Tim Besley
Encyclopedia
Timothy John Besley, CBE
served on the Bank of England
's Monetary Policy Committee
from September 2006 to August 2009 and is Kuwait professor
of economics
and political science
at the London School of Economics
, Director of the Suntory-Toyota International Centres for Economics and Related Discpilines (STICERD), and Director of the Master of Public Administration
(MPA) at the LSE.
He attended Aylesbury Grammar School
. He then studied at Oxford University, where he gained a B.A.
in Philosophy, Politics and Economics (1st Class) and an M.Phil.
and a D.Phil.
in Economics. At Oxford, he was one of the most successful students, evidenced by winning three George-Webb Medley Prizes for his BA and M.Phil research thesis.
His career began as a prize fellow at All Souls College, Oxford
. He then served as an assistant Professor at Princeton University
before returning to the UK in 1995.
He is also a research fellow of the Institute for Fiscal Studies
, a research fellow of the Centre for Economic Policy Research
and a member of the Institutions, Organizations and Growth Program of the Canadian Institute for Advanced Research
.
His research interests are focused on aspects of economic policy formation in developed and emerging market economies. He is one of the leading economists involved in restoring the study of political economy to prominence in mainstream economics.
He is a Fellow of the British Academy, a Fellow of the Econometric Society
and is a foreign honorary member of the American Economic Association
and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences
. He is a past co-editor of American Economic Review
—the first person to serve in this position not based at a US university. He is the 2010 president of the European Economic Association
. In 2005, he won the Yrjö Jahnsson Award
for Europe
an economics and he was awarded the 2010 John von Neumann Award
by the Rajk László College for Advanced Studies at Corvinus University of Budapest. Besley was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the 2010 Birthday Honours.
Since 2011, he acts as Advisor to Fair Observer, an online magazine covering global issues from a plurality of perspectives, on economics and public policy issues .
He is married to Gillian Paull and has two sons called Thomas and Oliver. He lives in the Barnes area of London.
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
served on the Bank of England
Bank of England
The Bank of England is the central bank of the United Kingdom and the model on which most modern central banks have been based. Established in 1694, it is the second oldest central bank in the world...
's Monetary Policy Committee
Monetary Policy Committee
The Monetary Policy Committee is a committee of the Bank of England, which meets for two and a half days every month to decide the official interest rate in the United Kingdom . It is also responsible for directing other aspects of the government's monetary policy framework, such as quantitative...
from September 2006 to August 2009 and is Kuwait professor
Professor
A professor is a scholarly teacher; the precise meaning of the term varies by country. Literally, professor derives from Latin as a "person who professes" being usually an expert in arts or sciences; a teacher of high rank...
of economics
Economics
Economics is the social science that analyzes the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services. The term economics comes from the Ancient Greek from + , hence "rules of the house"...
and political science
Political science
Political Science is a social science discipline concerned with the study of the state, government and politics. Aristotle defined it as the study of the state. It deals extensively with the theory and practice of politics, and the analysis of political systems and political behavior...
at the London School of Economics
London School of Economics
The London School of Economics and Political Science is a public research university specialised in the social sciences located in London, United Kingdom, and a constituent college of the federal University of London...
, Director of the Suntory-Toyota International Centres for Economics and Related Discpilines (STICERD), and Director of the Master of Public Administration
Master of Public Administration
The Master of Public Administration is a professional post-graduate degree in Public Administration. The MPA program prepares individuals to serve as managers in the executive arm of local, state/provincial, and federal/national government, and increasingly in nongovernmental organization and...
(MPA) at the LSE.
He attended Aylesbury Grammar School
Aylesbury Grammar School
Aylesbury Grammar School is a single-sex male grammar school in Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, England, which educates 1,250 pupils.-Admissions:As a selective state school, its entry requirements are dictated by the exam taken at the age of 10-11...
. He then studied at Oxford University, where he gained a B.A.
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
in Philosophy, Politics and Economics (1st Class) and an M.Phil.
Master of Philosophy
The Master of Philosophy is a postgraduate research degree.An M.Phil. is a lesser degree than a Doctor of Philosophy , but in many cases it is considered to be a more senior degree than a taught Master's degree, as it is often a thesis-only degree. In some instances, an M.Phil...
and a D.Phil.
