Adam D. Dixon is the Adam Smith Chair at Panmure House. He is also a professor at Edinburgh Business School. A leading expert on geopolitics and global political economy, Professor Dixon combines rigorous scholarship with an interdisciplinary approach to address today’s most pressing economic challenges.
His work has reshaped how we understand the relationship between governments and markets. His books, including The Spectre of State Capitalism (Oxford University Press, 2024) and Sovereign Wealth Funds: Between the State and the Market (Agenda, 2022), examine the changing dynamics of global finance and commerce, the potential of state-driven investment, and its limits. His earlier works, such as The New Frontier Investors (Palgrave Macmillan, 2016) and The New Geography of Capitalism (Oxford University Press, 2014), continue to shape discussions on investment, globalisation, and financial governance.
With a career spanning top international institutions, Professor Dixon has advised organizations like the OECD, World Bank, European Commission, World Economic Forum, and the International Forum of Sovereign Wealth Funds. His insights have influenced global strategies on investment, development, and governance, connecting academic research with real-world applications.
Professor Dixon’s academic journey reflects his broad expertise. Trained as an economic geographer and political economist, he has taught and studied in the United States, Spain, France, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom. He holds a doctorate from the University of Oxford, a master’s degree from Sciences Po Paris, and a BA from The George Washington University.
Previously, he led a major European Research Council project on sovereign wealth funds at Maastricht University and directed political economy research at the University of Bristol, where he also founded the MSc in Environmental Policy and Management. At Panmure House, Professor Dixon continues to honour Adam Smith’s legacy by advancing new ideas for a more prosperous global economy.
Inaugural Lecture by Professor Adam Dixon
Our Adam Smith Chair in Sustainable Capitalism, Professor Adam Dixon, gave his inaugural lecture at Panmure House on Thursday 19 October 2023. Entitled From State Capitalism to Sustainable Capitalism, Professor Dixon unpacked the nature, drivers and logics of the new state capitalism. The recording of this lecture including the Q&A session is available to watch now.
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