Kevin H. O'Rourke, laureate of the Alice Murray Distinguished Scholar Award

The Centre for Economics, Policy and History (CEPH) combines Trinity College Dublin and Queen’s University Belfast, two institutions with existing clusters of research excellence in economic history on the island of Ireland. 

Every year the CEPH distinguishes an economic historian who has made a major contribution to the discipline with the Alice Murray Distinguished Scholar Award in honour of Dr Alice Effie Murray (1877-1951), an economic historian who studied the history of commercial and financial relations between England and Ireland.  The 2026 laureate was Kevin Hjortshøj O'Rourke, CNRS Director of Research and Professor of Economics in the Department.

The jury - CEPH directors and the advisory board - underscored that "(he) has distinguished himself as an intellectual leader who has shaped how economic history is studied and applied. His ability to combine sophisticated economic theory with meticulous historical evidence has set new standards for the field. Furthermore, his engagement with contemporary policy debates brings historical perspective to ongoing discussions about deglobalization, trade wars, and populism."

Kevin delivered delivered a lecture titled "From most-favoured-nation to reciprocal tariffs: what is unsurprising about Trump’s tariffs, what is surprising, and why it matters" at Trinity College Dublin on February 19th.
 

Kevin Hjortshøj O'Rourke joined the Department last year from New York University at Abu Dhabi. He was formerly the Chichele Professor of Economic History at the University of Oxford and a Fellow of All Souls College. His research lies at the intersection of economic history and international economics. He has published extensively on the history of globalization and deglobalization. 

Kevin Hjortshøj O'Rourke's website

Watch Kevin H. O'Rourke's lecture (link to YouTube)
More about the Alice Murray Distinguished Award (link to CEPH)