Laura D. Tyson
Distinguished Professor of the Graduate School | Haas School of Business, University of California, Berkeley
Berkeley, CA, UNITED STATES
Influential scholar of economics and public policy; expert on trade and competitiveness
Areas of Expertise (9)
Future of Work
Disruption
Global Economy
U.S. Trade Policy
High-Technology Competition
Automation
Artificial Intelligence
Women's Economic Empowerment
Progressive Federalism
About
Laura D’Andrea Tyson is an influential scholar of economics and public policy and an expert on trade and competitiveness who has also served as a presidential adviser. She is a Distinguished Professor of the Graduate School at the Haas School of Business, University of California, Berkeley. She also chairs the Board of Trustees at UC Berkeley’s Blum Center for Developing Economies, which aims to develop solutions to global poverty. She is the former Faculty Director of the Berkeley Haas Institute for Business and Social Impact, which she launched in 2013. She served as Interim Dean of the Haas School from July to December 2018, and served previously as dean from 1998 to 2001.
Tyson was a member of President Clinton’s cabinet between 1993 and 1996. She served as Chair of the President’s Council of Economic Advisers from 1993 to 1995 and as Director of the White House National Economic Council from 1995 to 1996. She was the first woman to serve in those positions.
Much of Tyson’s recent research focuses on the effects of automation on the future of work. She is the Co-organizer of WITS (Work and Intelligent Tools and System), an interdisciplinary faculty group created to explore the impacts of digital technologies and artificial intelligence on working, earning, and learning.
She has also devoted considerable policy attention to the links between women’s rights and national economic performance. At the World Economic Forum (WEF), she is a member of the Global Future Council on the New Agenda for Equity and Social Justice. She is the co-author of the WEF Annual Global Gender Gap Report, which ranks nations on economic, political, education, and health gender gaps. She is also the co-author of Leave No One Behind, a report for the United Nations’ High-Level Panel on Women’s Economic Empowerment (2016).
In addition to serving as dean of Berkeley Haas, Tyson served as dean of London Business School from 2002 until 2006. She serves on three corporate boards and several advisory boards for several nonprofit and for-profit organizations.
Tyson is the author of numerous reports, case studies, academic papers and books on competitiveness, industrial policy, international trade, and sustainable business practices. She is also regular contributor to Project Syndicate, and is a frequent media commentator on issues of U.S. and global trade and economics, high-tech competition, automation and artificial intelligence, and women’s economic empowerment.
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Education (2)
Massachusetts Institute of Technology: Ph.D., Economics
International Trade, Economic Development, Macroeconomics
Smith College: B.A. summa cum laude, Economics
Phi Beta Kappa Smith College Prize for Distinguished Work in Economics
Links (4)
Honors & Awards (4)
Honorary Degrees
University of Lausanne, Faculty of Business and Economics, 2011 American University, 1995 Smith College, 1994
Fellowships & Grants
Richard C. Holbrooke Fellowship, American Academy in Berlin, 2019 2012 NACD DIRECTORSHIP 100 Most Influential People in Corporate Governance London Business School Fellow, 2010 National Fellows Program Fellowship, Hoover Institution, 1978-1979 American Council of Learned Societies Grant, Spring Term 1977, 1978, 1979 Sloan Foundation Grant, Summer 1976 Massachusetts Institute of Technology, NDEA TITLE IV Fellowship; Fulbright Fellowship; International Research and Exchanges Board Study Grant
Elected Member, Council on Foreign Relations
1987
Teaching Awards
Club 6 Member, Haas School of Business, 2008, 2010, 2011 and 2015: Award for teaching excellence based on student recommendations Berkeley, Distinguished Teaching Award, University of California, Spring 1982
Selected External Service & Affiliations (26)
- (Selected list - please see curriculum vitae for full list of affiliations)
- Board of Trustees, Bay Area Council Economic Institute
