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Bridging barriers: How COVID-19 changed racial diversity in economics seminars

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  • Biermann, Marcus

Abstract

In this paper, new facts are documented on the racial distribution of seminar speakers in economics. From a sample of 270 institutions, I determined that before the COVID-19 pandemic, 82.5% of seminars were given by White speakers, 13.9% of seminars were given by Asian speakers, and 3.6% by speakers with a Hispanic-Latino or Black background. The racial distribution of speakers did not change globally. However, the share of speakers from underrepresented minorities in the United States almost doubled with the introduction of virtual seminars during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Suggested Citation

  • Biermann, Marcus, 2025. "Bridging barriers: How COVID-19 changed racial diversity in economics seminars," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 252(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:ecolet:v:252:y:2025:i:c:s016517652500182x
    DOI: 10.1016/j.econlet.2025.112345
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Keywords

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    JEL classification:

    • A14 - General Economics and Teaching - - General Economics - - - Sociology of Economics
    • I23 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Higher Education; Research Institutions
    • J15 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Economics of Minorities, Races, Indigenous Peoples, and Immigrants; Non-labor Discrimination
    • O33 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Innovation; Research and Development; Technological Change; Intellectual Property Rights - - - Technological Change: Choices and Consequences; Diffusion Processes

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