“Acceptance Speech” Frontiers of Knowledge Award 2022 in Economics, Finance and Management

Acceptance speech by Matthew O. Jackson, winner of the 2022 Frontiers of Knowledge Award in Economics, Finance and Management, honored for his pioneering contributions to the study of social and economic networks. His research has introduced tools from game theory and graph theory to explain how relationships between individuals, firms and institutions are formed and how they influence markets, inequality and economic development.

Jackson reflects on the importance of integrating social relationships into economic analysis and recalls his collaborations with Asher Wolinsky and Toni Calvo-Armengol. He explains how network structures shape access to employment, information and opportunities, and how social segregation and financial risks can produce outcomes that harm society as a whole. He also warns that digital technologies, despite enabling new connections, can intensify polarization, and advocates building bridges between social groups.