The Historical Archives of the Bank of Greece, in the context of the Interdisciplinary Seminar in Economic History, jointly organised with the Athens University of Economics and Business and Panteion University, invite you to the lecture entitled:
“The rise of universities and economic development in medieval and early modern Europe (700-1800)”
Speaker: Nikolaos Benos (University of Ioannina)
A few words on the topic:
This study explores the long-term impact of medieval and early modern European universities on urban growth, as a proxy for economic development, focusing on the period 700-1800. Universities, being new institutions at the time, played a crucial role in the commercial and industrial revolutions by legal frameworks and disseminating knowledge. Our findings indicate a sizeable and significant positive impact of universities on city population between 1200-1500, with less precise positive estimates, thereafter, primarily driven by early university cohorts. We also find weak evidence of negative spillovers from the opening of the universities on nearby cities. Further analysis suggests that proximity to the coast moderates the university effect, possibly due to the enhanced role of universities in supporting maritime trade through human capital development and legal training.
The sessions are held between 17:00 and 19:00 at the Museum of the Bank of Greece, located at 3 Amerikis Street in Athens. By exception, the meeting of 4 February 2025 will start at 16:30. Attendance is open to the public and no application form is required for admission into the seminars. The lecture will be delivered in Greek.
The complete programme of upcoming lectures is available on the website of the Interdisciplinary Seminar in Economic History.
Relevant link:
Poster of the event