George Soros will unveil his latest thinking on economics and politics during a lecture series hosted by the Central European University (CEU) from October 26-30, 2009. These lectures are the culmination of a lifetime of practical and philosophical reflection. Soros will discuss his general theory of reflexivity and its application to financial markets, providing insights into the recent financial crisis. The third and fourth lectures examine the concept of open society, which has guided Soros’s global philanthropy, as well as the potential for conflict between capitalism and open society. The closing lecture focuses on the way ahead, closely examining the increasingly important economic and political role that China will play in the future.

The lectures will be held at the Hungarian Academy of Sciences in Budapest, from 2.00-4.00 Central European time each day, except for Wednesday 28 October, when Soros will speak from 4.00-6.00pm. Each day will feature an hour-long lecture. Then, after brief commentary from a discussant, Soros will answer questions from global audiences at partner institutions participating by videoconference as well as the audience in Hungary.

The lectures will be available on the Financial Times website here each evening.

The series include the following lectures:

1. •Oct 26 – The General Theory of Reflexivity / live telecast by London School of Economics (Video)
   

2. •Oct 27 – Financial Markets / live telecast by Massachusetts Institute of Technology (Video)
   

3. •Oct 28 – Open Society / live telecast by Columbia University (Video)
   

4. •Oct 29 – Capitalism versus Open Society / live telecast by Indian Institute of Science, Bangalor (Video)
   

5. •Oct 30 – The Way Ahead / live telecast by The University of Hong Kong (Full Lecture Text)