The win
A brand new course in History of Economic Thought is now available to students of the University of Manchester! It is an optional module in the second year of the Bachelor in Economics. It uses the history of economic thought to introduce students to different schools of thought and to trace back the roots of neoclassical dominance in the classroom. Multidisciplinary in its core, it takes a comparative, heterodox approach missing in so many other economic courses. The course aims for students to better evaluate current economic issues with this toolkit.
Ultimately, studying economic thought equips students with a nuanced understanding of the complexities of economic theory and its real-world applications, empowering them to contribute and shape the future of economic thinking.
The course is taught by Matheus Vianna, a long-standing heterodox academic ally of the PCES group. More details about the course here!
The way there
The Post-Crash Economics Society is Rethinking Economics’ oldest group in the UK! Since 2012, its members have been putting on events and trying to change economics education for the better at the University of Manchester.
Their first report Economics, Education and Unlearning was published in 2014. It laid out the shortcomings of economics education specifically in Manchester. It was a reference document for many other Rethinking Economics groups popping up throughout the world!
In 2024, the group took another long hard look at their economics education by asking themselves: Is Economics Education Fit for the 21st Century?
It was to be expected that the answer wouldn’t be a loud yes – but the results displayed by this thorough curriculum research are daunting. After analysing and grading all of their economics modules, they found out that only 4% of those discussed ecological sustainability. No economics module mentioned slavery or colonialism.
Spurred on by frustration at our education, we have created a proposal for a new economics education at UoM; one where society, ecology and mathematics are rebalanced, such that all students will graduate with a critical understanding of the economy they live in. We are asking the department to reimagine the guiding principles of economics education, away from optimisation, efficiency and growth and towards an evidence-based, regenerative and pluralist approach to teaching economics that benefits people and the planet.
Shining a bright light on these shocking shortcomings have led the university to step up their game and broaden their offer in economics courses. No direct action was involved – yet. Just imagine what could be achieved if great research and on-the-ground campaigning were combined!
Factors of success
- Extensive curriculum research and report publication
- A group that has made a name for itself through 12 years of stable presence at Manchester University
- Critical professors as allies
- Support from the RE:UK network team to develop a Curriculum Healthcheck
Learnings
- Patience pays out… sometimes!
Reflections on economic reasoning
What do economists actually do – and why? A first-year module lecturer at Goldsmiths revisits the basics of economic reasoning to reflect on how economists think, what the discipline studies, and what that says about the state of the profession today.
Wednesday 17 December 2025
Curriculum Health Check update: University of Leeds
University of Leeds is an undergraduate course that Rethinking Economics UK argues fits many of the principles that we want to see from an economics education.
Tuesday 4 November 2025
Is Economics Education Fit for the 21st Century?
We, the Post-Crash Economics society have just released our new report, the most comprehensive study of economics education at the University of Manchester, since the release of our previous report, Economics, Education and Unlearning, in 2014. We have worked with Rethinking Economics England and Wales to analyse our education in the context of some of the biggest socio-economic challenges we face today; asking is our education fit to train economists of the 21st Century?
Wednesday 1 May 2024