Charles Cooper Memorial Lecture: From creative destruction to destructive creation

Prof. Luc Soete, UNU-MERIT
From creative destruction to destructive creation
In this Cooper Memorial lecture, the internal contradictions between the multiple pursuit of smart, sustainable and inclusive growth will be further analysed along the arguments first developed for the Marie Jahoda memorial in 2011 on the 'destructive creation' as opposed to the creative destruction characteristics of new technologies and innovation. Back in the late 1980’s when Charles Cooper set up the United Nations University Institute for New Technologies, he was fully aware of these internal tensions as reflected in many of his writings on adapted technologies, choice of techniques and second-hand machinery. These notions were limited though to what were called in those days the 'underdeveloped countries' and formed part of the vision development economists had about science, technology and development. In this lecture it will be argued how those old insights appear suddenly of particular relevance to global sustainable development.
About the speaker
Until September 2016 Luc Soete (15 September 1950, Brussels) was Rector Magnificus of Maastricht University. Before that he was Director of the United Nations University research and training institute: UNU-MERIT located in Maastricht, The Netherlands and Professor of International Economic Relations and Director-Dean of the Maastricht Graduate School of Governance (MGSoG) at Maastricht University. He is a member of the Royal Dutch Academy of Science (KNAW).
Venue: Lumière Cinema Maastricht, Bassin 88, 6211 AK Maastricht
Date: 21 November 2018
Time: 16.00 - 18.30 CEST