Distinguished Speaker event, featuring Deborah Cobb-Clark AO

Event Type: co-hosted event

Date: Wednesday Oct 29, 2025, 2:30 pm

We are pleased to invite you to our next Distinguished Speaker event, featuring Deborah Cobb-Clark AO, Australia's leading expert on the impact of social policy on economic outcomes.

Psychologists argue that self-control is “one of the most powerful and beneficial adaptations of the human psyche.” Yet many people struggle to follow through on their goals. Understanding when and why choices fail to align with intentions lies at the heart of behavioural economics research.

Join us for a thought-provoking discussion on the foundations of self-control in psychology and economics, new ways to study it using Australian data, and the implications for public policy and outcomes.

This is now only available online. The in-person event is at capacity. Please email admin@esansw.org.au if you want to go on the waitlist for the in-person section of the event.

Sorry: Bookings are now closed

Talent Misallocation and the Productivity Puzzle

Event Type: ESA Event

Date: Thursday Oct 9, 2025, 5:30 pm

Join Professor Ufuk Akcigit, of the University of Chicago as he explores the productivity slowdown in the US and other high-income countries, including Australia, and examines how talent misallocation contributes to this challenge. He will discuss how higher education, retraining initiatives, and R&D policies can work together to drive productivity growth.

This is a hybrid event - join in-person at 123 Pitt St, Sydney or Online.

Please let us know how you plan to attend when registering.

Registration and Joining this Webinar

To register please book online below. The link to join this event will be automatically generated and sent within your confirmation invoice.  Please note, these often get trapped in spam filters.  

The timing of this event is AEDT (SYD/CBR/MEL).

Sorry: Bookings are now closed

An intimate conversation with Westpac’s Chief Economist Luci Ellis

Event Type: co-hosted event

Date: Wednesday Oct 8, 2025, 5:30 pm

Join the WEN New South Wales for an inspiring evening with Luci Ellis, Chief Economist of Westpac Bank, followed by an opportunity to network with your fellow WEN members.

Sorry: Bookings are now closed

A Future for Private Health? - ONLINE ONLY

Event Type: ESA Event

Date: Wednesday Oct 1, 2025, 12:00 pm

From: Central Council

Australia’s private health sector is confronting a period of significant challenge, marked by rising operational costs, persistent workforce shortages, stagnant demand, and increasing out-of-pocket expenses for consumers. These pressures have resulted in declining profitability, hospital closures, adversarial insurer-provider relationships, and a lack of transparency, with confidence further undermined by the collapse of Healthscope. There are growing concerns that instability in the private sector will increase pressure on Australia’s already overburdened public system.

Sorry: Bookings are now closed

ESA NSW Branch - AGM 2025

Event Type: ESA Event

Date: Thursday Sep 25, 2025, 5:15 pm

Notice is given that the Annual General Meeting of the ESA NSW Branch will be held on Thursday 25 September 2025 at 5.15pm sharp.

All members are encouraged to attend in person. The AGM will be followed by a social function, including a talk on USAID Cuts, Australia, and the Future of International Aid and Development, by Roland Rajah, Lead Economist at the Lowy Institute, and Director of its Indo-Pacific Development Centre.

Sorry: Bookings are now closed

Cost Benefit Analysis Forum 2025

Event Type: ESA Event

Date: Tuesday Sep 23, 2025, 8:15 am

Cost Benefit Analysis (CBA) is a key tool for supporting evidence-based decision making and ensuring public accountability.

This year's event include reflections on the first two years of the Australian Centre for Evaluation, new developments in NSW Treasury guidelines, the First Nations Investment Framework, CBA and AI, water quality, resilience, health, cultural heritage, distributional issues, and more.

The program will conclude with demonstrations of CBA and AI in practice and a panel exploring opportunities, risks and future directions.

The Forum will be relevant for experienced practitioners, newcomers to CBA, and all who use it to inform decisions.

As an in-person event, participants are able to connect and exchange ideas with colleagues, peers, and industry experts from a wide range of sectors.

REGISTER TODAY 

Sorry: Bookings are now closed

The Economics of Women's Health: Lunchtime Seminar - ONLINE ONLY

Event Type: Women in Economics Event

Date: Thursday Sep 18, 2025, 12:00 pm

Join us for the second year of our annual Women's Health Event, with a special focus on menopause and its impact on the workplace, wellbeing, and the economy. This virtual seminar will feature two academic speakers sharing their research and insights into key women's health issues in the Australian context. The event will include short presentations followed by a discussion on the future of women’s health and where we go next.

The event will be held on Thursday 18 September, 12.00-1.00pm, via Teams

Registration is free for all WEN members.

Sorry: Bookings are now closed

Medicine in an era of exponential technological change: what will this mean for you, and for Australia?

