| | The UK Royal Economic Society supports an annual public lecture which in 2006 was given by Professor Paul Collier, the first and current director of the Centre for the Study of African Economies, formerly director of research under chief economist Joe Stiglitz at the World Bank, and senior adviser to the Blair Commission on Africa. Collier is now an authoritative voice on African economic development and has written a popular book due out this year on what can be done about 'failing poor countries' (Collier, 2007). This contribution to the debate first gives an account of the lecture and then raises some critical questions about Collier's methodology and conclusions. |
