STICERD Public Events and Lectures
Huth Initiative for a New Political Economy
Geography and the wealth of nations
Jeffrey Sachs (Columbia University)
Tuesday 27 October 2026 18:30 - 20:00
Venue to be Confirmed
Many of our seminars and public events this year will continue as in person or as hybrid (online and in person) events.
Please check our website listings and Twitter feed @STICERD_LSE for updates.
Unless otherwise specified, in-person seminars are open to the public. Please ensure you have informed the event contact as early as possible.
Those unable to join the seminars in-person are welcome to participate via zoom if the event is hybrid.
About this event
Two hundred and fifty years after the publication of The Wealth of Nations, Jeffrey D Sachs returns to one of Adam Smith's most striking claims: that "the discovery of America, and that of a passage to the East Indies by the Cape of Good Hope, are the two greatest and most important events recorded in the history of mankind."
Drawing on new geospatial datasets, Professor Sachs argues that Smith's observation captures deep truths about long-term global economic change - truths that remain profoundly relevant for our own age.
For further information about the event and to request tickets to attend please visit the LSE Event page: Geography and the wealth of nations