Eight of the fifteen lectures have by now been given in the first year of the “Stewardship of Finance” chair at the VUB (Vrije Universiteit Brussel). There have been also two (most lively) guest panels, and four guest talks by distinguished visitors: Luc Coene, Governor of the Belgian central bank, Tomas Sedlacek (economist-philosopher, author of “Economics of Good and Evil”), Emmanuel Todd (demographer and historian) and Michel Prada (former head of the French regulator of financial markets). Both the lectures and panels are available on video form for all to see, on the VUB site and on my French-speaking and English-speaking blogs.

There is more to come of course: Jacques Attali will be our guest in March, plus another event whereof it is premature to say more but, as you will then realize, will show how much interest the chair is actually eliciting in the community. In the past week indeed, the Belgian daily L’Écho has devoted four pages to the chair, I was on the national French-speaking radio on Friday and on the Controverse programme of RTL.be on Sunday. Next Sunday, I will be on Retours du dimanche on France Culture.

This all might be buzz of no consequence, but the true reward is the way the main message of the chair is making progess in the minds: that finance should be at the service of the community, instead of being a rogue predator claiming extraterritoriality from ethics, a permanent threat on the rampage, from which the ordinary citizen should shelter.

There is still a long way to go of course but progress is fortunately constant. I’ll keep you posted!