Speaker:      Prof. Howard Williams

Abstract:    This seminar will look at the ways in which economists and others  contribute to public policy debates. How public policy debates are formed, influenced and evaluated.  The seminar will focus on the high technology sector (success as Telecommunications and platforms - although some other issue such as natural capital will be discussed).
One of the issues that will permeate the discussion is the nature of benefits, how these are created (e.g. through innovation) , how these benefits are held and distributed and how the effects of policy play out over time, and how benefits in one area may well create losses in other areas (an example here might be trade).

Short Bio:    Professor Howard Williams worked at the University of Strathclyde for many years and has been involved in work on the digital economy since the mid 1980s.  He has worked at the European Commission, The World Bank, The International Telecommunications Union and the UN International Governance Forum. He currently holds visiting positions at Oxford where he teaches Public Policy Economics, the University of Economics and Finance, Chengdu, China.