Sir Richard Lambert, Chancellor of the University of Warwick and former editor of the Financial Times, will speak tomorrow [25^th April] on how other countries can learn from Singapore’s remarkable economic success story.

Sir Richard will deliver a lecture to alumni and friends of the University of Warwick in Singapore entitled The great convergence: why some low income countries will continue to catch up with the rich developed economies of the West, and some will fail.

The lecture will take place at the National Museum of Singapore on Thursday 25^th April.

With wealth and economic output growing rapidly outside the West over the last decade, he will examine the elements which sustain countries in their transition from emerging to advanced economies.

Sir Richard identifies four vital factors necessary to do this – the strength of political institutions and the rule of law, openness to trade and the movement of people and ideas, depth of human capital and of social cohesion, and finally demographic trends.

He said: “The bottom line is that a country’s long-term success is partly to do with luck – it can’t choose its location.

“It’s partly to do with history and culture, which are the foundation stones of institutions and a society’s values.

“And it’s above all to do with sound governance and a sense of purpose.

"That’s why Singapore has succeeded so remarkably.

“And the good news is that many other countries are now moving – often faltering and sometimes with backwards steps – along the same path.”

Sir Richard became Chancellor of the University of Warwick in 2008.

He is a former Director-General of the influential UK business organisation the CBI, former editor of the Financial Times and was knighted in the 2011 New Year Honours for service to business.

He has also served on the Bank of England’s Monetary Policy Committee.

ENDS

For further information or to attend the event please contact Anna Blackaby University of Warwick press officer on a dot blackaby at warwick dot ac dot uk

More information about the event is available here

For further information or to attend the event please contact Anna Blackaby University of Warwick press officer ona dot blackaby at warwick dot ac dot uk

More information about the event is available here