Levy Economics Institute, Bard College

The Levy Economics Institute of Bard College, founded in 1986 through the generous support of Bard College trustee Leon Levy, is a nonprofit, nonpartisan, public policy research organization. The Levy Institute is independent of any political or other affiliation, and encourages diversity of opinion in the examination of economic policy issues while striving to transform ideological arguments into informed debate.

What We Do

The ultimate purpose of all of the Levy Institute's research and activities is to serve the wider policymaking community in the United States and the rest of the world by enabling scholars and leaders in business, labor, and government to work together on problems of common interest. To stimulate discussion of economic issues, the Levy Institute disseminates its findings through publications, conferences, workshops, seminars, congressional testimony, and other activities to an international audience of public officials, private sector executives, academics, and the general public. An annual conference on the state of the U.S. and world economies is dedicated to the economic legacy of Hyman P. Minsky, the late financial economist and Levy Institute distinguished scholar.

The Levy Institute's programs give Bard College undergraduates the opportunity to meet the prominent figures who give seminars, attend conferences, and serve on the research staff. Through a Levy Institute affiliation with Cambridge University, one or two Bard undergraduates may spend their junior year at Christ's College. Integrated activities of the Levy Institute and Bard College include the annual award of the Levy Economics Institute Prize to a graduating senior with an outstanding academic record in economics, and several annual scholarships for students concentrating in economics.