Economic policy making in a more uncertain world
Richard Snape lecture
20 May 2025
This lecture was delivered by Dr Jenny Gordon, Honorary Professor at POLIS: the Centre for Social Policy Research, Australian National University (ANU).
Dr Jenny Gordon is an Honorary Professor at ANU and a non-resident fellow at the Lowy Institute. She has held significant roles such as Chief Economist at both Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, and the Nous Group, and was Principal Adviser at the Productivity Commission (PC).
Her career includes contributions to international policy and research institutions, with a PhD from Harvard University. Most recently, she was a visiting fellow at Harvard University and Oxford University in 2024.
Dr Gordon’s lecture topic is ‘Economic policy making in a more uncertain world’. She discusses the impact of the trade policies implemented during the second Trump Presidency on economic orthodoxy and the international trading system. Global interconnectedness and neoliberal reforms have driven Australian prosperity from the mid-1980s, but countries are increasingly having to respond to the inherent challenges and shortcomings in the system. To prosper in this changing world, Australia needs a new economic policy approach centred on pragmatism, partnership and practice.
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