Lecture by special guest MICEB 2025 conference - James A. Robinson
The winner of the Nobel Prize for Economics in 2024 and professor from the University of Chicago, James A. Robinson, gave a notable lecture at the Second International Conference on Economics and Business (MICEB 2025), organized by the Faculty of Economics of the University of Montenegro.
At the beginning, Professor Robinson expressed his gratitude to the Faculty of Economics for the invitation, stressing his special thanks to the Vice-Dean, Assistant Professor Jovan Đurašković, PhD, who, as he says, convinced him to accept the invitation with a story about Montenegro. During the session "Narrow corridor of freedom: Possibilities of its application in today's world dominated by elephants. What about small countries?", he highlighted several important world sayings that are related to the topic he was talking about.
"When people are weak, the state is strong, therefore a state that knows the Way wants to weaken the citizens, that's philosophical. That's how it is in China, for example - a strong state, weak people, they are guided by the slogan - we weaken the people, so that the state will be strong. That's a saying of Shang Yang", said Robinson.
He added that "the king must please the ordinary citizens, or they will bribe him."
Robinson began the lecture with a personal review of his long-standing intellectual curiosity towards Montenegro, since the early 2000s, when, as he explained, through the work of anthropologist Christopher Boehm, he got to know the Montenegrin history of clan organization and resistance to centralized government.
"The economy is the same almost everywhere. It has the same functions and rules - whether you are in Montenegro, Mongolia or Bolivia. Economic theory is designed like Newton's laws of gravity: force equals mass times acceleration," said Professor James A. Robinson, reminding that economics is taught in a similar way in doctoral studies - through mathematical models and abstract assumptions about universal markets and behavior.
However, as he stated, he has a different view of social theory.
"I realized that social theory is not like that. It is not universal. It is deeply conditioned by the history, culture and social structures of different societies. Throughout time, people have created extremely diverse forms of living together."
He specifically referred to his years of research in Nigeria, which he describes as "the most diverse country" he has ever worked in. There, he says, he heard a saying that reads:
"The Okwu bird sings differently in every village" — which is a metaphor that no village, or social structure, is the same.
He jokingly added that his wife is often critical because, as he says, "there is never a break in the academic community - you are always finishing some new project and you never get to enjoy what you have achieved."
In the introduction to his lecture, Robinson announced that he would rely on the definition of freedom by the philosopher John Locke, who defines freedom as "a state of perfect freedom in which a man disposes of his actions and property without the need to ask for permission from another."
"This is what we call negative liberty - the freedom to make decisions about ourselves, our lives and our property without the interference of authority."
However, Robinson warned that such freedom can hardly exist when there is too powerful a state. He cited China as an example, where the state, through surveillance and control, suppresses individual freedoms.
"Today, unlike 1948 when Orwell wrote 1984, technology allows 'Big Brother' to actually watch you. Facial recognition cameras are everywhere - a real illustration of the state dominating society."
After the introductory lecture, there was a discussion with Professor Robinson moderated by Assistant Professor Dr. Jovan Đurašković.
The presentation of the winner of the Nobel Prize for Economics in 2024, James A. Robinson, aroused great interest of the audience in Montenegro, especially because his book "Narrow Corridor", which was recently translated into the Montenegrin language, was published by the Faculty of Economics. After the lecture, Professor Robinson gladly took his time to meet the audience and sign the book.
During the International Conference on Economics and Business MICEB, organized by the Faculty of Economics, the rector of the University of Montenegro, prof. Dr. Vladimir Božović and the president of the UCG Board of Directors, Milivoje Radović, met with prof. Dr. James A. Robinson. During the meeting, special satisfaction was expressed that prof. Dr. Robinson, one of the speakers at the conference. They discussed the scientific potential of the University of Montenegro, despite the relatively small scientific community, as well as the possibilities of strengthening international cooperation and connecting with the global scientific community.