Doctor of Philosophy
Doctor of Philosophy, abbreviated as Ph.D., PhD, D.Phil., or DPhil , in English-speaking countries, is a postgraduate academic degree awarded by universities...
in Economics. At Oxford, he was one of the most successful students, evidenced by winning three George-Webb Medley Prizes for his BA and M.Phil research thesis.
His career began as a prize fellow at All Souls College, Oxford
All Souls College, Oxford
The Warden and the College of the Souls of all Faithful People deceased in the University of Oxford or All Souls College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England....
. He then served as an assistant Professor at Princeton University
Princeton University
Princeton University is a private research university located in Princeton, New Jersey, United States. The school is one of the eight universities of the Ivy League, and is one of the nine Colonial Colleges founded before the American Revolution....
before returning to the UK in 1995.
He is also a research fellow of the Institute for Fiscal Studies
Institute for Fiscal Studies
The Institute for Fiscal Studies is an economic research institute based in London, United Kingdom which specialises in UK taxation and public policy...
, a research fellow of the Centre for Economic Policy Research
Centre for Economic Policy Research
The Centre for Economic Policy Research , a registered charity founded in 1983 by Richard Portes , FBA, CBE, is a network of over 700 researchers based mainly in universities throughout Europe, who collaborate through the centre in research and its dissemination...
and a member of the Institutions, Organizations and Growth Program of the Canadian Institute for Advanced Research
Canadian Institute for Advanced Research
The Canadian Institute for Advanced Research enables Canadian researchers to work on international research teams that are custom built to transform their fields of study...
.
His research interests are focused on aspects of economic policy formation in developed and emerging market economies. He is one of the leading economists involved in restoring the study of political economy to prominence in mainstream economics.
He is a Fellow of the British Academy, a Fellow of the Econometric Society
Econometric Society
The Econometric Society is an international society for the advancement of economic theory in its relation with statistics and mathematics. It was founded on December 29, 1930 at the Stalton Hotel in Cleveland, Ohio....
and is a foreign honorary member of the American Economic Association
American Economic Association
The American Economic Association, or AEA, is a learned society in the field of economics, headquartered in Nashville, Tennessee. It publishes one of the most prestigious academic journals in economics: the American Economic Review...
and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences
American Academy of Arts and Sciences
The American Academy of Arts and Sciences is an independent policy research center that conducts multidisciplinary studies of complex and emerging problems. The Academy’s elected members are leaders in the academic disciplines, the arts, business, and public affairs.James Bowdoin, John Adams, and...
. He is a past co-editor of American Economic Review
American Economic Review
The American Economic Review is a peer-reviewed academic journal of economics publishing seven issues annually by the American Economic Association. First published in 1911, it is considered one of the most prestigious journals in the field. The current editor-in-chief is Penny Goldberg . The...
—the first person to serve in this position not based at a US university. He is the 2010 president of the European Economic Association
European Economic Association
The European Economic Association is a professional academic body which links European economists. It was founded in the mid-1980s. Its first annual congress was in 1986 in Vienna, Austria...
. In 2005, he won the Yrjö Jahnsson Award
Yrjö Jahnsson Award
The Yrjö Jahnsson Award is a biennial award given by the Finnish Yrjö Jahnsson Foundation and the European Economic Association to European economists under the age of 45 "who have made a contribution in theoretical and applied research that is significant to the study of economics in Europe." ...
for Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
an economics and he was awarded the 2010 John von Neumann Award
John von Neumann Award
The John von Neumann Award, named after John von Neumann is given annually by the Rajk László College for Advanced Studies , to an outstanding scholar in the exact social sciences, whose works have had substantial influence over a long period of time on the studies and intellectual activity of the...
by the Rajk László College for Advanced Studies at Corvinus University of Budapest. Besley was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the 2010 Birthday Honours.
Since 2011, he acts as Advisor to Fair Observer, an online magazine covering global issues from a plurality of perspectives, on economics and public policy issues .
He is married to Gillian Paull and has two sons called Thomas and Oliver. He lives in the Barnes area of London.
Works
- Principled agents?: the political economy of good government, Oxford University Press, 2006, ISBN 9780199271504
- Delivering on the promise of pro-poor growth: insights and lessons from country experiences, Editors Timothy Besley, Louise Cord, World Bank Publications, 2007, ISBN 9780821365151