Warwick Law School News

The School of Law and the Department of Economics hosted the 55^th Annual THETS Meeting from 3 to 5 September 2025. Annual meetings have been held since 1968, making THETS one of the oldest established groups of historians of economics.

The conference, which took place in the Social Sciences Building, brought together 35 economists and historians from four continents to discuss some of the latest research into various aspects of economic thinking from the seventeenth century until today. Speakers examined the ideas and policy positions of thinkers associated with mercantilism, physiocracy, classical political economy, Marxism, neoclassical economics, game theory, institutional economics, environmental economics, and heterodox economics.

THETS conferences run in plenary mode only, so that all attendees benefit from the breadth of the topics covered. The quality of this year’s programme and the engagement of the audience with each of the presentations were impressive.

With most delegates staying on campus, there were valuable network opportunities as discussions continued over drinks and dinner.

A highlight of the conference was a panel on ‘The history of economic history’ with Prof Sascha Becker (Xiaokai Yang Chair of Business and Economics, Department of Economics), Prof Maxine Berg (Emeritus Professor of History, Department of History), and Prof Colin Lewis (Emeritus Professor of Latin American Economic History, LSE). The panel delved into the foundations of the field in the interwar period, discussed its subsequent split with the rise of cliometrics from the 1960s onwards, and assessed the state of play today.

"I was delighted to participate in the conference on the history of economic thought. I had not participated in these conferences since my years as an early career scholar during the 1970s and 1980s," said Prof Berg. "Though the history of economic thought is no longer a significant taught option in Economics departments, and occupies a marginal place in the intellectual history streams of History departments, this conference, which covered a long chronology of ideas and writers from Europe, North and South America, and Asia, presented a lively field."

"It was an immense pleasure to participate in the panel on the history of economic history and to reflect on how the discipline has developed over the past decades," Prof Becker said. "I am fully convinced that economic history has a bright future as more and more historic sources become available in digital format. Large language models will allow us to research vast amounts of texts and help us ahead further light on historic developments."

Many speakers connected the history of economics as a discipline with the economic and political events of the time. This included Shengzhe Huang, a PhD student in Law, whose paper on ‘Sir Robert Hart and the Modernisation of the Chinese Maritime Customs System (1863-1911)’ was in the opening session of the conference. "I found the THETS conference both inspiring and rewarding,’ Shengzhe said. "Sharing my work and learning from others has given me fresh insights into the intersections of law and economics."

The local organisers were Dr David Gindis (Associate Professor, School of Law) and Dr Cecilia Lanata-Briones (Assistant Professor, Department of Economics).

"This year’s THETS conference brought together a wonderful group of diverse scholars doing high-quality work on a range of fascinating topics. The papers generated stimulating discussions, and I dare say that the event was thoroughly enjoyable for all. The support received from the School of Law and the Department of Economics is greatly appreciated."

"It was a great pleasure to organise this year’s THETS conference at Warwick. The THETS format enables very meaningful and fruitful interactions. The ‘history of economic history’ panel really demonstrated how the history of economic thought and economic history are intertwined."