Event Type: ESA Event

Date: Wednesday Sep 17, 2025, 11:45 am

Medical technology is being transformed by advances in genomics, AI-driven data science, and new therapeutics. Together, they define genomic medicine—already changing genetic diagnosis and cancer care, with potential to reshape all of healthcare. These opportunities come with challenges: quality, cost, and equity. Prof MacArthur will outline the promise of genomic medicine and the need for coordinated solutions across research, healthcare, policy, and society.

REGISTER NOW

Sorry: Bookings are now closed

WEN-NSW Coffee Roulette - 2025

Event Type: Women in Economics Event

Date: Thursday Sep 11, 2025, 12:00 am

We are thrilled to announce the 2025 edition of the NSW Women in Economics Network (WEN) Coffee Roulette program. After a successful inaugural run in 2024, we are excited to continue this initiative designed to strengthen connections and foster a vibrant community among women economists in NSW.

Book Online NOW

Cost Benefit Analysis for fun and profit - an update

Event Type: ESA Event

Date: Wednesday Sep 3, 2025, 12:30 pm

Cost Benefit Analysis is the preferred tool for economic evaluation within government and for supporting evidence based decisions.

This talk will give a non-technical overview of recent CBA developments, issues, guidance and practice in NSW, Australia and overseas - including the emerging role for AI. 

It is a teaser for people interested in attending the CBA Forum 2025 on Sept 23rd and a consolation prize for anyone, perhaps still just CBA curious, who cannot attend.

REGISTER NOW

Sorry: Bookings are now closed

Replacing Corporate Income Tax with a Cashflow Tax - ONLINE ONLY

Event Type: ESA Event

Date: Tuesday Sep 2, 2025, 12:30 pm

Join us for a compelling conversation with Craig Emerson, renowned economist and former Minister for Trade, on the case for introducing a cashflow tax in Australia.

In 2020, Craig co-authored a landmark paper exploring how replacing Corporate Income Tax with a Cashflow Tax could unlock stronger investment incentives and economic resilience. This reform idea has recently been spotlighted by the Productivity Commission as a key lever for building a more dynamic and future-ready economy.

Don’t miss this opportunity to hear firsthand from one of Australia’s leading policy thinkers on a bold alternative to business taxation.

REGISTER TODAY

Sorry: Bookings are now closed

NSW Treasury & ESA NSW - Distinguished Speaker Event: Is it time to bring back a price on Carbon?

Event Type: co-hosted event

Date: Wednesday Aug 27, 2025, 1:00 pm

NSW Treasury and the Economic Society of Australia invites you to a Distinguished Speaker event with Rod Sims AO

We are pleased to invite you to attend our next Distinguished Speaker event, featuring one of Australia's leading public policy expert, Rod Sims AO. Join us for a thought-provoking discussion on carbon pricing - why it remains the most economically efficient tool for reducing emissions, and how it could be reintroduced into the policy landscape in Australia.

In Conversation with Rod Maddock - Young Economist Event - ONLINE ONLY

Event Type: ESA Event

Date: Tuesday Aug 26, 2025, 11:30 am

From: Central Council

The Productivity Commission Seminar Team is organising an event which may be of interest to young economists, who are invited to join this session via Teams.  

Rod Maddock is one of very few economists who has worked across major corporates, government, universities, and lobbyists. He has pursued economics from econometrics to macroeconomics, and then to economic history, economic development, regulatory economics, public policy, finance, and regional planning.

Sorry: Bookings are now closed

The role of business visits in fostering R&D investment

Event Type: ESA Event

Date: Wednesday Aug 20, 2025, 12:30 pm

Sorry: Bookings are now closed

The Future of Money - ONLINE ONLY

Event Type: ESA Event

Date: Wednesday Aug 20, 2025, 12:00 pm

From: Central Council

Rapid changes in technology and in the preferences of firms and households are features of the Australian economy, nowhere else more so than in the payments system. How are central banks, including the RBA, thinking about the future of money, both digital and physical cash? What could be the role of central bank digital currencies, stablecoins and tokenised bank deposits in supporting innovation, and what are the financial stability risks? And how could the demand for physical cash evolve in the future? 

Sorry: Bookings are now closed

The paradigm shift in Australian labour market policy: Balancing efficiency with equity

Event Type: ESA Event

Date: Wednesday Aug 6, 2025, 12:30 pm

Australia’s labour market reforms since the 1990s were aimed at prioritising business ‘efficiency’ over other policy goals. Governments gave employers increased discretion over workforce decisions relating to pay-setting, recruitment and training, and reduced the influence of trade unions and employment tribunals over these processes. These changes were seen as necessary to allow employers to adjust to an increasingly competitive business environment following the liberal economic reforms of the 1980s. In this context, this presentation will analyse the paradigm shift in Australian labour market policy since 2022 aimed at balancing business ‘efficiency’ with workforce ‘equity’. Through an analysis of changes to wage-setting and bargaining, workplace gender equality and skilled immigration, it will argue the post-1990s wave of efficiency-oriented policies produced not only ‘inequities’ including low wage growth, gender-based job undervaluation and underpayment, but also ‘inefficiencies’ including skills shortages and competitive disadvantages for compliant employers. As well as analysing the post-2022 changes, the presentation will consider possible future labour market reform options.

