The Rede Lecture is the University of Cambridge’s oldest and most prestigious special appointment and was founded by the Chief Justice to Henry VII and Henry VIII, Sir Robert Rede.
Adair Turner, who is an Honorary Fellow of Gonville and Caius College, will speak on “The purpose of the University: Knowledge and human wellbeing in the modern economy”.
In his Lecture, Lord Turner will challenge common assumptions about the importance of economic growth maximisation and about the role of universities in achieving it.
He will question the dominant propositions that the primary objective of public policy should be to enhance long-term economic growth; and that therefore a primary objective of university research and undergraduate education should be to serve the interests of national productivity, national competitiveness and growth.
Against that background, he will set out a point of view on what the role of the university should be, both in relation to STEM subjects and to the arts and humanities.
Adair Turner was appointed FSA Chairman in September 2008. He has combined careers in business, public policy and academia.
In January 2008 he was appointed Chair of the Climate Change Committee, an independent body established under the Climate Change Act (2008). He is a Visiting Professor at the London School of Economics and at Cass Business School, City University.
He became a cross-bench member of the House of Lords in 2005. He was Chairman of the Pensions Commission from 2003 – 2006, and of the Low Pay Commission from 2002 – 2006. His book ‘Just Capital – The Liberal Economy’, was published by Macmillan in 2001.
Until September 2008 Lord Turner was a non-executive Director at Standard Chartered Bank; from 2000-2006 he was a Senior Adviser, Vice-Chairman of Merrill Lynch Europe, and from 1995-99, Director General of the Confederation of British Industry.
Prior to that, he was with McKinsey and Company from 1982-95, and between 1992-1995, built McKinsey’s practice in Eastern Europe and Russia. He was previously Chair of the Overseas Development Institute.
Lord Turner studied History and Economics at Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge from 1974-78, and he was a college supervisor in economics at Caius from 1979-82, teaching part time in parallel with his business career.
The Rede Lecture 2012 will start at 5.30pm in the Senate House on Thursday 16 February 2012. It is open to all, and will be followed by a reception in the University Combination Room. Senior Members of the University should wear gowns.
Reproduced courtesy of the University of Cambridge