From Mark Blyth, Director

Now that the semester is well under way it's time for an update. This academic year will be my final year as the director of the Rhodes Center, a position I have held since 2018. While I have loved being Rhodes director and all that it brought to me and the campus, it is time for someone else to take the reins. Who that person is will be announced in due course. But since I am still here for another year, the program continues…

Conferences

We will, as usual, have two anchoring conferences for the upcoming academic year. 

The fall conference, Growth Models in the Global South, is on Friday Sept 19 and is co-sponsored by colleagues from the London School of Economics & Political Science. It seeks to build out the Growth Model research program by applying the framework to states in the Global South. If you would like to attend this please email rhodes_center@brown.edu.

The spring conference Social Movements Opposing Climate Policy, will be on Feb 20-21 and is co-sponsored by the Climate Solutions Lab, and the Climate Social Science Network.

Speakers

We have an exciting line up of speakers for the fall:

Thea Riofrancos discusses her book Extraction: The Frontiers of Green Capitalism which explores the possibility of a less mining-intensive pathway to zero carbon transportation (12-1pm, Oct 31 | Joukowsky Forum | co-sponsored by the Climate Solutions Lab). 

John Cassidy, journalist at The New Yorker, examines global capitalism through the eyes of its critics. (12-1pm, Nov 14 | Location tbc. | co-sponsored by the Cogut Institute for the Humanities).

Cassidy’s talk will be complemented by Sven Beckert’s sweeping study of the global history of capitalism (12-1pm, Dec 3 | Joukowsky Forum | co-sponsored by the Department of History). 

In the spring we welcome Erik Peinert back to Brown to discuss his work on the politics of monopoly (12-1pm, Feb 6 | Joukowsky Forum).

Next, Rhodes Center affiliate Brendan Greeley will give a talk on his forthcoming book on the dollar as a product (12-1pm, May 1 | Joukowsky Forum)

Finally, I am delighted to announce that Cornelia Woll, President of the Hertie School, will deliver our 5th annual Ethics of Capitalism lecture (12-1pm, Apr 10 | Joukowsky Forum | co-sponsored by the Office of the President)

Please check our event listings for full details.

Global Challenges Research Seminar

In collaboration with other Watson research centers we have curated a program of speakers for the new Global Challenges Research Seminar series, which explores the political, economic, environmental, and security threats shaping the 21st century.

Podcast

As ever, we will continue the Rhodes Center Podcast with each of these authors as they present at Brown, so watch for updates. 

Postdocs

Lastly, we say farewell Mathias Larsen who has taken up a new position as Senior Policy Fellow, The Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change and the Environment at the LSE and we welcome two new postdocs Izaura Solipa and Albina Gibadullina.

I look forward to seeing you at our events.

Best wishes,

Mark Blyth