Like many public intellectuals his contributions sat alongside positions and interventions we didn’t always agree with, leading to vociferous debates within the network
Robert championed spaces for disagreements and critical thought, helping us build the international movement for economics renewal
He worked with the earliest Rethinkers in the UK on initiatives around critical econ ed, including joint programmes & a book club
His long engagement with questions of how econ is taught & efforts to include Keynesian ideas in contemporary debate shaped many exciting conversations we were part of
Robert Skidelsky, the economic historian who was a leading authority on the life and work of John Maynard Keynes, has passed away
www.theguardian.com/books/2026/a...
Green grainy background. Bold text of different fonts in green and yellow says chasing economic growth will never be sustainable. Below is a black and white photo of hands holding money. Text says: 'The climate crisis demands a radical redesign of the system we live under. Rising GDP leads to rising carbon emissions as people’s lifestyles change'. A graph shows rising GDP along with rising emissions for the past fifty or so years.
We need to shift our mindset from focusing on economic growth to focusing on wellbeing.
That's where the solution to the climate crisis lies.
Red background with outline of Iran. Text explains oil execs and arms companies are profiting from war in Iran. Defense contractors and oil companies are making huge amounts of money from the war in Iran and the global instability it is causing. Arms company Lockheed Martin, a central defense contractor of the US government, saw it’s stock price 25% since the start of the year. The price of US-produced oil has shot up following the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz leading the share price of US oil companies to boom.
Yet again, fossil fuel execs and arms companies get rich off violence and destruction.
In a global economy built on fossil fuels and militarism, a small number of super wealthy people are getting even richer.
A black and white photo of girls reading the newspapers. Text in a pink text box says 'want to keep up to date with our news?'.
Our next newsletter comes out next week!
Subscribe now to find out what the network has been up to: rethinkeconomics.org/newsletter/
Multi-coloured pastel background with lots of pink. Text says: Call for article submissions. A new article series seeks to amplify voices from the Global South in shaping discourses in the EU & German policy. Proposals that critically examine EU/German policy from a Global South lens are invited. The Voices in Transition series seeks to bridge critical gaps in policy debates by highlighting alternative frameworks that authors from and working on the Global South bring to urgent global challenges.
If you have opinions, analysis and commentary - we have an opportunity for you.
A new series amplifies voices from the Global South to shape discourses within the EU & German policy - if you've got a ideas, send us a pitch!
Submit: docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F...
Your curriculum could be next!
Join our campaign to get doughnut econ on the curriculum: actionnetwork.org/forms/doughn...
A photo of a landscape and city from the DRC with a headshot of the co-founder of RE UC-Bukavu and text about the upcoming webinar explained in the caption.
Interested in learning more about the economy of the #DRC?
Join this webinar from the co-founder of RE UC-Bukavu!
🗓️ Saturday 11th April - 8pm Sydney, 11am Kinshasa & London
Join: us02web.zoom.us/j/8371168122
Background of students sitting around a table with the backdrop of mountains. Text invites you to the Post Keynesian Economics and Political Economy school from 21st-24th June At University of Greenwich Places from £40 with/ without accommodation School is aimed at undergraduate students.
It's that time of year again! Time to start thinking about summer schools ☀️
Join the Post Keynesian Economics and Political Economy school in June!
More info: www.postkeynesian.net/event/2026-p...
Square text book paper. Title says: COLONIALISM HAS FUNDAMENTALLY SHAPED GLOBAL EDUCATION SYSTEMS. Arrow pointing to next slide says 'here's how'.
Square text book paper. Text: Under colonialism education serves to ensure the continued governance of the population - to do so it reinforces social hierarchies, supresses Indigenous knowledge, and creates ‘elite’ forms of education From what our curriculums look like through to who has access to education - we still live with the impact today. Photo from Rhodes must fall campaign of students with banner saying 'don't diversify, decolonise'.
Square text book paper. Text: How we learn. Rather than allowing for many different forms of learning, schooling becomes about following the coloniser’s one set approach With European colonialism teaching through oral traditions, apprenticeships, or land-based learning were replaced with teacher-centred, text-based and exam-driven approaches. Photo of trees beside.
Same background. Text: Before British colonisation India had a rich and decentralised education system that operated in regional languages as well as Sanskrit Colonialism marginalised Indian knowledge systems - centuries of scientific, medical and philosophical advancements were erased Not only did this impact education but it sought to erase Indian identity.
Decolonising education starts with looking at our current education systems critically.
