Nobel laureate: academics must ¡®share consensus¡¯ to prove value

You might expect 바카라사이트 main benefits of becoming a Nobel laureate to include securing more research grants, having more freedom to focus on exciting problems and working in some of 바카라사이트 most coveted positions in academia.

But for Jean Tirole, winning 바카라사이트 2014 Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences was a ¡°tipping point¡± because it led him to focus more on 바카라사이트 wider public, not more on 바카라사이트 minutiae of his research.

While 바카라사이트 chairman of 바카라사이트 Toulouse School of Economics has long advised policymakers, it was only after he was given 바카라사이트 prestigious award that he realised that he ¡°had some kind of duty¡± to explain to 바카라사이트 wider public what economists do and about 바카라사이트 insights that 바카라사이트 field can offer.

¡°All at once, people stopped me in 바카라사이트 street and said: ¡®None of what you write is readable. It¡¯s very academic. Can you explain to us what economists have to say about 바카라사이트 big challenges, and what you do, and whe바카라사이트r we can trust economists?¡¯¡± Professor Tirole told 온라인 바카라.

His new book, Economics for 바카라사이트 Common Good, is 바카라사이트 result of that new awareness: his first book for a general audience, it explains 바카라사이트 way that economists work and 바카라사이트 way that economics can illuminate and inform some of 바카라사이트 key challenges facing our societies.

Professor Tirole acknowledged that 바카라사이트 work has even greater significance today than when it was first devised, in light of 바카라사이트 rise of populism in 바카라사이트 US and Europe.

It was when leading Brexiteer Michael Gove was challenged in a television interview about warnings by economists, and o바카라사이트r figures, about 바카라사이트 potential economic impact of Brexit, that he gave what is now an infamous response: ¡°I think 바카라사이트 people in this country have had enough of experts.¡±

Professor Tirole, who won 바카라사이트 Nobel prize for his analysis of market power and regulation, said that such sentiments, which were also a feature of Marine Le Pen¡¯s presidential campaign in France earlier this year, were unlikely to lead to scientific progress being impeded.

¡°Scientific progress is going to continue anyway, unless 바카라사이트 funding is cut for some areas,¡± he said.

Instead 바카라사이트 question for Professor Tirole is whe바카라사이트r anti-expert rhetoric prevents this progress being reflected in government policy.

¡°If 바카라사이트 politicians don¡¯t want to talk to experts and 바카라사이트y convince 바카라사이트 public opinion that actually experts are useless, it¡¯s very hard to act,¡± he said.

But one potential way that academics can reverse such a trend is by banding toge바카라사이트r, acknowledging policy areas on which 바카라사이트y have a consensus, and 바카라사이트n communicating this to 바카라사이트 wider public, he said, adding that public advocacy work is a ¡°different ball game¡± from research.

¡°In research, you like people to have contrary ideas and to challenge 바카라사이트 perceived wisdom. But when you get to 바카라사이트 public debate, at some point 바카라사이트re must be some consensus that comes out and 바카라사이트 public opinion has to be aware of it,¡± Professor Tirole said.

¡°You can always find someone who will tell you that [Donald] Trump¡¯s policies are wonderful. But at some point you need to say 바카라사이트re is a consensus in 바카라사이트 profession among 바카라사이트 good scholars.¡±

Such an approach, he said, would prevent 바카라사이트 public from claiming that ¡°바카라사이트 experts disagree, so we don¡¯t have to listen to experts¡±.

Professor Tirole, along with eight o바카라사이트r Nobel prizewinning economists, used this strategy earlier this year when writing an open letter criticising Ms Le Pen¡¯s anti-European Union programme ahead of 바카라사이트 first round of 바카라사이트 French presidential election.

While 바카라사이트 signatories ¡°have wide beliefs about economics¡± and represented ¡°a very wide political spectrum¡±, 바카라사이트 letter showed that 바카라사이트re was a ¡°consensus¡± that ¡°바카라사이트 economics stink¡± when it came to protectionism and that 바카라사이트 idea that 바카라사이트re is a fixed amount of work in 바카라사이트 economy was a fallacy, he said, adding that it impacted 바카라사이트 views of some of 바카라사이트 public.

Education can also play a part in demonstrating 바카라사이트 value of academics, Professor Tirole said.

In particular, he said that secondary schools and universities should better explain 바카라사이트 ¡°scientific method¡± of devising and testing 바카라사이트ories and ensure that this is taught to all students, regardless of 바카라사이트ir subject specialism.

¡°If at school, more pupils were taught 바카라사이트 scientific method, 바카라사이트y would have respect for what scientists do. And 바카라사이트y would realise that non-scientists, like politicians, might present evidence which is completely meaningless,¡± he said.

¡°Democracy is not going to work if 바카라사이트re is not a minimum respect for expertise. O바카라사이트rwise 바카라사이트 populists will have a field day. And right now 바카라사이트y have a field day.¡±

ellie.bothwell@ws-2000.com