Professor Steve Keen

Professor Steve Keen is a prominent Australian economist and author celebrated for his critical foresight of the 2008 Global Financial Crisis as one of the few economists to accuratley forsee the crash. With a reputation for challenging conventional economic theories, Steve advances alternative approaches to understanding economic crises and financial instability. Inspired by Hyman Minsky's financial instability hypothesis along with Irving Fisher's debt deflation, he places credit and private debt at the centre of economic performance. 

Before delving into the world of academics in 1987, Steve served as a school teacher, followed by an education officer for various companies such as an overseas aid organisation, a conference organiser, an editor, a computer programmer, a journalist and a government advisor. Joining the University of Sydney, he graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in 1974, followed by a Bachelor of Law in 1976 and a Diploma of Education from the Sydney Teachers College in 1977. Developing his passion for economics, Steve joined the University of New South Wales to gain his Master of Commerce in Economics and Economic History in 1990. Sharing his expertise with top students, in 1996, he proceeded to work as a Professor at the University of Western Sydney. Continuing to expand through academia, he earned his PhD in Economics at the University of New South Wales in 1997. His career subsequently included senior positions at the University of Western Sydney and Kingston University as both the Head of the School of Economics, History and Politics and the Professor of Economics.

Alongside over 100 peer-reviewed publications that have been translated into multiple languages, Steve is the bestselling author of numerous instrumental books. His hallmark book 'Debunking Economics' explores the argument that neoclassical assumptions are both fundamentally flawed and widely unsupported by data. With his other publications including 'Can We Avoid Another Financial Crisis?', 'The New Economics: A Manifesto', and 'Economics Taking the Con Out of Economics', he brings leading research to the forefront of economics. In addition to his written work, he has expanded into climate economics, energy production, and the mathematical foundations of economic theory, keeping him at the forefront of research. In recent years, Steve has used his platform to author the influential blog, Debt Deflation, along with co-hosting the leading Debunking Economics Podcast with Phil Dobbie. 

Recognised as a Distinguished Research Fellow at the Institute for Strategy, Resilience and Security at University College London and an Honorary Professor at UCL, he simplifies decades of complex research into accessible strategies for all audiences. His extraordinary career has not gone without recognition, as in 2010, after his foresight of the 2008 Global Financial Crisis, he received the Revere Award from the Real-World Economic Review, placing him first among the economists recognised for their public warnings of the coming crisis. Steve's compelling public speaking has further led to his being interviewed on Steven Bartlett's Diary of a CEO Podcast in the "Financial Crash Expert" episode in 2026. Steve delivers thought-provoking insights into financial instability, private debt and global economics, challenging audiences to reconsider conventional economic thinking and better understand the forces shaping modern economies.