19th Annual Forum of the World Association for Political Economy (WAPE), August 5th to 7th, 2026, UK.
The Wealth of Nations in the Multipolar Age
The World Association for Political Economy (WAPE) annual forum on the theme “The Wealth of Nations in the Multipolar Age”, marking the 250th anniversary of the publication of Adam Smith’s The Wealth of Nations, took place from 5 – 7th August, at the Old Royal Naval College in Greenwich, London, where the first Chinese translator of the Smith’s works and first principal of Beijing University, Yan Fu, studied.
Programme here https://world-association-for-political-economy.github.io/Conference/assets/programme_2.pdf?v=2
Opening Remarks at the 19th Forum of the World Association for Political Economy Cheng Enfu (Professor, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences; President, World Association for Political Economy)
First of all, on behalf of the Association, I extend a warm welcome to scholars, experts, teachers, students, and media friends from all over the world who have gathered for this grand event. I also express my heartfelt gratitude to the University of Greenwich and its relevant faculties for co-hosting the 19th Annual Conference of the World Association for Political Economy.
STATEMENT of the 19th Forum of the World Association for Political Economy ‘The Wealth of Nations in the Multipolar Age ’University of Greenwich, 5-7 August 2025, Alan Freeman.
We are living through the violent decline of capitalist imperialism that began in these very environs of Greenwich, where we are meeting. The Royal Observatory devised the navigation aids that enabled Britainnia to ‘rule the waves’ and to reach and control the ‘empire on which the sun never set’, while fast clippers like the Cutty Sark ferried their light but valuable cargoes from colonial outposts to the imperial lands.
This country was, at the same time, the birthplace of great critics of modern capitalism and imperialism such as Adam Smith, the 250th anniversary of whose foundational work, The Wealth of Nations, we are here to mark, and refuge, for their greatest critics ever, Karl Marx., Friedrich Engels and Jenny Marx and also, briefly, for the philosopher and revolutionary, Vladimir Ilyich Lenin.
Distinguished Contribution & Marxian Awards
Roger van Zwanenberg, Pluto Journals Managing Director, received the “Distinguished Contribution Award” from Prof. Chen Enfu at the opening plenary of the 19th Annual Forum of WAPE “The Wealth of Nations in the Multipolar Age” which took place from 5 - 7th August at the University of Greenwich, London.
Michael Roberts received the “Marxian Award” and gave his acceptance speech.
Thanked and introduced his academic background and how in 2005, under the pseudonym of Michael Roberts, he started a blog with the aim of discussing how he saw the key elements of Marx’s view of capitalism and its critique of mainstream economics.
Then in 2009 Roberts used posts from his blog to self-publish his first book entitled, The Great Recession – a Marxist view. These posts had a timeline that took the reader through the period leading up to the global financial crash of 2007-8 and the ensuing global slump of 2008-9.
During the 19th WAPE Forum Michael Roberts presented "Catching up or falling behind: will the poor countries of the world ever close the gap with the rich?".