What EACES aims at
EACES’ mission is to advance comparative studies of economic systems and institutions and foster research excellence and interdisciplinary, international, and multi-cultural collaboration.
EACES intends to serve as a leading platform for scholarly exchange in comparative economic studies, encourage the methodological rigor in empirical studies, to explore economic challenges and showcase Europe as a hub for research and dialogue on sustainable development, regulatory frameworks, and political economy.
What EACES does
EACES promotes the comparative examination of economic systems, institutions, regulations, and their economic, environmental and social performance, with a focus on sustainable development and innovation in Europe and beyond.
It encourages top-quality research by organizing conferences, sponsoring academic and policy events related to its mission and recognizing exceptional contributions through awards and publications, and facilitating access to scholarly resources.
We collaborate with the Leibniz Institute for East and Southeast European Studies in the publication of Economic Systems, one the leading field journals.
We encourage and support the participation of young scholars in the activities organized and/or sponsored by EACES.
EACES builds an extensive international network connecting economists and other social scientists, policymakers, and private-sector researchers to explore the intersection of economic, environmental, political and social dynamics, institutions and governance. This enables open and non-partisan dialogues on economic and public policy issues, aiming to inform decision-making.
A brief history of EACES
At an international conference held in Urbino (Italy) in 1989, many European economists active in the field of comparative studies recognized the need and potential of bringing together scientists in economics and related fields from both sides of the collapsing Iron Curtain. Hence, it was decided to create a new European association in the field of comparative economics. The founding conference of EACES took place in Verona (Italy) on 27-29 September 1990 and saw the participation of around 160 economists from 24 different countries. At that time, it was more than remarkable that about 40% of the participants came from Central Eastern Europe and the Soviet Union. Colleagues from many Western European countries (including researchers from both West and East Germany, just days before reunification) as well as from India, Israel, Japan, and the USA joined what has been a brilliant start of EACES. Vittorio Valli (University of Turin) was elected as the founding president. EACES was formally registered at a public notary in Turin (Italy) on 31 January 1991. Since 2005, EACES is registered as a tax-exempt non-profit organization in Germany.
Over the years, EACES has been regularly organizing conferences in Eastern and Western Europe, as well as organizing and promoting numerous workshops. The frequency of the EACES conferences is biennial. The two last ones took place in Napoli (2022) and Belgrade (2024). The next one is expected to take place in 2026 in Barcelona.
On the world stage, EACES has established a fruitful cooperation with several other economic associations, among which:
Association for Comparative Economic Studies (ACES)
European Association for Evolutionary Political Economy (EAEPE)
Italian Association for Comparative Economic Studies (AISSEC)
Japanese Association for Comparative Economic Studies (JACES)
Korean Association for Comparative Economic Studies (KACES)
This cooperation culminated, in June to 2015, in the joint organization of the First World Congress of Comparative Economics, in Rome
The Second World Congress of Comparative Economics took place in St. Petersburg, in June 2017.