The Colin Clark Memorial Lecture Series
Our annual public lecture and most prestigious event
2023 Colin Clark Memorial Lecture by
Professor Diane Coyle, Cambridge University
What has happened to economic progress?
In a time of extraordinary technological progress, the global community faces a complex challenge known as the 'productivity puzzle.'
Despite the rapid pace of innovation, many countries are seeing sluggish growth in productivity and, consequently, in living standards. At the same time, the critiques of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) as a measure of progress have grown louder in the face of mounting environmental crises and ageing populations.
So, are our conventional measures of productivity inadequate? Have we reached a point where innovation alone can no longer drive sustainable growth? Is it time to rethink GDP and switch to alternative metrics to measure progress?
About the speaker - Professor Diane Coyle
Diane Coyle is the Bennett Professor of Public Policy at the University of Cambridge. Diane co-directs the Bennett Institute, where she heads research under the themes of progress and productivity. Her latest book, Cogs and Monsters: What Economics Is, and What It Should Be, discusses how economics needs to change to keep pace with the twenty-first century and the digital economy. She was previously Professor of Economics at the University of Manchester.
Professor Coyle is also a Director of the Productivity Institute, a Fellow of the Office for National Statistics, and an expert adviser to the National Infrastructure Commission. She has served in public service roles, including as Vice Chair of the BBC Trust and member of the Competition Commission, the Migration Advisory Committee and the Natural Capital Committee. She was awarded a DBE in the King’s Birthday Honours List 2023 for her invaluable contributions to economic policy and practice, as well as her unwavering commitment to public service.
About the series
The lecture series is named in honour of the late Dr Colin Clark and his outstanding contribution to the field of economics. Each year a leading expert in economics is invited to present the keynote address.
Dr Colin Clark was a UQ Economics academic whose work on national income accounting was fundamentally important to the development of macroeconomics and to the approach of John Maynard Keynes.
While visiting Australia, he accepted the invitation of Queensland Premier Forgan Smith to work with the government. He reflected on the opportunity in a letter to John Keynes writing the opportunity was "too remarkable an opportunity to be missed for putting economics into practice."
In 1938 he was appointed Government Statistician, Director of the Bureau of Industry, and Financial Advisor to the Queensland Treasury, and provided the State's first set of economic accounts in 1940.
Dr Clark's greatest contribution to economics was his pioneering role in the construction of national accounts.
Previous lectures
Previous speakers
| Year | Speaker | |
|---|---|---|
| Thirty-first | 2022 | Erik Brynjolfsson, GDP-B: Accounting for the value of new and free goods in the digital economy |
| Thirtieth | 2021 | Matthew Jackson, The economic consequences and dynamics of social networks |
| Twenty-ninth | 2019 | Professor Alicia Rambaldi, International comparison methods |
| Twenty-eighth | 2018 | Professor Daniel Zizzo, Decision making: How to change it and why it matters |
| Twenty-seventh | 2017 | Professor John Quiggin, Unscrambling the Toll Road Egg |
| Twenty-sixth | 2016 | Professor Leslie M. Marx, How to defend against potential collusion by your suppliers |
| Twenty-fifth | 2015 | Professor Alison Booth, Gender in economics: A story in the making |
| Twenty-fourth | 2014 | Professor Dale Jorgenson, Australia and the Growth of the World Economy |
| Twenty-third | 2013 | Professor John Quiggin, National Accounting and the Digital Economy: The Case of the NBN |
| Twenty-second | 2012 | Professor Ross Garnaut |
| Twenty-first | 2011 | Professor Stephen King |
| Year | Speaker | |
|---|---|---|
| Twentieth | 2010 | Professor Erwin Diewert |
| Nineteenth | 2009 | Dr David Gruen, What Have We Learnt? The Great Depression in Australia from the Perspective of Today |
| Eighteenth | 2008 | Mr Gary Banks AO |
| Seventeenth | 2007 | Professor Ian Harper |
| Sixteenth | 2006 | Professor Alan Heston |
| Fifteenth | 2005 | Professor Stan Metcalfe CBE |
| Fourteenth | 2004 | Professor Allan Fels AO |
| Thirteenth | 2003 | Mr Angus Maddison |
| Twelfth | 2002 | Mr Ian Macfarlane |
| Eleventh | 2001 | Dr Peter McCawley, Asian Poverty: What can be Done? |
| Year | Speaker | |
|---|---|---|
| Tenth | 2000 | Professor Bob Gregory |
| Ninth | 1999 | Mr Ted Evans |
| Eighth | 1998 | Mr Ian Castles |
| Seventh | 1997 | Professor Geoffrey Harcourt |
| Sixth | 1996 | Dr Peter Crossman |
| Fifth | 1995 | Professor Warren Hogan |
| Fourth | 1994 | Emeritus Professor H.M. (Ted) Kolsen |
| Third | 1993 | Professor Peter Groenewegen |
| Second | 1992 | Emeritus Professor Heinz Wolfgang Arndt |
| Inaugural | 1991 | Emeritus Professor Jim O.N. Perkins |