This page presents a wide range of resources that have contributed to my interest in the post-Soviet transition from communism to capitalism. I intend to collate and highlight exceptional portrayals of the transition process in the former Soviet Union and other communist countries.
The Transition Lectures
For my four part lecture series on transition, see here.
Traumazone, by Adam Curtis
This collection of BBC archival footage provides a fascinating and absorbing insight into how life changed for ordinary citizens of the Soviet Union, from 1985 through 1999.
A 6 hour documentary based on Daniel Yergin and Joseph Stanislaw’s classic book. View them in sequence in the playlist below:
Other documentaries
The Second Russian Revolution, BBC – According to the show notes, “The acclaimed documentary series from 1991 that examined political in-fighting in the Soviet Union and the battle for perestroika.”
Life in Moscow, 1986 – A look at life in Russia featuring several expats. Available on YouTube:
Bald and Bankrupt – a British vlogger who travels around the former Soviet Union providing a glimpse at the legacy of communism. I particularly liked this video, filmed one day before the Russian invasion of Ukraine:
Good Bye Lenin! (2003) – Set in East Berlin, a woman falls into a coma and misses the fall of the Berlin Wall. When she awakens her children don’t want to shock her, and attempt to screen the economic changes occurring outside the bedroom window. This is an entertaining but poignant demonstration of the transition process and alternative economic systems.
The Lives of Others (2006) – An enthralling depiction of the East German Stasi, with the main character questioning the implementation of his ideals whilst spying on a playwright. There’s no neat ideological conclusion, but a challenging portrayal of espionage.
Leviathan (2014) – A wonderfully presented tale of eminent domain and the bureaucracy and corruption that come with it. I was expecting a battle between man and the state, but it was more of a Vodka-fuelled truel than a duel. (Also contains a fascinating side plot with regard to how it was funded.)
Bhasker calls himself a “democratic socialist” but I maintain that this is an aspirational label rather than one that can be understood in theory or demonstrated in practice. While the left attempt to grapple with their history of actually-existing-socialism, I think it is wise to go with capitalism, which is the only system that seems to work so far. It’s also notable that Bhaskar’s magazine, The Jacobin, is well designed and popular, but routinely misrepresents free market economics and is geared towards activism rather than serious enquiry.
Regardless of collectivist aspirations, this interview recognises that the essence of socialism is a centrally planned economy. Mack uses camping trips as a model of “the good society” but I think this suffers from three flaws. When it comes to a camping trip, the participants already know each other; everyone has consented to participate; and there’s no need to create resources (camping trips are primarily about consumption rather than production. If you want to drink a beer, you bring it with you having paid for it with previously expended labour). This reveals that most socialist visions are utopian and don’t solve the real world problems of how to create human flourishing in an extended social order. Ultimately, socialism is a collectivist philosophy that requires subjection of the individual to the whole. Therefore it should be rejected by anyone whose fundamental concern is the dignity and sanctity of the individual.
This interview makes clear that the main tragedy of socialism is that it is unintended. The results are inconsistent with the stated goals of the advocates, implying the problem is an intellectual one. Hence the need for scholarly enquiry and public education. They also recognise that a centrally planned economy may function better than a market economy during times of war, but this should not be the model. After all, a stable peace is as important a social objective as greater wealth. This interview also captures Pete Boettke’s biggest contribution to economics: in the absence of the “three P’s” of property, prices, and profit and loss you have to rely on political power to allocate resources. Therefore, a socialist society will be riddled with rent-seeking and the other inefficiencies associated with “politics without romance“, giving rise to the nomenklatura and priviledge. He also makes the point that prices are embedded in institutions, and institutions are embedded in broader social relations. We therefore need to understand law, politics and society, as a coherent social science. Finally, I like the point made that a free market economy lets ordinary people do extraordinary things. It doesn’t rely on extra ordinary people controlling and directing a vast bureaucracy.
Memoir of a British Journalist in Moscow, Cold War Conversations – an interview with a Morning Star journalist who provides a sympathetic view on life under communism.
