Ronald Tress Memorial Lecture

Established in 2012, the Ronald Tress Memorial Lecture is as an annual event honouring Ronald Tress (1915-2006), the Master of Birkbeck from 1968 to 1977. Tress was a hugely influential economist, and he established the economics departments at Birkbeck, so the Lecture invites a leading figure in the world of economics and finance to speak on the pressing issues. 

From 1941 to 1945, Tress was Economic Adviser to the British War Cabinet and he played a vital role in the development of the post-war Marshall Plan for Western European economic recovery. He was also Professor of Political Economy at the University of Bristol. In 1978 he was appointed Director of the Leverhulme Trust. 

2018

Professor Sir Adrian Smith, FRS: 'The challenges of Big Data'.

2017

Professor Wendy Carlin, CBE: 'Trump, Brexit and economics'.

2016

John McDonnell, MP: An audience with John McDonnell. 

2015

Lord David Currie: 'The reformed UK competition and consumer regime: a new legal framework for a changing marketplace'. 

2014

Neale Coleman, CBE: 'Economic regeneration and the impact of major sporting events'.

2013

Geoff Mulgan: 'How can we make the economy more innovative and creative - and reduce the risks of monopoly, predation and harm?'. 

2012

Professor Ron Smith: 'Military economics: defence choices for the UK'.