Latest News

The Academy of the Social Sciences in Australia (ASSA)
Spark Grants for Social Science Week events. The Academy is delighted to launch of a new small grants program to support social science organisations to hold in-person and online events during the annual Social Sciences Week program: 8-14 September 2025.
Rechnitz Memorial Award for Indigenous society, culture and language. Nominations are open for the Academy’s inaugural Rechnitz Memorial Award, recognising excellence in research leadership and advancement of knowledge of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander society, culture and language.

Election of President, Secretary & Treasurer
The current Executive terms finish on 31 August 2025 and the roles of Central Council President, Secretary and Treasurer will be up for election.

ACE 2025
The 2025 ACE Committee is extending the call for abstracts for ACE by two weeks to COB Monday 14 April 2025.
The Committee especially welcomes abstracts for papers that fit the Conference theme Economics for a Changing World, that address major current issues, as well as the education of economists, and any papers describing high quality research in economic-related subjects.

Trump's impact on the Australian Economy
Poll 66
Top economists say Trump’s policies will hit Australian economic growth and push up inflation and interest rates in the US.
Responses (38)
Housing Reform
Poll 65
Panellists are unanimous in believing Australia’s housing market is in crisis.
Offered a choice of 14 measures identified by the Economic Society of Australia as likely to restrain prices for buyers and renters, none of the 49 leading economists polled picked: “do nothing, the market will determine appropriate prices”.
Responses (967)
Awards 2024
A number of prestigious awards were bestowed upon worthy economists at ACE24, held in Adelaide. Read on to find out who won the 2024 ESA National Awards.

Budget 2024
Poll 64
Panelists were asked to comment on two questions:
Is the budget likely to achieve its aim of getting inflation back within the RBA target band by the end of this year and back to 2.75% by mid next year?
And
On May 14, the government delivered a budget designed, in the Treasurer's words, to "focus on fighting inflation in the near term and then growth in the medium term " - What grade would you give the budget, given that objective? A, B, C, D, E or F
Wes Mountain/The Conversation, CC BY-ND https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/4.0/
Responses (990)
ACE 2024
The Australian Conference of Economists was held in Adelaide, SA from 10-12 July. Presented papers will be published on our website in due course.
Next year's ACE will be held at UTS in Sydney and coincides with the Society's 100 year anniversary. Preparations are well underway to bring members a very special event - please stay tuned for more details about ACE25. In the meantime, hold the date of 6-9 July 2025 and register your interest via the dedicated ACE25 website.

Unreserved - RBA's latest release of digitised archival records
The latest tranche of archival records has been released in the Bank’s digital archive, Unreserved. It includes early economic analysis conducted by the central bank from 1930 to 1970.
Events

Young Economists Social Event at Oche Brisbane
Event Type: ESA Event
Date: Thursday Jul 3, 2025, 6:00 pm
Come join your fellow Young Economists and Students for a few rounds of darts at Oche. For $25, you’ll get two hours of gaming, food, and drinks.
Tickets are limited, so get in quick! Please RSVP by Tuesday 1 July to secure your spot.
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WEN-NSW Coffee Meetup at ACE 2025
Event Type: ESA Event
Date: Tuesday Jul 8, 2025, 8:00 am
To mark the 100th anniversary of the Australian Conference of Economists (ACE), the Women in Economics Network (WEN) NSW is hosting a casual coffee catch-up for women economists in Sydney.
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Adnan Khan:The outlook for the global economy, innovation and trade
Event Type: ESA Event
Date: Tuesday Jul 8, 2025, 5:30 pm
From: Australian Capital Territory
The ESA ACT Branch is thrilled to invite our membership to a rare opportunity to hear from Professor Adnan Khan.
Professor Khan is currently the Chief Economist and Director of Analysis Directorate in the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO), United Kingdom. He is Professor in the School of Public Policy at the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE). His leadership in research and policy initiatives by generating ideas-based solutions have promoted important drivers of economic growth.
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Adnan Khan: Dinner and Policy discussion
Event Type: ESA Event
Date: Tuesday Jul 8, 2025, 6:45 pm
From: Australian Capital Territory
Professor Adnan Khan: Dinner and Policy Discussion
The ESA ACT Branch is pleased to invite our Professional members to enjoy a dinner and policy conversation with Professor Adnan Khan. Professor Khan is currently the Chief Economist and Director of Analysis Directorate in the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO), United Kingdom.
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2025 Corden Lecture
Event Type: Wide/Public Interest
Date: Thursday Jul 24, 2025, 6:00 pm
Come join us for an engaging evening with Professor Paola Conconi from University of Oxford as she delivers the prestigious Corden Lecture. This in-person event promises to be enlightening and thought-provoking, covering a wide range of topics in economics and global affairs. Don't miss this opportunity to hear from one of the leading experts in the field. Reserve your spot now!
For further details and registration please click here.
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Careers Driving Economic Development
Event Type: ESA Event
Date: Tuesday Jul 29, 2025, 5:30 pm
We are excited to invite you to a special panel event hosted by the Economic Society of Australia Queensland Young Economists and Economic Development Australia (EDA).
Join us for an insightful discussion featuring four panellists who are making significant contributions to the field of economic development. The facilitated discussion will cover:
- Career Journeys: Learn how our panellists navigated their paths to success in economic development.
- Early Career Insights: Discover what they wished they had known about economic development at the start of their careers.
- Impactful Work: Understand how their work is driving positive change in economic development.

