We are honoured to share that Elias Papaioannou, Professor of Economics at London Business School (LBS) and Co-Academic Director of the Wheeler Institute, and the Wheeler Institute’s African History Through the Lens of Economics lecture series, have been highly commended in this year’s Responsible Business Education Awards by the Financial Times.
The lecture series drew over 27,000 participants from more than 160 countries and 1,000 universities. Impressively, 80% of participants were from outside the field of economics, and 77% were from Africa. Over 10 weeks, the course explored key moments in African history through an economic lens, covering topics such as the legacy of precolonial statehood, the transatlantic slave trade, colonisation, independence movements, and the Cold War. This approach provided updated insights into Africa’s past and how it continues to shape the continent’s economic and development challenges today.
The teaching programme used geospatial data, anthropological maps, colonial archives to allow participants a more nuanced understanding of the history allowing them to draw meaningful connections between Africa’s history and its present-day economic realities. The series made an important contribution to understanding how history and economics intersect in shaping the future of the continent.
Led by Professor Papaioannou alongside Leonard Wantchekon (Princeton University), Nathan Nunn (Harvard University), and Stelios Michalopoulos (Brown University), the course sparked interesting, interdisciplinary discussions and generated ideas for new research.
In response to the recognition, Professor Papaioannou said: “This distinguished award is a ringing endorsement of all those who were involved in devising and delivering the course, the quality and standing of which has now been recognised by the FT.”
In addition to this commendation, the series was awarded the inaugural European Economic Association (EEA) Award for ‘Innovation in Teaching’ in 2023.