- Organizer, Berkeley Work and Intelligent Tools and Systems (WITS)
- Advisory Council: The Brookings Institution, Hamilton Project; Social Finance US
- Senior External Advisor, McKinsey Global Institute
- Economic Advisory Council and Board of Trustees, Center for American Progress
- Task Force Member, Rework America, Markle Foundation
- Berggruen Institute: Think Long Committee for California; 21st Century Council
- International Advisory Council, Bocconi University
- 2016 – 2017: President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology, Semiconductor Working Group
- 2011 – 2013: Member, President Obama’s Council on Jobs and Competitiveness
- 2009 – 2011: President’s Economic Recovery Advisory Board
- 2011 – 2013: Member, US Department of State, Foreign Affairs Policy Board
- Special Advisor: Berkeley Research Group
- Global Economy Fellow, MasterCard Center for Inclusive Growth
- Global Policy Advisor, GSG
- Board member: Opportunity Institute; The Sustainability Accounting Standards Board Foundation; Philanthropy University
- Co-chair, California Governor’s Council of Economic Advisors
- Commission d'experts sur les grands défis économiques, French President Emmanuel Macron
- Advisory Board: Angeleno Group, LLC; Generation Investment Management; Morgan Stanley Institute for Sustainable Investing
- Editorial Advisory Board: The International Economy
- Senior Advisor: The Rock Creek Group
- Member of Corporate Boards: CBRE Group Inc.; Lexmark International Inc.; Apex Swiss Holdings SARL; Stem Inc.
- Senior Advisor Group, SATMAP Incorporated (dba Afiniti), February 2021 – Present
- Co-Chair, Global Future Council for Equity and Social Justice, World Economic Forum, 2020 – Present
- Board of Directors, SeriousFun Children’s Network; Value Reporting Foundations; Philanthropy University; Interim Board Chair, Opportunity Institute
Positions Held (3)
Current Academic Positions
2016 – present: Distinguished Professor of the Graduate School, Haas School of Business, UC Berkeley 2006 – present: Chair, Board of Trustees, Steering Committee Member, Blum Center for Developing Economies, UC Berkeley 2019 – Present: Founder and Co-Faculty Director, Sustainable and Impact Finance Initiative, Institute for Business & Social Impact, Haas School of Business, UC Berkeley 2019 – Present: Faculty Director, Berkeley Haas Blockchain Initiative, Institute for Business & Social Impact, Haas School of Business, UC Berkeley
Past Academic Positions
August 2019 – July 2020: Interim Director, Institute for Business & Social Impact, Haas School of Business, University of California, Berkeley 2013 – 2019: Faculty Director, Institute for Business & Social Impact, Haas School of Business, University of California, Berkeley July - Dec. 2018: Interim Dean, Haas School of Business 1992 – 2016: Professor of Business Administration and Economics, Haas School of Business, UC Berkeley 2008 – 2013: S. K. and Angela Chan Chair in Global Management, Haas School of Business 2002 - 2006: Dean, London Business School 1998 – 2001: Dean, Haas School of Business 1997 – 1998: Class of 1939 Professor of Economics and Business Administration, UC Berkeley 1978 - 2006: Assistant Professor, Associate Professor, and Professor of Economics, UC Berkeley 1990 – 1992: Director of the Institute of International Studies, UC Berkeley 1988 – 1992: Director of Research, Berkeley Roundtable on the International Economy, UC Berkeley 1974 - 1977: Assistant Professor, Department of Economics, Princeton University
Past Government Positions
1995 – 1996: Chairman, National Economic Council, Executive Office of the President of the United States of America 1993 – 1995: Chairman, White House Council of Economic Advisers, Executive Office of the President of the United States of America
Media Appearances (16)
Project Syndicate - Monthly Column
Project Syndicate online
Monthly Columnist for Project Syndicate since 2012.
Public-Private Decarbonization
Project Syndicate online
2022-04-22
To keep global warming within 1.5°C, trillions of dollars more will need to be invested in clean energy production and infrastructure every year from now until 2050. While most of that will have to come from the private sector, governments must act as the seed funders and market makers, writes Laura Tyson, former dean and distinguished professor of the graduate school.
