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NATIONALITIES

On display here is the international reach of the community of Cambridge economists. The foreign economists are distinguished in different colors representing their country of citizenship, as are the various foreign institutions with which Cambridge economists were associated.

 

 

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[ How to Read this Graph ] [ How we use data ] [ The history behind the map ]

  • HOW TO READ THIS GRAPH
    Cambridge in the early 20th century was, for the most part, a British institution, with a predominantly British faculty. Indeed, it is striking to see that many of the international connections are concentrated near the node representing the LSE. However, it is also interesting to note the foreigners deeply immersed in Cambridge culture including Philip Sargent Florence, an American, and Piero Sraffa, an Italian. Finally, it is worth pointing out that whereas nodes associated with the British Commonwealth seem to be scattered around the graph, nodes associated with international locations outside of the former Empire are more clustered together.

    It is important to consider that this graph does not show country of origin, but nationality. At right, you can download a .pdf of a graph showing where economists were born. Michael Postan, for instance, was born in the Russian Empire. Edwin Cannan was born in Madeira. Arthur Lewis was born in St. Lucia. However, all were born or became British citizens. Information about birth location has been specified in the data. This can be accessed either by clicking on a node or by downloading the datasets.

  • HOW WE USE DATA
    This graph is the same as the first one featured on this site, "People and Institutions," except that it shows the country of nationality, or in the case of institutions, the country of location.

  • THE HISTORY BEHIND THE MAP
    Highly prestigious institutions in Britain always drew scholars from around the Empire and Commonwealth, resulting in a strong connection with people and universities in places like New Zealand, Australia, and Canada.  Americans too came to Britain, especially after the outbreak of World War I severed the strong academic link between the United States and Germany. The trans-Atlantic connection was only strengthened in later years, notably after World War II, by figures including Frank Thistlethwaite, who taught American history. Like other British institutions including the LSE, Cambridge benefitted from an influx of Continental European scholars seeking friendlier political climates during the tumultuous years of the 1920s and 1930s. Sraffa, Postan, and Kaldor all came to Britain during this period.