This course equips students with an understanding of how useful economics is for energy professionals. The Micro part of the course covers market design and the interpretation of price information, and relates this to the challenges posed by disruptive technologies. The Macro part looks at the changing nature of the energy industry, including new technologies, sustainability objectives, and geopolitical implications. The course presents this material in an integrated way and challenges students to become effective problem solvers in both individual and team based settings.
“I, Pencil” (Leonard Read, 1958, Foundation for Economic Education)
“What is Seen and What is Not Seen” (Frederic Bastiat, 1850, Paris: Guillaumin. This version taken from The Bastiat Collection, 2nd Ed., Mises Institute, 2007, pp. 1-11 only)
To make things easier, I have republished the four readings in a single PDF file:
This course provides an overview of core economic concepts and how they relate to senior executive management. Particular focus will be placed on the theory and practice of internal markets and how organisations have harnessed the knowledge and incentives provided by market mechanisms. Group work will focus on an analysis and assessment of the macro context for a relevant country, looking at monetary and fiscal policy as well as a broader set of social and environmental indicators.
60% Final exam (online) – the best way to revise for the exam is the quizzes used during the course, such as Managerial Insights, India, and Macro trends.
Course handouts: will be made available during the course
Pre class activities
Please read all of the information below carefully in order to prepare for the course. The textbook references are background materials and can be read anytime. The required materials should be read or watched in advance. At the end of Day 1 I will be referring to the 2016 film ‘Arrival’. Here’s a trailer. If you’ve not already seen it, I suggest familiarising yourself with the plot (spoiler alert). Or better still, watch it!
Why don’t you take attendance at the start of class?
The first 15 minutes of the class are very important and I do not want to devote them to administrative tasks. I also want to pretend that you turn up to learn something, and not purely because you require proof of being present. You are expected to be present for the entire duration of the session and therefore it shouldn’t matter when I take attendance, but I normally do so at the start of the break. It is your responsibility to ensure that you are marked as present before leaving the class.
Why don’t you make all of the content from your lecture slides available?
As a professional educator one of my main concerns with the prevalence of digital content is the impact it has on a student’s ability to gather, synthesize, and critically engage with content. I try to ensure that all of my live sessions are unique and generate content that requires attention and consideration. For this reason I strongly encourage students to take notes, and debrief with group members, instead of relying on the provision of solutions, punchlines, or board plans at some future date. There are three types of powerpoint content that I reveal in class and aren’t visible in the PDF lecture handouts. They are either:
Answers – these are intended to be a surprise and therefore I don’t want you to be able to see them in advance.
Images – for design reasons these often can’t be simultaneously shown alongside the text, and would also use a lot of ink if printed.
Confidential information – in these cases I don’t want the material to potentially circulate on the internet.
You should therefore treat this information the same as something I write on the whiteboard or say verbally, where the burden is on you to take notes rather than rely on handouts. Recognising what is pertinent and what is not is a key part of your obligations as a learner. This is also a reason why student attendance is important, since there is a necessity to be present in class to receive all of the necessary information. For the same reason that I don’t provide copies of my whiteboard plans or recordings of class, some powerpoint content is deliberately restricted.
Rest assured that I pay close attention to what is and isn’t within the PDF handout. If it is something relevant for an exam then it will be easy for you to fill in the gaps. If the information is relevant, but not necessarily important, you will be able to find out more either through a footnote or the additional resources on my website. In any case, if you feel that you didn’t capture some relevant information, whether it was communicated via powerpoint, on the whiteboard or verbally, just let me know and I’d be happy to help your revision. Part of my responsibility as an instructor is to ensure that you do not finish the course missing any important information. But your responsibility as a student is to be in charge of absorbing what happens in the classroom.
Is the final exam open book?
You will take the exam on your own laptop and are allowed to consult any notes. The exam is “open book” in the sense that you can use course materials. However, you may not use your laptop (or any other electronic device) to communicate with anyone (e.g. another student or a LLM such as ChatGPT). The purpose of the exam is to test your knowledge of the content, rather than your ability to use the internet to find answers to questions. Therefore obtaining help from someone/anything else during an exam (whether it’s a fellow student or an AI) is a serious offense and will result in disciplinary action. You can use your device to access course materials. You may not use it for communication.
