Professor Philip Lawrence Lecture
On 29 October 2008 Professor Philip Lawrence delivered an iCES
Guest lecture on the financial and political relationship between
the world’s two largest aircraft manufacturers, Airbus and
Boeing.
Airbus vs. Boeing as a Metaphor for EU/US
Relations
Introducing the lecture as of particular importance in the
context of both the forthcoming US Presidential elections and the
on-going global financial crisis, Professor Michael Scriven,
Director of the Institute of Contemporary European Studies,
highlighted the range and depth of Professor Lawrence’s published
work
In his Lecture Professor Lawrence emphasised the economic
significance of the large commercial aircraft industry to both
Europe and America, and analysed in particular the complexities of
laissez-faire politico-economic ideologies and industrial state
subsidies.
Critical Understanding of laissez-faire policies
Professor Lawrence argued that the post-war period had witnessed
a growing challenge by Airbus to the hegemonic market domination
exercised by Boeing. Airbus’s remarkable success story had resulted
inevitably in a series of disputes on taxation, profitability,
industry regulation and trade relations between the EU and the US.
In his concluding remarks, Professor Lawrence argued for a more
critical understanding of both laissez-faire policies in the US and
political/economic relations between the UK and the US.
The Lecture was attended by over sixty staff and students and
was followed by an extremely lively Q&A session. Following the
lecture students and staff had an opportunity to speak informally
to Professor Lawrence. iCES produced a display of Professor
Lawrence extensive publications for student and staff consultation
allowing students further opportunities to engage with Professor
Lawrence’s work and ideas.
Wednesday 29th
of October 2008
Institute of Contemporary European Studies (iCES)
Page last updated 11/10/2009
