Franco Modigliani – Robert Solow – I.S.E.O. Temporary Chair in Economic Sciences 2026

The I.S.E.O. Institute, in close collaboration with the University of Brescia, is proud to announce the upcoming 2026 edition of the “Franco Modigliani – Robert Solow – I.S.E.O. Temporary Chair in Economic Sciences.”
This prestigious academic initiative, which honors the enduring legacy of I.S.E.O. founder Franco Modigliani and past president Robert Solow, continues its tradition of bringing world-renowned economic thinkers directly to the university’s Faculty of Economics to inspire the next generation of researchers.
The 2026 edition will feature Professor Michael Spence, who was awarded the Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences in 2001 for his groundbreaking analysis of markets with asymmetric information.
As the developer of the foundational economic theory of market signaling, Professor Spence has fundamentally transformed our understanding of how information flows shape modern economies. In addition to his pioneering research, he brings a deep, long-standing connection to our organization, currently serving as the Honorary Chairman of the I.S.E.O. Institute, while also holding the position of Philip H. Knight Professor Emeritus at the Stanford Graduate School of Business and Senior Fellow at the Hoover Institution.
Prof. Spence will deliver a course entitled “Growth Prospects, Patterns and Challenges in a Shock Prone Global Economy”.
Scheduled to take place in November 2026, this high-level visiting professorship will offer a unique educational experience through a series of specialized classes. These lectures are exclusively reserved for Master’s and PhD students at the University of Brescia, giving advanced students a rare opportunity to engage directly with global economic leadership. Following the academic sessions, the program will conclude with a prominent public conference, opening the scholarly dialogue to local institutions and the broader community.
The inaugural edition in 2024 featured Professor Robert Engle, the 2003 Nobel Laureate in Economics, who inaugurated the program with an immersive course focused on Climate Finance. Following this success, the 2025 edition welcomed Professor Robert Merton, the 1997 Nobel Laureate in Economics, who brought his world-class expertise to Brescia to lead an exclusive series of classes dedicated to Longevity Finance.