Jean-Jacques Laffont Lecture & Prize

 

Since 2005, Toulouse School of Economics has been organising the annual Jean-Jacques Laffont Prize which is awarded to a renowned international economist whose research, in the spirit of the work undertaken by Professor Jean-Jacques Laffont, combines both the theoretical and the empirical. The prize laureate presents his or her work at a public lecture, in partnership with the city of Toulouse and its Mayor. 


Jean-Jacques Laffont Prize 2023

In 2023, the Prize has been awarded on December 14 to Pierre-André CHIAPPORI from Columbia University.

More information on the event page.

 

 

Year

Laureate

University

Nobel prize

Videos

2023

PIerre-André Chiappori

Columbia University

 

2022

Philippe Aghion

Collège de France

 

2021

Roland J. M. Bénabou

Princetown University

 

2020

Matthew O. Jackson

Stanford University

 

2019

Marianne Bertrand

Chicago University

 

2018

Daron Acemoglu

MIT

 

 

2017

Ariel Pakes

Harvard University

 

 

2016

Susan Athey

Standford University

 

 

2015

Elhanan Helpman

Harvard University

 

 

2014

Joseph E. Stiglitz

Columbia University

2001

      

2013

Eric Maskin

Harvard University

2007

 

2012

Robert Townsend

MIT

 

 

2010

Robert Wilson

Standford University

2020

 

2009

Roger Myerson

University of Chicago

2007

 

2008

Richard Blundell

University College London (UCL)

 

 

2007

Stephen Ross

MIT

 

 

2006

Daniel McFadden

University of California, Berkeley

2000

 

2005

Peter A. Diamond

MIT

2010

 

               

 

The prize winners present their work at a public event wich is largely attended by business leaders, decisions makers, economists, TSE students and researches.

 
Year Laureate Lectures University Nobel prize
2023 Pierre-André CHIAPPORI Human Capital and the Family Columbia University  
2022 Philippe AGHION Rethink Capitalism : the power of creative destruction Collège de France  
2021 Roland BENABOU Beliefs and Misbeliefs: The Economics of Wishful Thinking Princeton University  
2020 Matthew O. JACKSON The Dynamics of Social Networks and some of their Economic Consequences Stanford University  
2019 Marianne BERTRAND Gender Inequalities in the 21st Century University of Chicago Booth School of Business  
2018 Daron ACEMOGLU A narrow path to freedom: what weight for the state in the face of civil society? MIT Economics  
2017 Ariel PAKES Price and productivity: from company's choices to market results. Harvard University  
2016 Susan ATHEY The Internet and the News Industry Standford Business School of Graduate  
2015 Elhanan HELPMAN Globalization and inequalities Harvard University  
2014 Joseph. E. Stiglitz Creating the knowledge society: a new approach to growth, development and social progress Columbia University - Columbia Business School 2001
2013 Eric MASKIN Topic in Elections and Mechanism Design. Harvard University 2007
2012 Robert M. TOWNSEND Financial Design and Economic Development MIT Economics  
2010 Robert B. WILSON Stringent Criteria for Rational Strategic Behavior. Standford Business School of Graduate 2020
2009 Roger MYERSON State-Building, Leadership, and Local Democracy. University of Chicago 2007
2008 Richard BLUNDELL Designing a Tax System for the 21st Century: The Role of Theory and Evidence. University College London  
2007 Stephen ROSS The Cost of Social Security. University of Connecticut  
2006 Daniel McFADDEN How Consumers Respond to Incentives. University of California, Berkeley  2000
2005 Peter A. DIAMOND Pensions for an Aging Population. MIT Economics 2010

 

Before Professor Laffont's passing, the Institute organized each year a distinguished lecture honoring an internationally recognized economist.

2004 James HECKMAN The Technology of Human Skill Formation and its Implications for Public Policy. University of Chicago 2000
2003 Olivier Jean BLANCHARD Peut-on éliminer le chômage en Europe? MIT  
2002 Tony ATKINSON La distribution des revenus dans les pays de l'OCDE au XXème siècle. Oxford University  
2001 Dale JORGENSON Information Technology and Economic Growth. Harvard University  
2000 James MIRRLESS What Taxes Should There Be? Cambridge University 1996
1999 William NORDHAUS Global Public Goods and the Problem of Global Warming. Yale University 2018
1997 Hayne LELAND Produits dérivés et gestion du risque dans les grandes entreprises américaines. Haas School of Business (Univ. California Berkeley)  
1996 Paul SAMUELSON American and European Economic Divergences at Centuries End. MIT 1970
1995 Kenneth ARROW Discounting Climate Change : Planning for an Uncertain Future. Stanford University 1972
1994 Jacques DREZE L'emploi en Europe. University of Liège  
1993 Robert SOLOW La Nouvelle Politique Economique américaine. MIT  1987

 

Jean-Jacques Laffont was a brilliant economist. He was appreciated for his vision, courage and generosity. His scientific output is impressive in its quantity, quality and scope. He is the author of 17 books and 200 articles in numerous economic domains. He was one of the founding fathers of the theory of information, particularly in the area of anti-selection, the study of interactions and contracts under asymmetry of information. He received many honors: the Silver Medal of the CNRS (1990); Honorary Member of the American Economic Association (1991); Foreign Honorary Member of the Academy of Arts and Sciences (1993); jointly with Jean Tirole, the Yrjo-Jahnsson prize from the European Economics Association, awarded each year to the best European economist under the age of 45 (1993).

Not satisfied with all that he was doing for economic research in France, Jean-Jacques Laffont also wanted to use his abilities for the benefit of developing countries. He travelled extensively, creating teaching facilities and encouraging research in China, Africa and Latin America. In another of his research fields, applied theory, Jean-Jacques Laffont focused on the application of the theory of incentives to the regulative mechanisms for network industries (telecommunications, electricity etc). Finally, while the technical demands of each subfield push most economists to specialise in a single area, he also made major contributions in econometrics. His work on the econometrics of auctions in the mid ‘nineties is considered path-breaking. His work on structural estimation in industrial economics (on the detection of cartels, for example) is also fundamental in the field.

Jean-Jacques Laffont displayed exceptional intellectual and social qualities which he used to serve his native region, the science of economics, the French university system, his students and his colleagues. These gifts allowed him to build both an outstanding career in research and as an academic innovator. As an academic leader, he always displayed a great generosity, encouraging initiative and the intellectual development of his co-workers. This same generous spirit was also manifested in his commitment to developmental economics, which was increasingly his focus these last years.