Centre for Economics, Policy and History (CEPH)

The multidisciplinary field of economic history combines theory and methods from economics to answer historical questions about the long-run development of society. In addition to the importance of studying the past in its own right, economic historians use the past as a laboratory to test economic ideas, explain how institutions work, understand the relevant context for conditions today, and measure the efficacy of competing public policies. In short, insights from economic history can help policymakers make better policy choices in the present.

There is significant demand for training in economic history from university students and graduate employers. But this demand is not currently being met. Around the world, undergraduate curricula in both economics and history lack economic history content, in part because a generation of academic economists and historians were not themselves exposed to the field in a meaningful way. This is unfortunate as understanding the deep historical roots of major challenges like global inequalities and climate change can help policymakers to address their consequences. Taking history seriously can significantly enrich the study of economics, and help it deliver policy outputs relevant to meeting the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

Trinity College Dublin and Queen’s University Belfast have existing clusters of research excellence in the field of economic history. A new research hub that combines their efforts will help both universities increase their capacity and enable them to lead the development of Ireland into a global centre of excellence in policy-relevant historical research.