Staff Reporter
Joan Robinson, one of the well-known female economists, after her first two visits to China in 1953 and 1957, had predicted that China would lead the world’s economy in the late 20th Century. She paid eight visits to China from the early ’50s to the late ’70s including 1963, 1964, 1967, 1972, 1975 and finally 1978. Joan Robinson had a different point of views as compared to other economists of her time and had taken an interest in the development of China.
These views were expressed by the senior economist, writer and speaker Dr Pervez Tahir on Friday. Dr Tahir is an author of Making Sense of Joan Robinson on China and was the chief guest at the book launching ceremony which was held at the Arts Auditorium, University of Karachi.
The Quality Enhancement Cell KU organized the event during which the author shed lights on different aspects of Joan Robinson’s personal and professional life and also discussed what Joan Robinson had learned during her visits to India and China. Dr Tahir said that Joan Robinson had observed that China has made a lot of changes in their political system due to which it was able to progress so well. He informed the audience about the contributions which Joan Robinson made in her work on China and urged students to read the book to understand how country could change them from poor, underprivileged to a developed country. “Joan Robinson has witnessed poverty in England, India and China and was able to observe industrial development in England and China and familiar with the power of economics.”
The KU Vice Chancellor Professor Dr Khalid Mahmood Iraqi said that the author Dr Pervez Tahir has collected published and unpublished writing and work of Joan Robinson in the book. He said that China has surprised the whole world from eradicated poverty and uses its massive population so wisely that they are now new economic superpowers of the world.
