Over 100 students, fellows and alumni came together for the first in-person Clare Distinguished Lecture in Economics and Public Policy since the pandemic. 

The 2023 Lecturer was Dame Colette Bowe DBE, a member of the Bank of England’s Financial Policy Committee and former chair of the UK Banking Standards Board. Dame Colette has previously held a number of senior board roles across various sectors, including investment management, banking, private equity and transport. She was chairman of Ofcom from 2009 to 2014. 

Dame Colette was joined as discussant by leading British economist, journalist and academic Dame Francis Cairncross, former Rector of Exeter College, Oxford. Dame Francis has held senior positions at The Times, The Banker, The Observer and The Guardian and The Economist. 

The lecture was a timely reflection on the contributions that economists have made to the formation of policy in the UK over the last century.

The Clare Distinguished Lecture in Economics and Public Policy first took place in 2006. Each year, the College asks a distinguished visitor to deliver a lecture on a topic of their choice. The aim of the lecture is to encourage the interface between academia and business/public life. 

Click here to view all previous lectures. 

The Clare Distinguished Lecture in Economics and Public Policy is made possible by The Smithers & Co. Charity and Andrew Smithers (Clare, 1959).