Democracies Must Coordinate Industrial Policies to Rebuild Economic Security
Issues in Science & Technology online
2022-04-14
The United States can control its technological future only by working with other liberal democracies to reduce shared risks and vulnerabilities, argue Laura Tyson, distinguished professor of the graduate school and former dean, and David Teece, Thomas W. Tusher Professor in Global Business and faculty director, Tusher Center for the Management of Intellectual Capital.
California Gov. Newsom wasn't first to call for sanctions on Russia. But it was the right move
Los Angeles Times online
2022-03-03
Gov. Gavin Newsom has not asked the state’s pension systems to dump Russian investments at prices far below what they originally paid, but he did ask them not to put any more funds into Russia, and to restrain from succumbing to the investor’s temptation to buy low and later sell high. “Some buyers will actually see this as an opportunity to buy more Russian stock,” said Distinguished Professor of the Graduate School Laura Tyson. “They may value profit over principle. But it would be very high risk.”
Neglecting Democracy in America
Project Syndicate online
2022-02-21
“The right to vote is the foundation of America’s democracy, and the health of America’s economy depends on the health of its democracy,” writes Distinguished Professor of the Graduate School Laura Tyson in this co-authored opinion piece. According to the Pew Research Center, 57% of Americans believe that voting is “a fundamental right for every adult US citizen and should not be restricted in any way,” whereas 42% of respondents think that “voting is a privilege that comes with responsibilities and can be limited if adult US citizens don’t meet some requirements.” As with most issues, there are significant partisan differences, she writes.
How sanctions could pack a punch
Politico online
2022-02-08
Some of the world’s top economic policymakers and scholars, including Distinguished Professor of the Graduate School Laura Tyson, have signed a letter urging the Senate Banking Committee to advance all of President Joe Biden’s Federal Reserve nominees. “In addition to representing among the best legal and economic minds in our country, this slate of nominees has demonstrated sound judgment and collegial professionalism throughout their careers,” they wrote.
Balance of power
Bloomberg online
2022-02-03
Laura Tyson, Distinguished Professor of the Graduate School, said the need for flexibility in economic policy is crucial at the moment. Looking at past relationships between unemployment, growth, and inflation numbers, “those normal relationships are no longer predictive,” she said. “There is a lot of uncertainty.”
Balance of power
Bloomberg tv
2021-11-28
Laura Tyson, Distinguished Professor of the Graduate School, discusses the nomination of Lael Brainard as Vice Chair of the Federal Reserve. Brainard was a White House fellow when Tyson chaired the Council of Economic Advisors under the Clinton Administration, and Tyson helped bring her onto the team. Tyson also discusses the Fed, the labor market, and inflation.
The causes and consequences of inflation
WBUR-FM radio
2021-10-26
Distinguished Professor of the Graduate School Laura Tyson joined the show to put in context how unusual the current rate of 5% inflation is. “Inflation is a measure of growth of prices, the prices of goods and services that we buy,” she explained. “We measure it over a period time, and we’re coming off very low prices,” she said. The crucial fact is that it is hard to make predictions about inflation, she added.
The economic recovery can benefit all Americans. Here's how
Los Angeles Times online
2021-10-21
As the U.S. pulls out of the pandemic-induced downturn, we cannot ignore deep challenges in our labor markets, this op-ed argues. Automation, federal resources, and policy innovation are necessary to ensure that the recovery reaches everyone.
Labor Market is Strengthening
Bloomberg tv
2021-08-06
Former Haas Dean Laura Tyson, Distinguished Professor of the Graduate School, joins Bloomberg TV for a conversation about the latest job numbers. “Those are strong numbers and show continued strengthening of the labor market,” she said. However, the Delta variant creates uncertainty that could slow momentum.
Why we need a national strategy to prevent computer chip shortages
Los Angeles Times online
2021-07-27
“For the sake of both national and economic security, the United States needs a multifaceted strategy for providing a competitive, resilient, secure and sustainable supply of semiconductors,” writes Laura Tyson, Distinguished Professor of the Graduate School, in this co-authored op-ed. The U.S. also needs to work closely with its allies, like Japan, Singapore, the E.U. and Israel, in its push to remain competitive with China.
