Torrens University welcomes Stephanie Kelton, senior economist and thought leader on money  

Stephanie Kelton is an economist who wants to change the way we think about money. She prioritises human outcomes equally with budget outcomes – which makes her the perfect fit for Torrens University Australia - Australia's only university that is also a B Corporation, where students can start building careers that are not just profitable, but which contribute to a sustainable future. 

Professor Kelton has worked in both academia and politics. She served as Chief Economist on the US Senate Budget Committee in 2015 and holds visiting professorships at The New School for Social Research, the University of Ljubljana, and the University of Adelaide. In 2020, Prospect Magazine named her one of "the world's top 50 thinkers." 
 
Torrens University Australia has recently started offering a suite of online postgraduate courses in economic sustainability developed in partnership with Modern Money Lab, where Professor Kelton is a key teacher. Modern Money Lab’s mission as an independent research institute is to contribute to the development of new knowledge about the political economy, political science, international finance, employment policy, climate change and sustainability. 

Professor Kelton is a key proponent for Modern Monetary Theory – a new approach to economics which is taking the world by storm and which she is a leading authority on. 

Vice-Chancellor of Torrens University Australia, Professor Alwyn Louw, said the appointment of Professor Kelton demonstrates the university’s commitment to partnering with the most progressive, leading-edge academics who bring bold new perspectives to students and to all the university’s stakeholders in industry, business, and government. 

 “At the heart of all our courses is our focus on employability: but we go beyond helping our students just being successful at getting a job. We ignite their passion, help them find their purpose and bring the two together to create a career that they love and one that is both profitable and sustainable for the planet. Professor Kelton is a loud and clear advocate for new ways of thinking about money and building an economy that works for many, not just the few,” said Professor Louw. 

Introducing new Adjunct Professor, Stephanie Kelton 

Professor Kelton said she is super excited about what is being collectively built at Torrens University and how enthusiastic they have been embracing this vision and the graduate program. 

 “I am so excited about what is to come. Mostly, those who go through graduate training in economics come out with varying degrees of difference - they're cast from the same mould. This program is going to produce a vastly different student; one that can think critically and differently about a whole range of things, not just the monetary system and government finance. You are going to have a breadth of knowledge that takes you far beyond what you would get in a conventional Master's program,” said Professor Kelton. 

 “My desire is that we teach economics in a way that wrestles with all of the complexities and nuances that are glossed over in traditional programs. 

 “When things break, we have an opportunity. We can pick up the pieces and put them back together the old way, or we can look for better ways to build. COVID broke everything. It put a spotlight on the many deficits in our economy – in employment, education, health care, housing. And it showed how inequality made it all worse. 

 “Torrens University Australia is in a unique position as a private university to break paradigms, old ways of thinking and grow students who are going to be disruptors, changemakers and true influencers – this is why I chose to partner with them – because the future of how we not just repair or renew our deficits by creating an entirely new approach to economics, which is the cornerstone of how our communities will either thrive or not, is in the hands of today’s students. 

 “The question we need to always ask is not what we will do, but how we will resource it – and one of our greatest resources, is people.  

 “My call to action is that we can build anew, shaping our bountiful resources into the kind of world we want to inhabit. One that cares for our people and our planet – which is the ethos of Torrens University Australia.”  

More about Professor Stephanie Kelton 

Stephanie Kelton's 2020 book, The Deficit Myth, became an instant New York Times bestseller. In it, Professor Kelton makes the case for new ways of understanding money, taxes and the critical role of deficit spending, redefining how to responsibly use our resources so our planet wins. 

Professor Kelton advises policymakers and consults with investment banks and portfolio managers across the globe. She is a regular commentator on national radio and broadcast television, and contributor to the New York Times and other publications. She has also written seminal peer-reviewed research papers and is a frequent contributor to the work of the widely respected Levy Economics Institute. She was the 2020 Visiting Harcourt Professor at the University of Adelaide, and during a two-week stay in Australia, was interviewed by all leading news media, including television.