Charting Australia’s path to a fairer and more prosperous future - ONLINE ONLY
Event Type: ESA Event
Date: Wednesday Jul 30, 2025, 12:30 pm
Recent events in the USA and Europe show how rising inequalities can fuel social division, polarisation and political instability. This serves as a stark reminder of how important it is to monitor the health of our nation and take action to avoid a similar fate. So how does Australia’s progress on key economic, social and environmental indicators compare to our peers? Where are we falling behind and what are the risks? Can we turn around the rising levels of inequality, declining investment in innovation, and persistent poverty in Australia and chart a path to a fairer and more prosperous future? Our new report card on Australia’s progress on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) helps to answer these crucial questions.
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Emerging Women in Economics Cocktail Event
Event Type: ESA Event
Date: Thursday Jul 31, 2025, 6:00 pm
The Economic Society of Australia invites you to an inspiring evening of connection and conversation at our ‘Emerging Women in Economics’ cocktail event.
This special gathering is designed to bring together early-career women economists, students, professionals, and friends of the field for a relaxed and uplifting night of networking and idea-sharing.
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Developing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander economics students
Event Type: ESA Event
Date: Wednesday Aug 6, 2025, 5:30 pm
Join us for the launch of an exciting new animation designed by and for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students, demystifying economics and showcasing its relevance to communities. This engaging resource aims to inspire the next generation of young minds to consider economics as a pathway for creating positive change.
The event will showcase data on Indigenous enrolments in economics, feature a screening of the animation, followed by a panel discussion with educators, economists, and community leaders. The discussion will focus on strategies to support and encourage more Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students to pursue economics.
Together, we’ll discuss ways to remove barriers, spark curiosity, and create meaningful opportunities for young people in this field. This is an opportunity to connect with like-minded educators, policymakers, and community advocates who are passionate about empowering the next generation. We’d love for you to be part of this important conversation.
This event, co-organised with the University of Queensland School of Economics, is free of charge and open to non-members of the ESA QLD.
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LinkedUP! August
Date: Thursday Aug 14, 2025, 5:30 pm
It’s time for another LinkedUP! The WEN Queensland branch invites you to join us for an informal networking evening. Come along to connect or reconnect with old and new WEN members.
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Medicine in an era of exponential technological change: what will this mean for you, and for Australia?
Event Type: ESA Event
Date: Wednesday Sep 17, 2025, 11:45 am
We are in the midst of a transformation of medical technology, driven in large part by parallel exponential changes in three areas of technology: genomics, which provides high-resolution data about the molecular composition of our bodies; data science and AI, which allow us to identify patterns in these data; and therapeutics, which provides increasingly precise ways to intervene in human biology to prevent or cure disease. In combination, these technologies define the emerging field of genomic medicine, which has already had a profound impact on the diagnosis of genetic disorders and the treatment of cancer, and has the potential to improve virtually all areas of healthcare. However, these technologies also create new challenges, including maintaining high quality in an era of rapid change; potential increases in the cost of healthcare; and equity of access and impact. Prof MacArthur will outline the potential of the field of genomic medicine and summarise the challenges ahead, acknowledging that resolving them will require a multi-pronged strategy across research, healthcare systems, policy, and society.
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The Roads to Development: Work, Markets and Institutions
Event Type: Workshops/Conferences
Date: Monday Oct 20, 2025, 12:00 am
The Roads to Development is a two-day conference bringing together a number of leading academics with the aim to revisit the concept of development and consider the conditions that make it possible in the present state of the world. Among our keynote speakers we will have worldwide known economists as Nobel laureate Joseph Stiglitz, Jeffrey Sachs, Stefano Zamagni, Juan Francisco Jimeno, and Albino Barrera, as well as sociologist Allison Pugh.
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LinkedUP! November
Date: Thursday Nov 13, 2025, 5:30 pm
It’s time for another LinkedUP! The WEN Queensland branch invites you to join us for an informal networking evening. Come along to connect or reconnect with old and new WEN members.
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Chinese Economics Society Australia
Event Type: Workshops/Conferences
Date: Monday Dec 1, 2025, 12:00 am
Hosted by Deakin Business School in Melbourne, Australia, the 35th Annual Conference of the Chinese Economics Society Australia (CESA) aims to explore the impact of the artificial intelligence (AI) in reshaping China’s economic landscape and its profound implications for the global economy. The conference welcomes both theoretical and empirical contributions, with particular emphasis on interdisciplinary perspectives that bridge economics, policy analysis, and technological foresight.
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Welcome to the National website of the Economic Society of Australia (The Society). The Society is primarily concerned with promoting discussion and debate of economic issues within Australia.