On 15 January 2026, the United Nations University will host “The Road to Freedom: Economics and the Good Society”, a public lecture by Professor Joseph E. Stiglitz, Nobel Laureate in Economic Sciences and the founder of the Initiative for Policy Dialogue at Columbia University. This event will start at 14:00 in U Thant International Conference Hall at UNU Headquarters in Tokyo.
This special lecture is part of the JAPAN-ASEAN BRIDGES Event Series, commemorating the 50th anniversary of official relations between Japan and the ASEAN region.
Professor Stiglitz received the Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences in 2001 for his analysis of markets with asymmetric information. His lecture will explore pathways towards building societies that genuinely advance individual freedoms, democratic values and collective well-being.
In an era of political polarization and economic uncertainty, debates about individual liberties have taken on renewed urgency. Drawing on insights from behavioural economics, Professor Stiglitz argues that progressive capitalism offers a more viable route to freedom, cooperation and social cohesion than current economic frameworks.
The audience is encouraged to participate in a question-and-answer session, which will follow Prof. Stiglitz's lecture.
This event will be held in English with simultaneous interpretation in Japanese. Advance registration (by 14 January at 14:00) is required. Please click on the REGISTER button above to access the online registration page. Please be prepared to present identification at check-in.
About the Speaker
Joseph E. Stiglitz is a professor specializing in finance and business at Columbia University, where he co-founded the Initiative for Policy Dialogue. He currently serves as Chief Economist at the Roosevelt Institute and co-chair of the High-Level Expert Group on the Measurement of Economic Performance and Social Progress at the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. Previously, he served as Chairman of the Council of Economic Advisers and Chief Economist of the World Bank.
Professor Stiglitz was awarded the Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences in 2001 for his research on markets with asymmetric information. He also co-authored the 1995 Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, which shared the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize.
Professor Stiglitz’s groundbreaking research has helped identify the circumstances under which markets fail and demonstrated the importance of strategic government intervention in improving economic outcomes. Spanning topics such as income distribution, risk, corporate governance, public policy, macroeconomics and globalization, his work has become a standard tool for policy analysts worldwide.
Professor Stiglitz received a Bachelor of Arts from Amherst College and a Doctorate in Economics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Prior to joining Columbia University, he held faculty positions at leading institutions such as Yale, Stanford, Princeton and Oxford.
