The CEU Lectures: George Soros on The Economy, Reflexivity and Open Society

President and Rector of Central European University, John Shattuck, is pleased to announce the first of The CEU Lectures, to be delivered by CEU’s Founder and Honorary Chairman of the Board of Trustees, George Soros. The lecture series will bring leading thinkers of our time to Central European University in Budapest to comment upon a broad range of global issues.

In his October lecture series, George Soros will unveil his latest thinking on economics and politics in five separate lectures. They are the culmination of a lifetime of practical and philosophical reflection. In his first two lectures he will discuss his general theory of reflexivity and its application to financial markets, providing insights into the recent financial crisis. The third and fourth lectures examine the concept of open society, which has guided Soros’s global philanthropy, as well as the potential for conflict between capitalism and open society. The closing lecture focuses on the way ahead, closely examining the increasingly important economic and political role that China will play in the future.

Each lecture will be video conferenced to one of five universities on four continents, creating an interactive international audience in real time. The lectures will be available on the Financial Times website each evening and a videotape of the first CEU Lectures will also be made permanently available on the CEU website after the event.

Detailed program

Lecture 1: General Theory of Reflexivity Link to video here.

Date: Monday, 26 October

Time: 2.00 p.m. – 4.00 p.m. CET

Moderator: Colin McGinn

Videoconference with the London School of Economics

George Soros will present the fundamentals of his guiding philosophy, laying the foundation for his four subsequent lectures. This session discusses historical understandings of objective reality, scientific inquiry, and the limits of human perception. It discusses the gap between perceptions and reality, illustrating how actions based on these flawed perceptions then reshape reality in a reflexive system.

Lecture 2: Financial Markets Link to video here.

Date: Tuesday, 27 October

Time: 2.00 p.m. – 4.00 p.m. CET

Moderator: Anatole Kaletsky

Videoconference with Massachusetts Institute of Technology

This lecture applies the general theory of reflexivity to financial markets, challenging the prevailing paradigm of the efficient market hypothesis. George Soros will discuss bubbles and the recent financial crisis in detail, testing his theory against major financial events.

Lecture 3: Open Society Link to video here.

Date: Wednesday, 28 October

Time: 4.00 p.m. – 6.00 p.m.

Moderator: Ivan Krastev

Videoconference with Columbia University

In this session, George Soros discusses the concept of open society, which guides his philanthropy and is central to his political and social thinking. Over the past quarter century, Soros has devoted over seven billion dollars to promoting the underpinnings of this concept—from equal access to justice to freedom of expression—around the world, from South Africa to Poland to the United States. Here, he describes the historical and philosophical roots of open society. George Soros builds on Karl Popper’s thinking while stressing the central importance of fallibility, relating this to reflexivity, and applying these concepts to political and social reality. The lecture concludes by discussing the balance between individual freedom and regulation to protect the common good.

Lecture 4: Capitalism Versus Open Society Link to video here.

Date: Thursday, 29 October

Time: 2.00 p.m. – 4.00 p.m. CET

Moderator: Mark Danner

Videoconference with the Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore

In this lecture, George Soros will explore the conflict between capitalism and open society, market values and social values. Focusing on the principal-agent problem, he will use contemporary economic and political examples to challenge market fundamentalism while presenting ideas for protecting the public good more effectively.

Lecture 5: The Way Ahead Link to video here.

Date: Friday, 30 October

Time: 1.00 p.m. – 3.00 p.m. CET

Moderator: Howard Davies

Videoconference with Hong Kong University

Turning his attention to the future, George Soros will focus on the increasingly important role that China is likely to play on the world stage. He will outline key global trends and discuss their major economic and political implications for the years ahead.