I was interviewed twice on the BBC yesterday about Yanis Varoufakis and Syriza’s attempts to resolve its debt crisis with the EU–once on the BBC News Channel and once on BBC World News. The video clips are below. Click here to see Yanis’s “modest proposal” for resolving the crisis.
The Renegade Economist Ross Ashcroft has published a pithy and powerful Guardian video on the likelihood of another economic crash:
As you may know, I am now Head of the School of Economics, History and Politics at Kingston University London. I took on the position for two reasons: because Kingston was already a centre for pluralist economics; and because as Head of School I could maintain and strengthen its pluralist approach. I’d like you to consider joining me here, and if you plan on doing a Masters in Economics in the 2015–16 academic year, then now is the time to apply.
Kingston offers a range of Economics MA degrees from heterodox, pluralistic and applied perspectives, full time and part time. Our degree units are:
The latest in my regular conversations with Simon Rose of Share Radio. This time, to quote their blurb:
Steve keen on why the Greek finance minister is fantastic, QE will not work, conventional economists have no idea how the real world works.
I first met Yanis Varoufakis when he was a senior lecturer (the 3rdstep in the 5‑tiered Australian system, equivalent to a Professor in the USA) at Sydney University in the late 1980s, and I was a tutor (the 1st step) at the University of New South Wales. We’ve been friends ever since, and now he has become globally prominent as the Finance Minister of the most troubled and high profile economy on the planet, Greece.
About 40 years ago, one of Maggie Thatcher’s chief advisors remarked that he wouldn’t be satisfied when the Conservative Party was in government: he would only be happy when there were two conservative parties vying for office.
He got his wish of course.
The polls were right: Greece did elect Syriza, the left-wing coalition party (its name is actually a Greek acronym for “Coalition of the Radical Left”), bringing to power the first staunchly anti-austerity party in the EU, and the first element in their policy document is to “Write-off the greater part of public debt”.
That is likely to lead to some fractious negotiations with the EU, and possibly even a messy exit from the Euro. Before that happens, there will be some messy commentary in the media as well, and I fully expect most commentators to take a line like that in my title.
I was interviewed by Gordon Long for the Financial Repression website last week. The video is below; a brief summary of our discussion is posted on the Financial Repression website and reproduced below.
PROF. STEVE KEEN TALKS
FINANCIAL REPRESSION
THE ART OF GETTING AN EDUCATION IN ECONOMICS
Professor Steve Keen has found that top flight universities are dominated by very narrow, doctrinaire teaching. This stylized view has resulted in critics of this view only getting jobs in low ranking university. With pride Steve Keen puts his latest university in that camp. “If you want a good education in Economics, you don’t go to a good university. The wider range of thought and diverse analytics is found at the lower ranking university. Kingston University is one of those classic university!”
I was interviewed by Lelde Smits for the Finance News Network on my recent trip back to Sydney. Below is the beginning of the transcript; you can read the rest by clicking on this link. Or click below to watch the interview with Lelde.
Transcript of Finance News Network interview with Kingston University Head of Economics, Politics and History, Dr Steve Keen
Lelde Smits: Hello, I’m Lelde Smits for the Finance News Network and joining me from London’s Kingston University is Head of Economics, Politics and History, Dr Steve Keen. Steve, welcome back to Sydney and to FNN.
University of Greenwich and Kingston University are jointly organizing a series of lectures in advanced macroeconomics based on a political economy approach combining institutionalist, Keynesian and Marxist traditions. The lecture series builds on the research expertise of staff in political economy at both universities, and is designed originally for our PhD students; however we welcome PhD students from other universities or Masters students, who wish to explore more advanced topics. The lectures assume knowledge of core concepts in macroeconomics at the Masters level. Each day has two lectures. A brief description of each lecture and an indicative reading list can be found in the link to each lecture below. The location of the lectures alternate between the two universities. Attendance is free and there is no registration requirement.
