The University of Siena is honoured to welcome Professor Matthew Jackson, a leading expert in economic and social networks from Stanford University, for the 8th Hahn Lecture, taking place on May 16, 2025, at 11:00 AM in Aula Romani. His lecture is titled “The Role of Networks and Social Capital in Determining Patterns of Inequality and Economic Mobility.” The event will open with greetings from Rector Roberto Di Pietra and Professor Filippo Belloc, Director of the Department of Economics and Statistics. The session is coordinated by Professor Nicola Dimitri, with an introductory talk by Professor Paolo Pin.
Matthew Jackson is a Senior Fellow at the Stanford Institute for Economic Policy Research (SIEPR) and earned his Ph.D. in Economics from Stanford University. He has held appointments at prestigious institutions including the California Institute of Technology (Caltech). His research focuses on strategic behaviour in social and economic settings, especially the formation and influence of networks on information flow, economic opportunity, and market dynamics. His acclaimed book, Social and Economic Networks, is a foundational text in network theory. Professor Jackson is a member of the National Academy of Sciences and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and recipient of numerous awards, including the John von Neumann Award for his contributions to game theory and the social sciences. He frequently advises research institutions and policymakers on the critical role of networks in shaping economic and social outcomes.
The Hahn Lecture honours the legacy of Professor Frank Hahn, a renowned economist who held positions at Birmingham, LSE, Cambridge, and Siena and taught at the University of Siena from 1990 to 1996. A leading figure in general equilibrium theory and monetary economics, Professor Hahn’s work continues to influence generations of economists. This annual lecture is organized by the Department of Economics and Statistics at the University of Siena with the support of Chianti Banca.
