but also some like Costa Lapivisitas who do more of a Keynesian-Marxian synthesis
Birkbeck – traditionally left-wing university. Had quite a few marxists in the past (many of whom migrated to SOAS). Not sure about the current faculty, though.
Kent
Stirling (used to have Sheila Dow)
University of East London
Open University
Try offering your services to these places (as you are no doubt thinking of doing). I’m sure your relatively high public profile should get you noticed – I certainly hope so, anyway.
Good luck!