When it comes to prioritising one knowledge system we see this heavily with econ education.
#RethinkingEconomics is #decolonising economics.
The alarm bell is ringing for a global economy built on fossil-capitalism and yet the crisis spirals further.
As always, the most marginalised - who have done least to cause this crisis - bear the biggest burden.
www.newstatesman.com/internationa...
Blue background with bubbles and text: 'small is good, small is all' by Adrienne Maree Brown. Creating change can feel daunting but Adrienne Maree Brown reminds us that small actions can have big impact - especially when we come together - collectively our small actions become seisemic shifts. We’ve seen the impact of this across the RE network! Whether RE Ecuador who reshaped their curriculum or the group at UNAM, Mexico, who got feminist-econ on the curriculum after an occupation at the uni. Ready to take action?
The scale of change needed in this world can feel overwhelming.
By focusing on the small steps together we can change the system.
Take action today: rethinkeconomics.org/get-involved
An ongoing series brings together Economic History scholars from across the Global South for exchanges that connect the present to the past.
The Economic Histories of the Global South is a series collaboration with @WitsWiSER & @pathwaysfromneo
Watch: www.youtube.com/watch
Did you do the International Baccalaureate?
They're designing their next econ course and are looking for you!
Help them shape the next IB econ course to create a course that supports a more equal world 🌎
Register your interest: forms.office.com/pages/respon...
Golden background with pink swirly text saying: “YOUNG PEOPLE MUST BE CO-ARCHITECTS OF THE FUTURE, NOT OBSERVERS”
Same background with text: The UN is running an initiative called ‘Beyond GDP’ to develop indicators that include social and environmental wellbeing. A joint project by Rethinking Economics International, Beyond Lab & UN Trade & Development has brought intergenerational perspective to the process
Same background, text: At a recent Beyond GDP forum it was clear that intergenerational exchange was vital to the process The quote on the first slide, from Nathalie Delorme, of Beyond Lab, shows how central youth contributions have been to the process. There is a photo of Natalie in bottom corner.
Same background, text: Because a metric including social & environmental wellbeing must ensure that of future generations. By shaping, not just participating, in the process the youth project has allowed young people to become ‘co-architects’ of the process. Photo beside of some rethinkers.
The UN is running a process to move #BeyondGDP - to include wellbeing in our metrics.
Through the Youth Moving Beyond GDP initiative young people have been co-architects of this process 🔥
Read more about the role they've played on our blog: rethinkeconomics.org/blog/2026/03...
Green crinkled background with Text: Is cop humanity's biggest greenwash.
Text: A decade after the Paris Agreement we saw the hottest year on record In a new blog post on our site, RE Finland’s Merja Turpeinen, argues that the COP process allows the Global North to avoid accountability while pressuring poorer nations Frameworks such as the Paris Agreement are weak because they lack enforcement mechanisms
Text: A recent study from the US & UK showed that degrowth enjoys public support when presented as a full policy package The possibility for us to persue a path of degrowth is there! It’s time to demand real action from policy makers - action that deals with the root of the ecological crisis. Beside is a photo of a banner saying degrowth.
Text: An economic system built on consumerism hurts everyone We need to uncouple the idea of wellbeing from economic growth Degrowth offers a solution to the socio-ecological crises - a planned reduction of production and consumerism in the Global North The exact degrowth policy mix would differ from country to country
The disappointment at #COP30 last year was palpable.
It failed to deliver on its promise of being the 'people's COP'.
Without dealing with our quest for endless growth the COP progress will never be more than greenwash, argues Merja Turpeinen: rethinkeconomics.org/blog/2026/03...
Photo: ckohtala
A new heterodox course brings art to the classroom and connects economics to justice.
Sasha High, a lecturer on the course, gives us her insight: rethinkeconomics.org/blog/2026/03...
It's that time again: Join us for our members call! 🌟
Meet other rethinkers and find your place in our global network 💡
⏰ 18th March, 13:00 UTC, Online
Sign up: actionnetwork.org/events/membe...
Purple colour with photo of students from RE Zambia. Text: Workshops in base-building, structure creation, popular education & campaigning. 4x 1.5 hour online every week for 4 weeks from Wednesday 8th April, 2pm UTC tbc. For those starting new group/those becoming leaders in existing group
Our Local Group training gives you the skills to get your group off the ground!
⏰ Apply before Sunday 21st March!
Apply here: rethinkeconomics.org/resources/tr...
The super-rich are a threat to democracy.
To challenge ultra-wealth we must first understand it - by understanding the dreams and fears of the super-rich.
