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The ILO Social Policy Lectures
(endowed by the ILO's 1969 Nobel Peace Prize)
In memory of David A. Morse, Director-General of the ILO from 1948 to 1970
The background
The ILO's contribution to peace through the promotion of social justice was internationally recognized by the award of the Nobel Peace Prize in 1969. In 1991, the Governing Body of the ILO approved the use of the interest accruing to the Prize to endow a visiting lectureship on international social policy in memory of David A. Morse, the first post-war Director-General of the ILO.
The Social Policy Lectures
The Lectures are held every second year in a major university of the world with the three-fold aim of stimulating the interest of graduate and post-graduate students in international social policy; promoting academic work in areas of concern to the ILO in major universities; and encouraging greater dialogue between the academic community on the one hand and policy-makers, business and labour on the other.
The choice of venue is based on the academic standing of the university; on its interest in the subject in question; and on the desirability of regional rotation.
Lecturers could be distinguished academics, policy-makers, public figures, authors, journalists, business (wo)men or trade unionists. They are chosen from a country other than that in which the university is situated, thereby bringing an international dimension to the lectures. The choice of theme and speaker(s) is a matter for discussion between the university and the International Institute for Labour Studies of the ILO.
The majority of the lectures are delivered to the student community in a classroom setting. To the extent possible, they are conducted in the mother tongue of the students to facilitate easy communication between them and the lecturer. The inaugural lecture, at a formal opening, is open to local dignitaries, business and labour leaders and the general public, as well as to the teachers and students of the faculty (or faculties) concerned. The final lecture is usually delivered in the context of a Round Table in order to relate the issues to the practical needs and policy requirements of the concerned country or region.
Lectures to Date
The first ILO Social Policy Lectures were held at the University of Liège, Belgium in 1993 in the context of its 175th anniversary celebrations. Professor Jean-Claude Javillier of the University of Paris spoke on the theme of "The Evolution of Labour Law and Industrial Relations in a Changing World". The final lecture of this series was delivered on the occasion of a Round Table organized in collaboration with the European Parliament.
The second set of lectures on the theme of "International Trade and Employment" were delivered in 1995 to graduate students following courses at the University of Chile in Santiago de Chile. They were given by Professor Robert Z. Lawrence of the John F. Kennedy School of Government of Harvard University. The last lecture of this series was delivered in the context of a Round Table on "Trade and Employment: the Chilean Experience".
The third set of lectures were delivered in 1997 by Dr. Fun-Koo Park, President of the Korea Labour Institute and policy advisor to the Korean Government, on the theme "Managing Economic Growth: The Social Agenda". They were hosted by the Faculty of Economics and Administration of the University of Malaya and culminated in a panel discussion on "Managing the Social Aspects of Economic Growth: Current Issues and Future Agendas".
The fourth set of lectures took place at the University of the Western Cape, Cape Town, South Africa in September 2000. The lectures were delivered by Professor Pranab Bardhan of the University of California at Berkeley on the theme "Social Justice in the Global Economy". On that occasion, the University also hosted a Round Table on "Promoting Social Justice and Decent Work: New Roles for Governments and Civil Society in the Age of Globalization".
The fifth ILO Social Policy Lectures were held at the Central European University (CEU) in Budapest, Hungary, in November 2001, and were the core of a credited course offered by CEU under its International Business Law module. The lectures were delivered by Simon Deakin, Robert Monks Professor of Corporate Governance, University of Cambridge, United Kingdom, who focused on the theme "Renewing Labour Market Institutions". The lectures also provided an occasion for the University to host a Round Table titled "The Regional Perspective: Labour Market Institutions and Policies for Central and Eastern Europe". (Brief synopsis of the five lectures).
The sixth ILO Nobel Peace Prize Social Policy Lectures were held in Tokyo: 1-3 December 2003 in collaboration with Tokyo University and the ILO Office in Japan. The lectures dealt with the theme: "New Forms and Meanings of Work in an Increasingly Globalized World", and were delivered by Professor Ronald Dore of the University of London. In connection with the lectures, the Tokyo University invited a number of distinguished scholars from different countries to take part in panel discussions, addressed to different sub-themes of the lectures. The text of the lectures and the proceedings of the panel discussions have been brought out as a joint publication of the Institute and the University of Tokyo. See a report, agenda and photos of the lectures and the panel discussions. You can also listen to the lectures by Professor Dore as audio files.
The seventh ILO Nobel Peace Prize Social Policy Lectures were hosted by the University of the West Indies, and were held in the Mona Campus of the university in Jamaica during 5-7 December 2005. The central theme of the lectures was "The new offshoring of jobs and global development", and were delivered by Professor Gary Gereffi of Duke University, North Carolina, USA. The lectures by Professor Gereffi have been brought out as a joint publication of the Institute and the University of the West Indies.
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