Doughnut Economics Live Oxford

Hello to all Economics students in Oxford.

I’m Kate Raworth, author of Doughnut Economics: seven ways to think like a 21st century economist, and I teach at Oxford University’s Environmental Change Institute. In Spring Term 2023, in collaboration with the student movement Rethinking Economics Oxford, and the OU student-led Climate Oxford Business Network, I’ll be running Doughnut Economics Live: a free 8-week course for all students (from Oxford Uni and Oxford Brookes Uni) who have come to the City of Oxford to study economics in some form. This is an invitation to join us - you can register to sign up here, and find out more below. 

Q: What is Doughnut Economics?
A: Doughnut Economics is an approach to economic thinking that synthesises insights from many heterodox schools of economic thought, particularly ecological, feminist, complexity, institutional and behavioural economics. To find out more, check out this TED Talk, and this one-page overview. The core concepts of Doughnut Economics are now being put into practice by national, regional and city governments, by businesses, consultants, teachers, architects, designers, NGOs and community organisations worldwide. Find out more about this evolving practice through the work my colleagues and I are doing with many practitioners at Doughnut Economics Action Lab.

Q: Where and when will the course be?
A: The course will run from Monday 16 January to Monday 6 March, at 5.30-7pm. It will be held in the Nelson Mandela Lecture Theatre at the Saïd Business School, Park End Street (opposite the train station) - see map. The day and location of the sessions in weeks 4 and 7, however, are yet to be confirmed.

Q: Why are you running this course?
A: I was a student of Politics, Philosophy and Economics at Oxford University 30 years ago (1990-93) and was frustrated – as many students in Oxford and worldwide still are today – by the narrow curriculum on offer. Years later, I read up on many schools of economic thought that we were never taught and I was struck by how valuable their insights were for understanding and addressing 21st century realities. So I wrote Doughnut Economics: seven ways to think like a 21st century economist to be the book that I wish I could have read as a student.

I have been teaching the ideas of Doughnut Economics to Masters students at the Environmental Change Institute (OU School of Geography) over the past 10 years, and these students often say “Why aren’t all economics students taught these ideas?” – so I have decided to see what happens if we make that possible. The course is organised independently of either university and open to students of both.

Q: What’s the commitment and preparation required?
A: I am making a personal commitment to lead this course every Monday night for 8 weeks and am delighted to offer it for free. I simply ask for reciprocity in return: that anyone enrolling in the course does so with the intention of coming for the whole term, so that together we build a learning community with mutual respect. If you enrol and then decide to stop attending, we ask that you let the team at Rethinking Economics Oxford know so that your place can be given to someone else.

In terms of preparation: students are busy so let’s keep this doable. What’s required is simply to arrive each week having read and reflected on the relevant chapter of Doughnut Economics. Additional readings and videos will be available online for anyone who wants to go deeper. I’ll take each chapter as a shared starting  point so you will need to have read it to be able to follow and contribute to the course. This will enable us to use our short time together for more interactive learning. So come prepared!

Q: Can I bring concepts from Doughnut Economics into my academic essays or dissertation?
A: Yes you can, as many students, researchers and leading scholars have already done, in over 100 journal articles and published papers, and many Masters dissertations and PhD theses that engage with the core concepts of Doughnut Economics.

Q: I’m not studying Economics – can I come?
A: Due to limitations of venue sizes, students of economics – in any form, at both Oxford University and Oxford Brookes University – will get priority in joining the course. Students of other subjects are welcome to apply via the Google form, and if there are enough places in the room, will also be welcome to join. Due to space limitations the course is restricted to university students in the city: for anyone else interested, there are many online webinars and recordings of lectures on DEAL’s platform, and you are warmly invited to view these.

Q: Will the course be recorded or live-streamed?
A: No, this course is in-person only. Many of my talks and lectures about Doughnut Economics are already available online for free on DEAL’s platform and everyone is welcome to view, use and share these. During this course we will focus on learning in the room, and I will be using the opportunity to experiment with new teaching content and approaches, in order to develop new educational materials and lesson plans for sharing online with teachers, students and the wider public worldwide, through DEAL. So what we cover on this course will ultimately be available online for everyone.

Q: Will there be doughnuts?
A: Yes – but they will all be conceptual.

Q: How do I sign up?
A: Fill in this Google Form and you'll soon hear from the Doughnut Economics Live Team.

I look forward to talking Doughnut Economics with you!