Jesse Norman MP on Adam Smith

Every day we hear about the evils of modern capitalism, from bent markets to corruption, inequality and the encouragement of selfishness. And more than anyone else, these evils are attributed to Adam Smith. Yet Smith was the very opposite of these things in his personal life. And his ideas, far from spawning the excesses of capitalism, show us how to understand and combat them.

Our present world faces huge challenges, including how to generate and sustain economic growth, how to deal with problems of globalization and escalating inequality, and how to create moral understanding across different communities of history, interest and belief. To understand and address these problems today, we need to return to the Scottish Enlightenment, and to Adam Smith.

Jesse Norman MP studied at Oxford, before completing a Masters and PhD in Philosophy at University College London. Before entering politics, he ran an educational project in Communist Eastern Europe and was a Director at Barclays. He has also been an Honorary Fellow at UCL, a Governor of the National Institute for Economic and Social Research, and a Visiting Fellow at All Souls College, Oxford. His previous books include a celebrated study of Edmund Burke.

This event was held in partnership with Edinburgh University Business School. 

First Minister's Reading List Launch

This event was the launch of the inaugural David Hume Institute First Minister's Reading List.

The David Hume Institute is delighted to present its 2018 First Minister’s Summer Reading List. Bringing together some of the best recent writing from Scotland and beyond, the list is intended as a fresh way to stimulate debate about the state of the nation and the world. While the Institute does not endorse every view expressed in the books, they are all good reads, based on evidence and with something of significance to say. We hope the First Minister – or indeed any Scot – will find them thought-provoking and an enjoyable addition to their summer break. 

The event explains the reasons for compiling the list and why the specific books on this year's list were chosen. 

Lord Kerr on Brexit

Baron Kerr of Kinlochard was Ambassador and UK Permanent Representative to the European Union from 1990 until 1995, and Ambassador to the United States from 1995 to 1997. He was then Permanent Under Secretary at the Foreign Office and Head of the Diplomatic Service from 1997 until 2002. A household name due to his authorship of Article 50, Lord Kerr is a Trustee of the Carnegie Trust for the Universities of Scotland, Chair of the Centre for European Reform and Deputy Chair of Scottish Power.

This event was held in partnership with Edinburgh University Business School.

David Willetts on Universities

Lord Willetts spoke about how we have ended up with the higher education system that we have, and about the challenges facing universities today as globalisation and technological innovation continue to gain pace. This event took place on 22 March 2018.

Willie Rennie: 2018 Politicians and Professionals Series

For our 2018 Politicians and Professionals Series we asked each of the  major Scottish Party Leaders to speak on the theme of ‘Scotland After Brexit’.

Richard Leonard: 2018 Politicians and Professionals Series

For our 2018 Politicians and Professionals Series we asked each of the major Scottish Party Leaders to speak on the theme of ‘Scotland After Brexit’.

Ruth Davidson: 2018 Politicians and Professionals Series

For our 2018 Politicians and Professionals Series we asked each of the major Scottish Party Leaders to speak on the theme of ‘Scotland After Brexit’.

Nicola Sturgeon: 2018 Politicians and Professionals Series

For our 2018 Politicians and Professionals Series we asked each of the major Scottish Party Leaders to speak on the theme of ‘Scotland After Brexit’.

Richard Wyn Jones and Michael Keating on Welsh and Scottish perspectives on Brexit

Professors Richard Wyn Jones and Michael Keating considered the major challenges Brexit poses to the 1999 devolution settlements; the role of the devolved governments in negotiations; the allocation of competences currently shared with Europe, and related issues.

Richard Wyn Jones is Director of the Wales Governance Centre at Cardiff University, and Michael Keating is Director of the Centre on Constitutional Change.

The event was chaired by Dame Mariot Leslie on 21 November 2017. 

Nicholas Macpherson on economic policymaking in a UK outside the EU

Baron Macpherson of Earl's Court served as Permanent Secretary to the UK Treasury from 2005 to 2016, serving under three Chancellors and managing the department through the financial crisis which began in 2007. He joined the House of Lords in October 2016.

The event was sponsored by Baillie Gifford and took place on 13 November 2017.