Godbey Lecture

Klaus Desmet Presents at Godbey Lecture Series

On March 1, 2022, Klaus Desmet presented his paper “David Ricardo in Today’s World: Supply Chain Problems, Climate Change, and the Backlash Against Globalization” in the Godbey Lecture Series.  This lecture celebrated the 250th anniversary of the birth of David Ricardo, the British economist who developed the concept of comparative advantage, fundamental to our understanding of the benefits of free trade.

In the lecture, Desmet argued that Ricardo’s ideas continue to be relevant for addressing many of the world’s most pressing problems, such as: How can trade help humanity adapt to climate change? How is comparative advantage related to the post-Covid supply chain problems the U.S. is facing? What explains the backlash against globalization and the rise of populism in many Western democracies?

The Godbey Lecture Series is a distinguished Dedman College tradition with a 35-year history. The series features SMU faculty lecturing on a variety of topics, most often marking important historical events on their anniversary year. Lectures are free and open to the public.