Industrial Economics 75

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Honouring a programme that has shaped generations of strategic thinkers.

For 75 years, Industrial Economics at Nottingham has been one of the university’s most distinctive and influential degrees: an academic foundation that has shaped leaders across global finance, consulting, investment, media, government and beyond. What began as a pioneering programme in post-war Britain has grown into a launchpad for strategic thinkers and decision-makers operating at the highest levels of international business.

As we celebrate this anniversary year, we are recognising the qualities have carried Nottingham graduates into boardrooms, start-ups, public institutions and global industries where they continue to make their mark: analytical rigour, strategic clarity, and the confidence to make decisions in fast-moving, competitive environments.

In 2026, we will mark the celebrations not only by honouring our rich academic and alumni legacy, but also through a collective campaign to invest in the future. As part of the Industrial Economics 75th Anniversary Series, we aim to raise £75,000 to support transformative employability and industry engagement opportunities for current and future students.

This anniversary year will unite our global community in celebrating the subject’s impact and ensuring its continued relevance for generations to come - and we'd love for you to be a part of it.

IndEcon: A short history

For 75 years, Industrial Economics has been a defining part of Nottingham’s academic landscape: shaped by the city’s rich industrial heritage and a commitment to applied, business-facing economics that prepares students for the real world. This anniversary is a chance to reflect on that journey and celebrate the global impact of Nottingham’s Industrial Economics community.

We had a dig through the university archives to add some colour to the history of the course.

Discover more

The first cohort

John Watson (Industrial Economics, 1954) was part of the first cohort of Industrial Economics who enrolled on the course in September 1951. After seeing a younger version of himself staring back at him from our alumni newsletter earlier in the year, he got in touch to share his memories from those early days on campus, and where the degree took his career.

From the 'cow shed's behind what is now the Portland Building, to Jubilee Campus, the course has come a long way.

Read John's story

Support our students

Central to the anniversary is a fundraising goal of £75,000 to support the Industrial Economics 75th Anniversary Futures Fund, which will enhance student employability through real-world industry engagement, professional experiences and global exposure - giving them access to the kind of practical learning that enriches and transforms their time at Nottingham.

Every donation contributes to these opportunities and ensures that the next 75 years are as impactful and inspiring as the last.

Donate to the Futures Fund

Alumni stories

As part of our year-long series celebrating 75 years of Industrial Economics, we're speaking to alumni from across the course's history - from corporate boardrooms to central banks, government ministries to national institutions - to hear how the degree has shaped their careers and the wider world.

Sir John Timpson (1964)

Sir John Timpson has built a 2000-outlet High Street business by turning conventional management upside down, and putting employees on the shop floor first. The psychology he studied as part of the his Industrial Economics degree's wide-ranging syllabus, he says, proved more useful than the numbers.

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Dana Hamzah (2008)

For Dana Hamzah, managing crises has defined her career: from working at the IMF during the Covid-19 pandemic, to leading on sustainable development for the Bahraini government today. We spoke to her about what it means to represent your country at the world's most powerful economic institution, and the degree she credits for getting her there.

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Deryck Murray (1974)

Deryck Murray's career path wasn't typical for an Industrial Economics graduate: vice-captain of the West Indies team that won the 1975 Cricket World Cup, nearly a decade at the United Nations, and most recently High Commissioner to Jamaica. We spoke to him about the power of patience, teamwork, and learning how to play the long game.

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Andy Halford (1980)

Andy Halford spent nine years as Group Chief Financial Officer of Vodafone and a decade in the same role at Standard Chartered Bank. We spoke to him about the changing nature of financial leadership, engineering one of the biggest deals in corporate history, and rebuilding a bank from the inside.

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Sally Jones 485

Sally Jones (1987)

Sally Jones shared memories and photographs of the department’s 1980s study visits to Hungary and the Soviet Union. Subsidised by the British Council, these trips reflected an outward-facing academic culture that encouraged direct engagement with how different economic systems operated around the world.

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Calvin Woodroffe (2011)

For years, Calvin Woodroffe had a front-row seat to the financials of the UK’s biggest corporations. Today, he is leveraging his experience by starting Pocket Tax, a UK software start-up company designed to make personal tax advice and support simple, clearer and accessible to everyone.

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