How do I get full marks on a MCQ?
For full marks you need to select all of the correct answers. Depending on the intended difficulty level and the software being used it may not be obvious how many of the provided answers are correct. This is to ensure that you consider each one carefully. Partial credit will be available in some instances.
We have a 2 bedroom apartment in the family-friendly ski resort of La Plagne Montalbert. It has a master bedroom and a smaller bunk room making it perfect for a family of 4, and the sofa bed in the lounge means that it can cater for 6. Located on the second floor, the balcony overlooks the piste and provides hours of entertainment and afternoon sun.
❇️ How to get there
Montalbert is a 2 hour drive from Lyon or just over 2 hours from Geneva. Both airports are served by low cost flights with usual car rentals available.
Aime station is at the bottom of the valley (11km away), and easy to reach either by taxi (15 minutes) or a regular bus service (via Altibus). During the ski season there are often direct trains from St Pancras, however return journeys depart from Bourg-St-Maurice, which is twice as far from Aime (this is because only Bourg has the security equipment that allows it to have international passengers). A good option is to get a standard Eurostar to France and then change for a TGV to Aime. There is a regular (and cheap) service from Paris Gare du Lyon but – top tip – you can also change at Lille, which means you avoid having to cross Paris! For more see the Man in Seat 61.
We are 976km from Calais which is around 9 hours of driving. It can be done in one day, but France has plenty of clean and affordable hotels at convenient stops along the way (we use Novotels). The toll roads are fast and efficient and it’s much more pleasant to drive through France than the UK. There are two ways to reach Calais:
There are regular and cheap ferry services from Dover, from £80 per trip (see P&O or DFDS)
The Eurotunnel (now known as Le Shuttle) is usually around £140 but takes just 35 minutes and goes from Folkestone.
❄️ Winter
La Plagne is world famous for its size and array of runs. Best suited for all rounders and families, there are enough black runs to challenge serious skiers but the main places are accessible via blue runs. Best of all the Vanoise Express connects La Plagne with Les Arc, providing over 400km of ski runs, 70% of which are above 2,000ft. There are also 18 separate “fun zones” and new activities and lifts are added each year.
Montalbert is a charming mountain village which makes it a suitable place to vacation all year round. Outside of the ski season there are plenty of amenities and the summer wildflowers are stunning. The gondola still operates and this allows walkers to reach the higher mountains. Mountain bikers can take ski lifts up several runs and enjoy the descent. For more see this summer guide, or a trail map for Mont Jovet.
Macroeconomics can be a daunting subject matter but it is too important to be left to specialists. All senior managers need to be able to understand and interpret the macroeconomy, and reflect on the factors that cause it to change. This page gathers material that equips participants with a foundation in the models and frameworks needed to make sense of our context and policy responses, and develop an awareness of several key risks. They will help you to become familiar with with global growth forecasts and identify the key challenges facing policymakers.
“An Inflation Primer” Patrick Horan, Mercatus Center Policy Brief, July 2022 – a good background primer on inflation
Evans, A.J., 2020, “Economics: A Complete Guide for Business” London Publishing Partnership – my managerial economics textbook is intended to provide a thorough but readable overview of the most important elements of macroeconomics
This web page contains resources related to this academic article:
Evans, A.J., 2024, “Is economic familiarity a necessary prerequisite for understanding Milton Friedman’s view of shareholder primacy? Reflections on a classroom exercise.” Journal of International Business Education, Vol. 19
It is based on the following opinion piece by Milton Friedman:
Cases (Solution) – an instructor resource, available on request
Quizzes:
Part 1 – this simply gathers information about the participants for the original study.
Part 2 – this graded quiz should be used after reading the Friedman article. It can also be used a standalone activity for instructors who simply want to test student comprehension.
Part 3 – this should be used after reading the Friedman article and the handouts. This is more focused on applying the Concepts to the Cases than the original reading.
