Comments on Prof. Colander’s Paper, “What Should Turkish Economists Do and How Should They Do It?”

The evolution of economics as an academic discipline has come under increasing scrutiny in recent years, marked by highly critical assessments of its education as well as its research aspects. The current state of these two aspects of economics has also drawn the interest of Turkish stakeholders, not only in the economics community but also in the broader realm of the social sciences. But now, perhaps for the first time, an internationally renowned academic in our field has written on the subject and directly focused on the Turkish case. Prof. Colander addresses himself to two specific and interrelated questions: What should Turkish economists do and how should they do it? He argues that the research Turkish economists carry out contributes far less than it should to the solution of Turkey’s economic problems. He offers two suggestions: i) To evaluate research, Turkish universities should develop a new journal-ranking method focusing on a particular research niche, and ii) a voucher system should be introduced that would give Turkish demanders of Turkish economic research more direct control over what research is done.

The evolution of economics as an academic discipline has come under increasing scrutiny in recent years, marked by highly critical assessments of its education as well as its research aspects. The current state of these two aspects of economics has also drawn the interest of Turkish stakeholders, not only in the economics community but also in the broader realm of the social sciences. But now, perhaps for the first time, an internationally renowned academic in our field has written on the subject and directly focused on the Turkish case. Prof. Colander addresses himself to two specific and interrelated questions: What should Turkish economists do and how should they do it? He argues that the research Turkish economists carry out contributes far less than it should to the solution of Turkey’s economic problems. He offers two suggestions: i) To evaluate research, Turkish universities should develop a new journal-ranking method focusing on a particular research niche, and ii) a voucher system should be introduced that would give Turkish demanders of Turkish economic research more direct control over what research is done.