Amartya Sen lecture held at the WTO, Click on image to see slideshow.

On Wednesday Amartya Sen, 1998 Nobel Memorial Prize Laureate in Economic Sciences, and current Professor of Economics and Philosophy at Harvard University, delivered the Graduate Institute’s academic opening year lecture entitled “What’s the use of Economics?”.

The event was held at the Institute’s neighbour and long-time partner institution, the World Trade Organization. After Pascal Lamy, WTO Director-General, gave the opening remarks, the Director of the Graduate Institute, Philippe Burrin, addressed the nearly 800 guests, officially opening the 2012-2013 academic and welcoming new students and professors.

Jacques Forster, Chairman of the Graduate Institute’s Foundation Board and former ICRC Assembly Vice-President, introduced Professor Sen and presented him with the first Edgar de Picciotto International Prize. The Institute created the Prize to show its gratitude and to pay homage to Mr de Picciotto and his family for their exceptionally generous support, which contributed in large part to the financing of the Student House. Attributed every two years, the prize awards internationally renowned academics, who through their research have contributed to the better understanding of global challenges, and whose work has influenced policy-makers.

Watch the video of the lecture:

Introduction
Lecture
Question and answer session

On the day of the event, Professor of Development Economics and former student of Professor Sen, Jean-Louis Arcand interviewed Professor Sen. Watch the interview below.

Professor Sen was also interviewed by the newspaper Le Temps during his stay in Geneva. Read the interview.