Sorry: Bookings are now closed

Emerging Women in Economics Cocktail Event

Event Type: ESA Event

Date: Thursday Jul 31, 2025, 6:00 pm

The Economic Society of Australia invites you to an inspiring evening of connection and conversation at our ‘Emerging Women in Economics’ cocktail event.

This special gathering is designed to bring together early-career women economists, students, professionals, and friends of the field for a relaxed and uplifting night of networking and idea-sharing.

Sorry: Bookings are now closed

Charting Australia’s path to a fairer and more prosperous future - ONLINE ONLY

Event Type: ESA Event

Date: Wednesday Jul 30, 2025, 12:30 pm

Recent events in the USA and Europe show how rising inequalities can fuel social division, polarisation and political instability. This serves as a stark reminder of how important it is to monitor the health of our nation and take action to avoid a similar fate. So how does Australia’s progress on key economic, social and environmental indicators compare to our peers? Where are we falling behind and what are the risks? Can we turn around the rising levels of inequality, declining investment in innovation, and persistent poverty in Australia and chart a path to a fairer and more prosperous future? Our new report card on Australia’s progress on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) helps to answer these crucial questions. 

Sorry: Bookings are now closed

WEN NSW Branch - AGM 2025-26 - ONLINE ONLY

Event Type: ESA Event

Date: Thursday Jul 10, 2025, 12:00 pm

Notice is hereby given of the Annual General Meeting of the Women in Economics Network (NSW Branch).

Sorry: Bookings are now closed

WEN-NSW Coffee Meetup at ACE 2025

Event Type: ESA Event

Date: Tuesday Jul 8, 2025, 8:00 am

To mark the 100th anniversary of the Australian Conference of Economists (ACE), the Women in Economics Network (WEN) NSW is hosting a casual coffee catch-up for women economists in Sydney.

Sorry: Bookings are now closed

Price Discovery in Auctions: how different types of auctions aggregate dispersed information - ONLINE ONLY

Event Type: ESA Event

Date: Tuesday Jun 17, 2025, 6:00 pm

From: Central Council

As part of the Eminent Speaker Series, the Economic Society of Australia Victoria Branch join with Melbourne Business School in extending a warm invitation to this engaging seminar by Professor Songzi Du on price discovery in auctions.

Sorry: Bookings are now closed

From Cash to Code: How the Rise of Digital Currencies Could Reshape Trade, Power, and Australia’s Economic Future

Event Type: ESA Event

Date: Wednesday Jun 4, 2025, 12:15 pm

In this webinar, Dr. Marina Yue Zhang explores the transformative impact of mobile payment platforms like Alipay and WeChat Pay in China, which have integrated online and offline life for millions. It also delves into China's Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC), e-CNY, which is a state-backed digital currency designed to function alongside or replace cash. The e-CNY has significant implications for national sovereignty, economic policy, and global trade. China's strategic push for digital finance aims to reshape the global financial order and establish the country as a leader in CBDC technology, influencing future global economic governance.

Sorry: Bookings are now closed

Food Security: Prices, Inputs and People

Event Type: Partner Event

Date: Thursday May 15, 2025, 11:00 am

From: Central Council

This panel event brings together a cast of experts across the many dimensions of food security at a time of heightened importance. Supply shocks from COVID-19, natural disasters, and trade wars have rocked the foundations of our economies, putting the supply of our most essential goods in jeopardy. In response, the Hon Min Julie Collins has announced support for a National Food Security Strategy, but the questions remain: what is food security? and what can we actually do to create it?

Australian Population Trends, Prospects, Misconceptions and Economic Implications

Event Type: ESA Event

Date: Wednesday May 14, 2025, 12:15 pm

Australia’s population has been growing larger and older over time. Both trends are likely to continue into the future. In this Webinar, Dr Nick Parr will discuss the long run, age-structure-related effects of changes to fertility rates, net migration numbers and age composition and mortality rates on future living standards and their sensitivity to other factors, including age-specific consumption needs of the population and social value judgements about intergenerational equity.

Sorry: Bookings are now closed

Not all skills shortages are created equal

Event Type: ESA Event

Date: Wednesday Apr 30, 2025, 12:30 pm

This presentation explores the different types of skills shortages in Australia, using insight from Jobs and Skills Australia’s Occupation and Skills List (OSL), Skills Typology, and workforce shortage projections. It highlights the diverse drivers behind shortages and their implications for policy.

Sorry: Event is Fully Booked