What Post-Pandemic Repair Could Look Like
The Atlantic online
2021-05-25
Laura Tyson, Distinguished Professor of the Graduate School, co-authored a paper on the urgency of a new federal stimulus program. She says the federal government must provide more generous and flexible funding for state and local governments. “Governors and mayors across the country are pleading for help ahead of a challenging winter,” she writes. “Most states and cities have exhausted rainy-day funds and are facing a collective shortfall of $400 billion or more, according to the most recent estimates.”
Will there be enough good jobs?
MIT Technology Review online
2021-04-28
In a chapter in the book “Combating Inequality: Rethinking Government's Role” Laura Tyson, Distinguished Professor of the Graduate School, discusses technological change, income inequality, and the need for good jobs. "A major question is not whether there will be enough jobs but whether there will be enough good jobs—jobs that provide middle-class earnings, safe working conditions, legal protections, social protections, and benefits (e.g., unemployment and disability benefits, health benefits, family benefits, pensions)," she writes.
Democrats have a chance to invest in economic growth for all after years of frustration
CNN online
2021-04-04
The $2.25 trillion infrastructure put forth by the Biden administration would invest in transportation, manufacturing, schools, broadband, water systems, care-giving services, and clean energy. Distinguished Professor of the Graduate School Laura Tyson said the Democrat's time has finally come to make this happen.
UC Berkeley's Tyson on Biden's $3T Infrastructure Plan
Bloomberg tv
2021-03-26
Interviewed on Bloomberg TV, Laura Tyson, Distinguished Professor of the Graduate School, said she's hopeful about the scope of Pres. Biden's plan to boost the country's infrastructure.
Working Papers (1)
Automation and the Future of Work in Germany
A Summary of Research and Policy Recommendations
2020-08-01
Automation and the digitization of work are having significant effects on the German labor market and are challenging policymakers to modernize the existing and proven instruments of Germany’s distinctive “social market” economy. The COVID19 pandemic is accelerating the pace and scope of these technological changes and intensifying their effects on how work is done. To inform the modifications in policies and institutions necessary to achieve the goals of Germany’s social market system, it is necessary to understand these effects and to predict how they are likely to develop in a post-pandemic future. This report addresses these questions based on research by both German and international scholars and organizations and on interviews with economists, policy-makers and business and labor leaders in Germany. The report focuses in particular on how automation, broadly defined to encompass a variety of technologies including robots, software, digital systems and platforms, and artificial intelligence, is changing the size and composition of employment, the level and distribution of wages, and the educational and skill requirements for different kinds of work, and on the policy implications of these changes.
Selected Papers & Publications (11)
Quantitative Greening
Special Edition Magazine, Fall 2019: Sustainability
Laura Tyson and Afsaneh Beschloss
2019-10-14
"In the years since the signing of the Paris climate agreement, many of the world's central banks and leading financial regulatory authorities have started to create new tools to assess and manage climate-related financial risks. Behind these efforts is a shared realization: there can be no climate stability without financial stability."
The Progressive Resurgence of Federalism
Stanford Social Innovation Review
Laura Tyson and Lenny Mendonca
2018
Globalization Is Not in Retreat: Digital Technology and the Future of Trade
Foreign Affairs
Laura Tyson and Susan Lund
2018
Entrepreneurs: Spread the Start-Up Wealth Around
Democracy Journal
Laura Tyson and Lenny Mendonca
2016
Better Ventures: Backing Entrepreneurs, Building a Better World
Berkeley Haas Case Studies
Laura Tyson and Jennifer Walske
2017
Bridges Fund Management
Berkeley Haas Case Studies
Laura Tyson and Jennifer Walske
2017
Leave No One Behind: A Call to Action for Gender Equality and Women's Economic Empowerment
Report of the UN Secretary-General's High-Level Panel on Women's Economic Empowerment
Laura Tyson and Jeni Klugman
2016
Sanergy: Tackling Sanitation in Kenyan Slums
Berkeley Haas Case Studies
Laura Tyson and Jennifer Walske
2016
Entrepreneurs: Spread the Start-Up Wealth Around
Democracy Journal
Laura Tyson and Lenny Mendonca
2016
Social