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News

In Memory of Prof. Robert A. Mundell

It is with great sadness for the University to learn of the death of Prof. Robert A. Mundell, Nobel Laureate in Economic Sciences 1999 and Distinguished Professor-at-Large of CUHK, who passed away on 4 April 2021 at the age of 88.

Professor Mundell was born in 1932. After graduating from the University of British Columbia in economics and Slavic studies, he studied at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and the London School of Economics, receiving his PhD from MIT in 1956. He taught at various prestigious universities, including Stanford University, University of Chicago and Columbia University in New York. Professor Mundell joined CUHK as Distinguished Professor-at-Large in 2009, and provided quality education and greatly strengthened scholarly collaborations between CUHK and premier international academic institutions.

Professor Mundell prepared one of the first plans for a common currency in Europe and was known as the ‘Father of the Euro’. In 1999, he received the Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences for his analysis on monetary and fiscal policy under different exchange rate regimes and also on optimum currency areas. He was appointed Companion of the Order of Canada in the same year. In 2005, he was awarded the Global Economics Award of the Kiel Institute, Germany and appointed Cavaliere di Gran Croce del Reale Ordine del Merito sotto il Titolo di San Ludovico. He had also written extensively on the history of the international monetary system. His writings include over a hundred articles in academic journals and books.

Professor Mundell had received over 50 honorary professorships and doctorates. He was adviser to a number of international agencies and organizations, including the United Nations, the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank, the European Commission, the Federal Reserve Board and the Department of the Treasury of the United States, and the governments of Canada and several other countries in Latin America, Africa, Asia and Europe. 

Prof. Rocky S. Tuan, Vice-Chancellor and President of CUHK, expressed his great sorrow at the loss of Professor Mundell. ‘Professor Mundell is one of the most prominent economics scholars in the world, whose outstanding intellectual contributions on international trade and monetary theories had profound and lasting impact on global economy and monetary systems, including the founding of the Euro. CUHK is honoured to have had Professor Mundell serving as its Distinguished Professor-at-Large since 2009 to provide leadership for educational and academic advancement of the University. Professor Mundell’s passing is a great loss for both CUHK and the international global academic community. On behalf of members of the University, I express our sincerest condolence to Professor Mundell’s family.’