Professor Kevin O’Rourke, from Sciences Po Paris and CNRS, has been announced as the recipient of the prestigious Alice Murray Distinguished Scholar Award. This award, presented by the Centre for Economics, Policy and History (CEPH) at Trinity College Dublin, recognizes an economic historian whose work significantly contributes to the discipline. 

Professor O’Rourke will receive the award on February 19, 2026. Following the presentation, he will hold a lecture titled ‘From most-favoured-nation to reciprocal tariffs: what is unsurprising about Trump’s tariffs, what is surprising, and why it matters’. 

The lecture will take place at 17:00 in the Neill Lecture Theatre at Trinity Long Room Hub, Trinity College Dublin.

In anticipation of his lecture, Professor O’Rourke emphasized the importance of historical context in understanding current U.S. tariff policies, noting the shift from non-discriminatory trade practices that the United States has traditionally endorsed. 

The Alice Murray Distinguished Scholar award is named after Dr. Alice Effie Murray (1877-1951). She was the first woman to earn a degree from the London School of Economics (LSE), and dedicated her career to studying the commercial and financial relations between England and Ireland. The award commemorates her legacy within the field of economic history.

On receiving the award, Prof. O’Rourke said of Alice Murray:

“I am particularly pleased to be giving a talk in her honour since she was among other things a historian of trade and trade policy, and so throughout my career I have been following in her footsteps.”

With a distinguished career at the intersection of economic history and international economics, Professor O’Rourke’s work has shaped modern understandings of globalization and trade policy. His previous academic affiliations include positions at All Souls College, Oxford, and Harvard University, among others.

CEPH co-directors praised O’Rourke’s influential work, highlighting his rigorous research and engagement with contemporary economic issues. This award not only acknowledges his achievements but also embodies the spirit of inquiry that Dr. Murray fostered in her own academic pursuits.

For more information and registration details for the lecture, visit this link.

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