The textbook is Economics: A Complete Guide for Business by Anthony J. Evans (2020). I wrote it specifically for this course and all students are advised to read it in conjunction with the lectures.
There are plenty of other good textbooks on the market. I also recommend Managerial Economics by Luke M. Froeb, Brian T. McCann, Michael R. Ward and Mikhael Shor (Thomson Southwestern 3rd edition, 2013) and A Concise Guide to Macroeconomics by David Moss (Harvard Business School Press, 2007).
Note: Sessions marked with an asterix (*) have a lecture handout available in advance, which can be downloaded. Cases marked with a pound sign (£) are available through the Programme Office. Follow the + links for additional resources.
There are widespread concerns that social and political divisions are being exacerbated by information technology, and that this is having a profound impact on the capabilities and quality of both global and local institutions. In a similar way to how the advent of the printing press prompted the rise of democracy and the nation state, perhaps digital transformation is contributing to a similar disruption in governance.
Such trends are particularly relevant in regimes where statehood was not an internal process, and was adopted either through colonial or international activity. Rising populism and authoritarianism provides the social and political backdrop to our analysis of the broad impact of technology, and we will consider whether pluralist approaches may help to combat some of the emerging threats to liberal democracy.
This course investigates how digital transformation relates to democracy and governance in an increasingly connected yet potentially polarised world.
60% Final exam (MCQ) – this relates to all lecture content and the readings from the content section
For a good example of a subject matter for the group report I highly recommend reading The Story of VaccineCA. In particular, consider how the following elements coincide: the type of organisation chosen to pursue this objective (initially volunteers but then a Delaware corporation; the institutional context (i.e. liberal market democracy where sharing such information wasn’t illegal); and the cultural attitude toward problem solving and tech optimism. For a great interview with Patrick McKenzie about his background and advice listen to his Conversation with Tyler.
Prerequisite
Students should have already taken my 6 hour component of the Business Frontier Technologies course. This includes some of the following content:
To understand some of the context for my construction of this course I recommend:
Matthew Perry on BBC Newsnight, (yes, one can make the contrarian and pedantic point that humans exercise “choice” in every decision we make, but this interview demonstrates the importance of acknowledging the human cost of not being in full/partial/any control of things that are harmful to your well being. Particularly poignant given Perry’s death in 2023).
12. Conspiracy Theories, The Rest is History, Jan 4th 2021 (a short overview of the history of conspiracy theories, with emphasis on how they tend to satisfy a need for us to try to make sense of shocking events).
Beware the Jabberwock, This American Life, March 15th 2019 (a single episode that provides a detailed look at the origins of the Sandy Hook conspiracy theory and one parents attempt to fight misinformation. The second half of this episode is an interesting, but less relevant profile and interview with Alex Jones).
Four Hours at the Capitol, BBC (a documentary about the storming of the US Capitol building on January 6th 2021)
The Coming Storm, BBC Sounds (7 part podcast documentary on the rise of QAnon)
Death by Conspiracy, BBC Sounds (an 11 part podcast documentary on Gary Matthews, who died from covid in January 2021 having been drawn to social media claims that it was a hoax. I listened to this as a parallel to The Coming Storm but it strayed too far into covid, media ethics, and psychology for me to incorporate it more fully in this course, which attempts to avoid those areas. I didn’t learn much about conspiracy theories aside from episode 9 which provided a good attempt to understand why our common conception is often misplaced. Ultimately I just found this sad.)
Things Fell Apart, BBC Sounds (a documentary that looks at the different origins of the culture wars, which are defined as “the battle for dominance over conflicting values”, or the things we shout about on social media)
Command and Control, PBS (a documentary looking at how close we came to a major nuclear accident)
The Last Podcast on the Left (Episodes 400-405) – this series was recommended as a deep dive into the original and most important conspiracy theory of all time, but I found it so irritating and juvenile in presentation that I didn’t get past the first episode. I did like the claim that conspiracy theories require a conspiracy vacuum, however.
