TRIBUTES have been flooding in after the death of one of the world’s leading economists and a member of the Scottish Growth Commission.
Professor Andrew Hughes Hallett, who died on Hogmanay aged 72 following illness, was a professor at a number of prestigious academic institutions and held a number of important academic and advisory roles throughout a distinguished career.
Hughes Hallett was an honorary professor at the University of St Andrews and a key member of the SNP’s Sustainable Growth Commission.
Ahead of the party’s spring conference in April last year, Hughes Hallett made a dramatic intervention by writing in The National in support of Nicola Sturgeon’s plan to retain the pound sterling for a period following independence. And the First Minister led the tributes to the professor on New Year’s Day.
She tweeted: “So very sorry to hear of Andrew Hughes Hallett’s passing – he was an accomplished economist, with the finest of intellects and, above all, a thoroughly decent man. My thoughts are with all who loved him.”
It followed a post from the chair of the Growth Commission, Andrew Wilson, which read: “I will miss him so. As will many others. He was with family last night which is as we would all want to go. One of our quietly world-class people. RIP Andy x.”
READ MORE: Andrew Wilson: Goodbye Andrew Hughes Hallett, a world-class economist who wore his genius lightly
Hughes Hallett was a professor of economics at Copenhagen Business School; professor emeritus, economics and public policy at George Mason University, Arlington, USA; senior research fellow at King’s College, University of London and adviser to the European Parliament on economic and monetary affairs.
“Very sad to hear of the death of Prof Andrew Hughes Hallett whose rigorous analysis of the economics of independence set to rest so many myths and who was a constant advisor, inspiration & encouragement to so many of us,” wrote Scottish Government Constitutional Relations Secretary Michael Russell.
In reply, Anton Muscatelli, principal and vice-chancellor of the University of Glasgow, said: “Very sad news – I recall when Andy joined @UniStrathclyde in 1989 – for many of us who were in the early years of our academic career the macroeconomics workshops held between our two Economics Depts by Andy and other senior colleagues were formative and inspiring.”
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