Canon Foundation in Europe

To commemorate our 20th anniversary, the Canon Foundation Invited Lecture was established in 2007. The lecturer is an outstanding person in academia, government or professional organisation and will be invited to deliver a lecture on a theme which is topical and of relevance to the international community. The lecturer will be nominated by the Executive Committee members of the Canon Foundation in Europe.

The 2009 Invited Lecture was the 3rd in the series where Professor Ramón Tamames spoke on European and Asian approaches to a global currency (click here to download a PDF-file of the speech in English or here in Spanish). The Canon Foundation was honoured that Her Majesty Queen Sofia of Spain agreed to chair the event.

Professor Dr. Ramón Tamames
Born in Madrid, 1933 and has a PhD in Law and Economics from the University of Madrid. He studied at the Institute of Political Studies and the London School of Economics. Since 1968 he is a Chairholder on Economic Structure, first in Malaga, and since 1975, at the Autonomous University of Madrid.

professor Tamames
Professor Dr. Ramón Tamames

Professor Tamames is the author of numerous books and articles on Spanish and international economy, ecology, history, and political affairs. He has been a consultant of the United Nations (UNDP), and the Inter-American Bank for Development (INTAL). He also holds honorary doctorates at the universities of Buenos Aires, Lima and Guatemala. He is a Member of the Club of Rome since 1992 and Jean Monnet Chairholder of the European Union since 1993. In 1997 he received the King James Economics Award. In 2003 he was awarded the National Prize on Economy and Environment. During 1977/81 he was an MP at the Spanish Congress of Deputies and he is one of the signatories of the present Spanish Constitution of 1978.

The global economic crisis asks for a global approach. Foreseen changes are already being discussed in international forums. New international regulations and supervisions will be required to prevent new economic and military catastrophes. Globalization in banking, trade and development aid will be indispensable to put an end to mass poverty and the consequent lack of human rights and dignity. In his lecture Professor Tamames developed a series of reasonings and recommendations to prove that a global currency, for with China has already made some meaningful approaches, is an important instrument to achieve a truly advanced globalization.