Chris Blattman on War and Centralized Power, Conversations with Tyler, Episode 149, May 4th 2022 – this is a fascinating interview with a global expert on war (Blattman’s core thesis is that violence occurs when centralised groups have no check on their ability to indulge their narrow preferences). It doesn’t have direct relevance to this course but it is very interesting and touches upon the concept of polycentricity (which is the notion of multiple centres of power).
#365 – Sam Harris: Trump, Pandemic, Twitter, Elon, Bret, IDW, Kanye, AI & UFOs, Lex Fridman podcast – a good overview of the ethics of public vs. private conservation (i.e. platforming); the weaponization of social media (i.e. why Harris deleted his Twitter account); the health of democracy and our capacity to deal with social problems such as a potential future pandemic. Also relevant to future AI prospects.
#429 – Paul Rosolie: Jungle, Apex Predators, Aliens, Uncontacted Tribes, and God, Lex Fridman podcast – a fascinating conversation that helps us to link animals, consciousness, intelligence, and AI. The section from 1:41:00 to 1:58:46 is a wonderful conceptualisation of how we, as “meat vehicles on a floating rock”, should think about these things.
#367 – Sam Altman: OpenAI CEO on GPT-4, ChatGPT, and the Future of AI, Lex Fridman podcast – Altman defends OpenAI’s strategy of transparency and iterative progress that gets tested on a wide scale. He believes that AI alignment can keep pace with its capabilities. A good counterexample is nuclear weapons.
#371 – Max Tegmark: The Case for Halting AI Development – Lex Fridman podcast – Tegmark claims that AI development is a suicide race not an arms race, and it’s not obvious that other countries, who might have more to lose from cutting edge technology, will continue regardless. The open letter than he organised was specifically intended to deal with the collective action problem whereby AI developers want everyone else to slow down but can’t do so unilaterally.
Episode 25: Is it the phones? The Studies Show, January 30th 2024 – a look at the evidence relating to social media and teen mental health
Episode 11: The AI apocalypse debate The Studies Show, September 19th 2023 – two science journalists discuss whether AI will cause the end of human life.
Civil society – Paul Aligica on Human freedom and the Third Sector, Mercatus Center – an interview with an academic (one of my PhD committee!) who articulates the importance of polycentric solutions to solve social problems, and the normative importance of respect for individual autonomy and consent. This is particularly relevant for students who are from former communist countries, or those interested in modern forms of indoctrination.
Recommended movie night
This is not massively related to this course, but I really enjoyed watching Top Gun: Maverick (you may need to watch the original Top Gun first to get the full benefit). It reminded me of how Rocky IV contrasted American individualism, authenticity, and heart against superior Soviet technology. I saw Maverick as a rumination on automation, and the continued role for human emotion, and decision making that is instinctive, impulsive, and emotive, and how that gets managed. The subtext is that unmanned drones and algorithms are the future. In the film, US technology is deemed inferior but it is all about who is in the plane and not the plane itself. Traditional pilots needs to eat, sleep and piss but remain the driving force of future success, and whatever is is that ensures a future is worth achieving.
Here’s an absorbing and fascinating explanation of how the Mach 10 scene resembles a perfect pop song:
The best 3 movies related to AI and our conception of reality (in my opinion) are:
Recommended activity
Play Moderator Mayhem, a game that helps understand more about internet safety
Recommended case studies on digital transformation
Perhaps the best case study of the importance of an effective digital transformation is the UK Post Office Horizon scandal (Wikipedia). There is an excellent podcast about it produced by BBC Sounds and in January 2024 ITV aired a documentary.
Further academic reading
Giraudo, M., 2022, “On legal bubbles: Some thoughts on legal shockwaves at the core of the digital economy“. Journal of Institutional Economics,18(4), 587-604 – an account of how changes in expectations around how data gets protected as private property has influenced Big Tech. I found the article badly written but conceptual and therefore reasonably accessible to a non academic audience.
If you detect an attempt to link together the claims that “an important solution to social media addiction is good parenting” and “we have to learn how to raise AI” then this is deliberate. Indeed Stuart Ritchie (who works at Anthropic) captures it perfectly:
And it’s apt that I teach this course at ESCP. As Martin Luther said, Paris is “the parent of learning”.
Course introduction
