Peter Howitt (economist)

Peter Howitt
Born
Peter Wilkinson Howitt

(1946-05-31) May 31, 1946 (age 79)
Known forAghion–Howitt model
Endogenous growth theory
Creative destruction
Academic background
EducationMcGill University (BA)
University of Western Ontario (MA)
Northwestern University (PhD)
ThesisStudies in the Theory of Monetary Dynamics (1973)
Doctoral advisorRobert W. Clower
Academic work
DisciplineEconomic growth
Macroeconomics
Monetary economics
School or traditionNeo-Schumpeterian economics[1]
InstitutionsUniversity of Western Ontario
Ohio State University
Brown University
Doctoral studentsRoger Farmer[2]
Martín Guzmán[3]
AwardsNobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences (2025)
Website

Peter Wilkinson Howitt (born May 31, 1946) is a Canadian economist and the Lyn Crost Professor of Social Sciences Emeritus at Brown University. He is best known for his collaborative work with Philippe Aghion on endogenous growth theory, the concept of creative destruction in modern macroeconomics and the Aghion–Howitt model.[4] In 2025, Howitt and Aghion were jointly awarded the Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences "for the theory of sustained growth through creative destruction."[4]

Early life and education

Howitt was born in Guelph, Ontario, in 1946.[5] He earned his BA in economics from McGill University in 1968, his MA from the University of Western Ontario in 1969, and his PhD from Northwestern University in 1973 under Robert W. Clower.[6]

Academic career

Howitt returned to Canada after receiving his PhD and taught at the University of Western Ontario from 1972 to 1996.[7] He became a faculty member at the Ohio State University in 1996 and joined Brown University in 2000, where he has remained since.[7] Since 2013, Howitt is Professor Emeritus at Brown University. Besides his university affiliations, he also has long-time connections with the C. D. Howe Institute, a nonpartisan think tank based in Toronto, Canada. Howitt started publishing reports of economic policy through the institute since 1986 and was a fellow-in-residence from 2011 to 2015.[8][9]

He served as president of the Canadian Economics Association in 1993–1994 and was the editor of the Journal of Money, Credit, and Banking in the period 1997–2000.[10]

Honours and awards

Howitt was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada in 1992[10] and of the Econometric Society in 1994.[11] In 2019, he and Aghion received the BBVA Foundation Frontiers of Knowledge Award in Economics, Finance and Management.[12] Howitt and Aghion were also awarded half of the Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences in 2025 "for the theory of sustained growth through creative destruction", the other half going to Joel Mokyr.[4]

Selected works

  • Howitt, Peter (1990). The Keynesian Recovery and Other Essays. Philip Allan. ISBN 978-0-86003-081-2.
  • Howitt, Peter, ed. (1996). The Implications of Knowledge-Based Growth for Micro-Economic Policies. University of Calgary Press. ISBN 978-1-895176-78-0.
  • Aghion, Philippe; Howitt, Peter (1998). Endogenous Growth Theory. MIT Press. ISBN 9780262011662.
  • Howitt, Peter; De Antoni, Elisabetta; Leijonhufvud, Axel, eds. (1999). Money, Markets and Method: Essays in Honour of Robert W. Clower. Edward Elgar. ISBN 978-1-85898-901-3.
  • Aghion, Philippe; Howitt, Peter (2008). The Economics of Growth. MIT Press. ISBN 978-0-262-30389-7.

See also

Peter Howitt (disambiguation)

References

  1. ^ "Philippe Aghion, Peter Howitt and Joel Mokyr win 2025 Nobel Prize in Economics". Le Monde. October 13, 2025. Retrieved October 13, 2025.
  2. ^ "Roger Farmer". The Mathematics Genealogy Project.
  3. ^ "Martín Guzmán (PhD 2013) was appointed as Argentina's Economy Minister | Economics | Brown University". economics.brown.edu. Retrieved October 13, 2025.
  4. ^ a b c The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences (October 13, 2025). "The Prize in Economic Sciences 2025" (PDF). The Nobel Prize. Retrieved October 13, 2025.
  5. ^ Bueckert, Kate (October 13, 2025). "Guelph's Peter Howitt Nobel win 'a proud moment' for Ontario universities where he studied and worked". CBC News. Retrieved October 13, 2025.
  6. ^ Laidler, David (January 1, 2022). "Peter Howitt – A Keynesian Still in Recovery". University of Western Ontario Department of Economics Research Report Series. hdl:20.500.14721/11869.
  7. ^ a b "Brown University economics professor Peter Howitt wins Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences". News from Brown. Brown University. October 13, 2025. Retrieved October 13, 2025.
  8. ^ Chevance, Catherine. "Scientific Folder DHC Peter Howitt – Gredeg". Gredeg (in French). Archived from the original on April 25, 2025. Retrieved October 13, 2025.
  9. ^ "C.D. Howe Institute International Fellow Peter Howitt Wins Nobel Prize". C.D. Howe Institute. Retrieved October 15, 2025.
  10. ^ a b McDevitt, Neale (October 13, 2025). "McGill Alumnus Peter Howitt awarded 2025 Nobel Prize in Economics for work on innovation and growth". McGill Reporter. McGill University. Retrieved October 13, 2025.
  11. ^ "Current Fellows". Econometric Society. Retrieved October 13, 2025.
  12. ^ "Peter Howitt, 12th Frontiers of Knowledge Award in Economics, Finance and Management". BBVA Foundation. Retrieved October 13, 2025.[dead link]