Levy Economics Institute Anniversary Conference

If you are registered to attend this event, you can find the logistics to plan your visit here.

On May 8, 2026, the Levy Economics Institute convenes its annual conference on the 40th anniversary of the Institute’s founding.

This year’s conference will be held in person on the Bard College campus, featuring panel discussions exploring current sources of financial instability, surveying the macro picture for the US economy, and engaging with economic policy challenges in areas such as artificial intelligence, jobs, caregiving, energy, and development finance.

Presenters include:

Sheila Bair, James K. Galbraith, Darrick Hamilton, William H. Janeway, Tom Keene, Chris Kennedy, Yan Liang, Pavlina R. Tcherneva, Isabella Weber, L. Randall Wray, and Gennaro Zezza

Attendance for this event is currently at capacity. Please register to be added to the waitlist.

CONFERENCE PROGRAM

 

Program

CONFERENCE SCHEDULE

8:30–9:00 a.m. EST	Registration
9:00–9:15 a.m.	Welcome & Introduction Pavlina R. Tcherneva | Levy Economics Institute
9:15–10:05 a.m.	KEYNOTE ADDRESS | William H. Janeway, University of Cambridge and Warburg Pincus Keynes, Minsky, and Me MODERATOR: Pavlina R. Tcherneva | Levy Economics Institute
10:05–11:05 a.m.	SESSION I | STATE OF THE US ECONOMY
	MODERATOR: John Cassidy, The New Yorker SPEAKERS: Gennaro Zezza | University of Cassino & Levy Economics Institute Prospects for the US Economy: Is a K-shaped Economy Sustainable? L. Randall Wray | Levy Economics Institute Minsky’s Vision and the Coming AI Crash
11:05–11:20 a.m.	Coffee Break
11:20–12:20 p.m.	SESSION II | ENERGY, ENTROPY, AND ECONOMIC CRISES
	MODERATOR: Kate Aronoff, The New Republic SPEAKERS: James K. Galbraith | LBJ School of Public Affairs; Levy Economics Institute Entropy Economics from the Great Crash to the Strait of Hormuz and the AI Revolution Christopher Kennedy | University of Victoria The Great Depression as an Energy Transition
12:20–1:45 p.m.	Lunch
1:45–2:45 p.m.	SESSION III | CHINA & ALTERNATIVE DEVELOPMENT
	MODERATOR: Peter S. Goodman, The New York Times SPEAKERS: Yan Liang | Willamette University Financing China’s Sustainable Development: Sovereign Credit, Patient Capital, and State-Centered Financial Architecture Isabella Weber | University of Massachusetts Amherst China’s System of Price Stabilization: Buffering Systemically Significantly Sectors
2:45–3:00 p.m.	Coffee Break
3:00–4:00 p.m.	SESSION IV | EMPLOYMENT & ECONOMIC SECURITY
	MODERATOR: Cortney Sanders, National Jobs for All Network, Institute on Race, Power and Political Economy, The New School SPEAKERS: Pavlina R. Tcherneva | Levy Economics Institute After the Wreckage: Economic Security and the New Labor Standard Darrick Hamilton | Institute on Race, Power, and Political Economy, The New School Power, Purpose and Economic Rights: An Economic Vision That Centers People and the Environments in Which We Live
4:00–4:15 p.m.	Coffee Break
4:15–5:15 p.m.	SESSION V | THE NEXT CRISIS, A CONVERSATION
	Sheila Bair | Former FDIC Tom Keene | Bloomberg
5:30–7:30 p.m.	Dinner

*This schedule is subject to change.