The Aims of Public Policy address provides a collective moment for students entering Harris during which they can think about the broader aspects of their education before becoming fully immersed in the data-driven Harris approach to policy analysis. The address is a unique experience to Harris and is an annual tradition. Each year, a Harris faculty member is invited to speak about the impact of public policy, while encouraging you to reflect on the purpose of your education.

2022 Faculty Remarks: Konstantin Sonin, Ph.D.

Konstantin Sonin, Ph.D., is the John Dewey Distinguished Service Professor at Harris. His research interests include political economics, development, and economic theory. His papers have been published in leading academic journals in economics and political science.

Sonin earned an MSc and PhD in mathematics from Moscow State University and an MA in economics at Moscow’s New Economic School (NES), was a postdoctoral fellow at Harvard University’s Davis Center for Russian and Eurasian Studies, served on the faculty of NES and Higher School of Economics (HSE) in Moscow, and was also a member of the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton. Now he is affiliated with HSE and Stockholm Institute of Transition Economics as a visiting professor and adviser.

In addition to his academic work, Sonin writes a column for VTimes and a blog on Russian political and economic issues. 

Previous Speakers

Steven Neil Durlauf, Ph.D., Steans Professor in Educational Policy (2021)

Scott Ashworth, Professor and Director of the Harris PhD Program (2020)

Ryan Kellogg, Professor and Deputy Dean for Academic Programs (2019)

Christopher R. Berry, William J. and Alicia Townsend Friedman Professor (2018)

William Howell, Sydney Stein Professor in American Politics (2017)

James Robinson, The Reverend Dr. Richard L. Pearson Professor of Global Conflict Studies (2016)

Ethan Bueno de Mesquita, Sydney Stein Professor and Deputy Dean (2015)