By Gavin Mackintosh-
Sir Tim Besley, School Professor of Economics and Political Science(pictured) and W Arthur Lewis Professor of Development Economics at the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE), has been appointed to the UK Government’s Levelling Up Advisory Council.
The Government’s Levelling Up White Paper, which includes academic heavyweights, industry and civil society, named a few unsung stars who will support Ministers by advising on the design, delivery and impact of levelling up policy.
The bright 62 year old is a commissioner on the National Infrastructure Commission, a Quondam Fellow of All Souls College, Oxford, and the Director of the Suntory and Toyota International Centres for Economics and Related Disciplines (STICERD) at the LSE. In 2018, he served as President of the Econometric Society, and from 2006 to 2009 he was an external member of the Bank of England’s Monetary Policy Committee. He won the 2005 Yrjö Jahnsson Award.
The first class Oxford University graduate in Philosophy, politics and economics is a recognized genius among academic scholars with enviable accomplishments to his name.
He won the George Webb Medley Prize for best exam performance in his cohort for his second and third years, and also achieved an MPhil in economics with Distinction and the George Webb Medley Prize for the best MPhil performance in his cohort, followed by a DPhil in Economics upon election as an Examination Fellow of All Souls College in 1984.
A decorated academic, he served as the Director of the Suntory-Toyota International Centres for Economics and Related Disciplines (STICERD), and as a member of the Steering Group for the International Growth Centre. He served on the Bank of England’s Monetary Policy Committee from September 2006 to August 2009.
He was originally an assistant professor in the economics department and Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs aAmerican Academy of Arts and Sciences. He was a co-editor of American Economic Review — the first person to serve in this position not based at a US university. Fellow of the British Academy, a fellow of the Econometric Society, and foreign honorary member of the American Economic Association and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, Besey’s resume is intimidating by any standards.
The veteran academic is much respected by the best brains in academics, loved and admired by students as an excellent teacher and extremely accomplished professional. Students and lecturers at the London School of Economics which hosts one of the best summer schools for ambitious students from both within outside have expressed oy at his elevation to government level.
One tutor from the LSE who asked for anonymity because he had not been given authority to speak openly on his appointment , told The Eye Of Media.Com: ”I don’t think many people understand just how valuable the contribution of Sir Tim Besley to any group of people will be. He is brains from another planet and also very down to earth.
People like Tim Besley are not very common, he is brilliant and multi-talented in every sense of the word. There are many bright academics, even in his field who can’t match him. He will be a blessing the Uk government’
Professor Susana Mourato, Pro-Director of Research at LSE, said: “Regional inequality in the UK is not a new problem but it is a hugely significant one, leading to typically lower education, health and economic outcomes for those living in more deprived areas. If these inequalities are to be addressed, It is vital that the right policies are put in place now, and I am delighted that Professor Sir Tim Besley will be advising government on this issue.”
Professor Sir Tim Besley said: “There are significant and entrenched inequalities between and within regions of the UK that need urgently to be addressed. If we are to create sustainable change, policymakers will need to consider many factors, including infrastructure, education, healthcare, skills and housing. I am pleased to be contributing to the government’s work to address these key issues and look forward to the work ahead.”