Richard Holden

Richard Holden is Scientia Professor of Economics at UNSW Business School, Director of the Manos Institute for Cognitive Economics, and President Emeritus of the Academy of the Social Sciences in Australia. Previously, he held faculty positions at the University of Chicago and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He received both his AM and PhD in economics from Harvard University, establishing a strong foundation for his distinguished academic career.

Professor Holden's research focuses on contract theory, organizational economics, law and economics, and political economy. His work spans topics including network capital, political districting, the boundary of the firm, incentives in organizations, mechanism design, voting rules, and blockchain applications. His interdisciplinary approach bridges economics with law, political science, and technology studies, making significant contributions to multiple fields.

His scholarly impact is evident through publications in top-tier journals such as the Quarterly Journal of Economics, American Economic Review, Journal of Political Economy, Review of Economic Studies, and Nature. As editor of the Journal of Law and Economics, he influences the direction of research at the intersection of these disciplines. His work has been featured in major media outlets including The New York Times, The Financial Times, The Economist, and The New Republic.

• Fellow of the Econometric Society
• Fellow of the Academy of the Social Sciences in Australia
• Fellow of the Royal Society of NSW
• Distinguished Fellow of the Luohan Academy
• Senior Academic Fellow at the e61 Institute

Professor Holden maintains an active public presence as a regular columnist for the Australian Financial Review and frequent media commentator on economic issues. He has served as Visiting Professor at MIT Department of Economics, MIT Sloan School of Management, Harvard Economics Department, University of Chicago Law School, and Columbia Law School, demonstrating his international academic influence. His leadership extends to directing the Manos Institute for Cognitive Economics, which focuses on the intersection of cognitive science and economic decision-making.