The latest in the Economists 4 Future Anti-Fascist Economics Debate series looks at just this: www.econ4future.org/articles/gre...
Picture of sun setting over a field, text: What does land have to do with capitalism? Economics education has de-historicised economics because capitalism survives by being seen as natural as the only system that has - or will ever - exist. But it’s not true - it was created and it can be changed
Text: A key moment in creation of capitalism is the shift from feudal system to agrarian capitalism in England. Part of this was privatisation of common land and removing people from it and forcing them into poverty and wage labour leading to labour that powered the industrial revolution
Text: in quest for endless profit capitalism relies on colonialism to get resources for continuous production Leading to dispossession & genocide of Indigenous communities From Colombia to the DRC to Palestine, from the 14th century to today
Text: The land we walk on and the nature around us have never been separate from the economy The two are intertwined Land is central to capitalism and yet mainstream economics tries to teach us that nature is an externality - when you know the history you know that’s not true
To understand an economic system you need to know its history.
To challenge an economic system you need to lay bare it's biases.
The problem is, even if we could better anticipate upcoming risks we know policy makers so often fail to act on this without public pressure Long before the COVID-19 pandemic governments were warned of the looming pandemic threat and yet many were nowhere near prepared What’s more, we know avoiding climate collapse will require not just an energy transition but a social and economic one - this model would reflect the current system rather than changing it
Graduated blue and purple background with text saying 'COULD A $100 MODEL OF THE WORLD ECONOMY ACCELERATE THE GREEN TRANSITION? This guy thinks so!' pointing to a photo of Professor Doyne Farmer.
Text: Trad econ models are too simple to give useful predictions or too complex for computers. Professor Doyne Farmer’s solution is a complexity model of the worlds economy representing every company making decisions as things change. He says this allows politicians to better see impact of decisions
Text: He says climate is area where econ model failure is key, complexity models solve two issues with current models 1)idea agents act rationally 2)idea economy is in equillibrium. His model allows agents to make decisions based on simple rules reflecting the real world & using less computing power
What do you think? Could a complexity model help us accelerate to a greener, cleaner society?
Photo credit: Magnus Manske
In 2024 we released our report 'Is Economics Fit for the 21st Century?' - great to see it being quoted in this article.
The challenge to mainstream economics only grows louder 📣
Take a read: www.thedailystar.net/campus/opini...
A pink circle over a white square on a place square with text saying: Climate-social policy: The guiding star for transformation with the author's name: Astrid Schaffert.
The climate crisis is a crisis of inequality - meaning climate policy must be designed with those most impacted in mind.
The second in the Economists4Future Anti-Facist Economics Debate Series looks at this in the context of Germany: www.econ4future.org/articles/cli...
'Economics is only ever called upon to defend the status quo'
But Rethinking Economics chapters across the world are changing this.
There's great coverage of the work being done by one of these groups - Rethinking Economics Oxford - in this piece: www.oxfordstudent.com/2026/02/21/a...
Orange background with images of speech bubbles and note pads saying things like 'keep learning' and 'express yourself'. In the middle white text says 'are you a content creator?'
Orange background with text that says: We’re launching a free training programme for UK-based creators who want to make economic issues engaging & accessible. Giving you an understanding of key economic issues & how to communicate about them. The programme offers two immersive residentials & all food, travel & accommodation paid for. Apply by 9th March!
The stories people hear about the economy are narrow, confusing, or just plain wrong. We're changing that.
If you are a UK-based creator that interested in progressive change, join our new programme!
Apply by 9th March, 9am UTC: bit.ly/4seiAFl
Great to see REI featured in @motherjones.com !
This republish of the @theguardian.com piece covering our work shows how this global movement has secured more than 80 campaign wins - including major curriculum reforms 🔥
Now we're working on the next 80+! ✨
www.motherjones.com/politics/202...
A graduated pink to purple background with white text saying 'Our global community came together! To share 2025 wins & goals for the year ahead - don't miss our next organisers call!'. In the centre is a screengrab of organisers from across the world on a zoom call.
Organisers from around the world shared their wins, goals, and big plans for their groups with Rethinking Economics International this year 🌎
Join us for the next one!
Black background with a white square and green circle over the top. Text says: (A) Tipping Climate? Mentalities, the new defensive consensus, and the prospects of transformative politics.
As fascism rises across the world - what role can economics play in resisting?
Explore just that - read the first in our Anti-fascist Economics articles series: www.econ4future.org/articles/a-t...