Mises University 2020

Mises University
- Event

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Austrian Economics

Rooted in the tradition of Carl Menger and Ludwig von Mises, as well as Murray Rothbard and F.A. Hayek, the Austrian school offers a rigorous and logical approach to economics that gives free markets their due and takes full account of the reality of human choice. More than a field within economics, the Austrian school is an entirely different approach that dissents from the mainstream on method, theory, and policy. It views economic actors as unique, conscious, and freely choosing individuals, not as undifferentiated data to be manipulated mathematically or politically.

The Program

The Mises University is the world's leading instructional program in the Austrian school of economics. Since 1986, it has been the essential training ground for college and university students who are looking beyond the mainstream.

The program offers courses and seminars on the whole range of the discipline. A core curriculum presents economic foundations, and more than fifty elective classes explore the entire range of economics, in all levels of advancement. The program ends with a Mündliche Prüfung, an optional exam for an honors certificate and cash prizes for the most learned.

Subject areas cover market behavior, competition, value and utility, money and banking, business cycles, industrial organization, method, economic history, the philosophy of science, financial economics, and more. You attend what most suits your interests and level of advancement.

Classes are interspersed with discussion seminars, faculty panels, and plenary lectures. There are special sessions on economic history, economics and ethics, and political philosophy. Nightly social hours allow time to meet and discuss it all with faculty and other students.

Costs

Through the generosity of Mises Institute Supporters, there is no registration fee at Mises University for students who are accepted. Acceptance is highly selective. All students who are accepted on full scholarship receive complimentary admission to all sessions, refreshment breaks, accommodations for 7 nights, transportation between accommodations and the Mises Institute each day, and meals beginning with dinner on Sunday, July 12, and ending with dinner on Saturday, July 18.

 

Accommodations

Information will be sent to each student.
 

Shuttles between the Atlanta, Birmingham, Columbus GA or Montgomery AL airports are available through Tiger Taxi Shuttle.  From Atlanta airport only, through Groome Transportation. Attendees should make their own reservations and payment and choose the drop-off and pick-up point of AU Hotel and Conference Center.  

Required Reading

The list of the readings that all students must complete before attending Mises University is available online here. All materials are available on Mises.org free of charge, and most readings are available in multiple formats (e.g., PDF, ePub, HTML, audio).

Awards

The student who emerges from the oral examinations (the Mündliche Prüfung) with the best record, as chosen by the examining committee, will be awarded the Douglas E. French Scholarship Prize of $2,500. Second and third highest scorers will receive the Kenneth Garschina Prize of $1,500 and $750 respectively.

Conference registration begins Sunday, July 12 at 5:00 p.m. Central time at the Mises Institute, 518 West Magnolia Avenue, Auburn, Alabama, with dinner at 6:00 and the opening lecture at 7:00. The event ends with a cookout on Saturday, July 18 at 4:00 p.m.  Students should check in at their accommodations before coming to the Mises Institute. There will be shuttles from the accommodations to the Mises Institute Sunday afternoon.

Detailed schedule forthcoming.

2020 Faculty

Mises University faculty are among the finest scholars of Austrian economics and libertarian political theory in the world, under the direction of Joseph Salerno of Pace University, Auburn University, and the Mises Institute. 

Other faculty include:

The Campus

The Mises Institute, where sessions take place, is adjacent to Auburn University and near the heart of downtown Auburn. The Mises Campus features seminar rooms, an extensive special-collections library including the personal library of Murray Rothbard, a large archival center housing the papers of Mises, Rothbard and other great Austrian economists, bookstore, a discussion conservatory, an outdoor amphitheater, and study gardens.

Other Accommodations

Observers can reserve a room at Auburn University Hotel by calling 334-821-8200 and mention Mises University of the Mises Institute for a special rate. Or there are numerous VRBO or Air B&B options.

Meals

Breakfasts will be served at accommodations. Lunches and dinners will be served at the Mises Institute or local restaurants. Nightly social hours will offer refreshments in an informal atmosphere ideal for discussing new ideas from the daily lectures or for making new friends.

Apply Now

The scholarship application process for Mises University 2020 is now open to full-time college and university students. The deadline for scholarship applications is April 6, with decisions communicated to all applicants by April 13. Economics majors and graduate students have priority, but college and university students in all disciplines are encouraged to apply.  

Important Note: all Mises University applicants agree to abide by the Mises Institute's Visiting Scholar Manual.

Faculty and Member Observers should use the Faculty & Member registration form rather than the student scholarship application site.

Student Scholarship Application Requirements

  1. Application questionnaire
  2. Unofficial copy of university transcript
  3. Student photo ID copy
  4. Academic letter of recommendation
  5. Confirmation of consent to terms of the Manual for Visiting Scholars

(Note: The academic letter of recommendation should address your academic strengths that go beyond what is recorded in the university transcript. Particularly helpful are comments on your interest in Austrian economics or Austrian scholarship in general. If you are a graduate student, the letters should address the quality of your research and potential to make contributions in your academic field. If your professor wishes to send this letter privately, it can be emailed to Patricia Barnett pat@mises.org).

Final Exam

Mündliche Prüfung is an optional exam for students who would like to have their knowledge tested at the end of the conference. The exam is open only to students. Preliminary written testing on Thursday determines who is qualified to take the final exam on Saturday. Questions are based on content in required readings and plenary sessions. Results of the preliminary testing will be posted on the bulletin board in the outdoor dining area by Friday morning. If you pass the preliminary exam, then you will email to felicia@mises.org by Friday at 4:00 p.m. a list of classes you attended or will attend this week (not including plenary sessions). On Saturday, a faculty jury will engage each of the preliminary passing examinees in a ten-minute question-and-answer session based on the readings and the lectures each has attended. At graduation, those who pass the oral exams will receive a graded certificate. Each faculty panel will select two students as the leading candidates from its examinations. These six finalists will then undergo a deeper examination by the entire faculty. The third and second highest scorers will receive the Kenneth Garschina Prize of $750 and $1,500 respectively. The student selected by the faculty as the most learned of the conference will receive the Douglas E. French Prize of $2,500.

Questions? Email Patricia Barnett pat@mises.org

Publicity Waiver: Registering for this event gives the Mises Institute permission to take photos, record videos, and receive statements of and from attendees for promotional purposes. By this authorization, attendees understand and agree that no participant shall receive remuneration and that all rights, title and interest to the photos, videos, and statements and use thereof belong to the Mises Institute.

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