Dr. Elinor Ostrom awarded Nobel Prize for Economic Governance 2009

Today, 12 October 2009, it was announced that Professor Elinor Ostrom was awarded the Nobel Prize for Economic Governance shared with Professor Oliver E. Williamson for 2009. Professor Ostrom, the first woman ever to receive the Nobel Prize for Economics, was recognized "for her analysis of economic governance, especially the Commons." This recognition elevates the discussion on Commons, such as land and water resources managed collectively, which provide a critical ‘safety net’ for over 2.5 billion rural poor across the globe. Professor Ostrom is Director of the Workshop in Political Theory and Policy Analysis, and Co-Director of the Center for the Study of Institutions, Population and Environmental Change (CSIPEC), and Arthur F. Bentley Professor of Political Science at the Indiana University-Bloomington School of Public and Environmental Affairs. As a founding member of the International Association for the Study of Commons (IASC), Professor Ostrom has guided all the past Conferences of the IASC, and as a prolific author, contributed significantly to the field. Key works she has authored or co-authored include the following books: Understanding Knowledge as a Commons: From Theory to Practice (2007); Understanding Institutional Diversity (2005); The Samaritans' Dilemma (2005); Trust and Reciprocity: Interdisciplinary Lessons from Experimental Research (2003); Governing the Commons: The Evolution of Institutions for Collective Action (1990). 

The recognition of Professor Ostrom’s work on Commons would help in elevating the profile of the 13th Biennial IASC Conference to be held for the first time in South Asia, hosted by the Foundation for Ecological Security (FES) from 10th to 14th January 2011 in Hyderabad, India. We all join in congratulating Professor Ostrom on her receipt of this distinguished award. 

For further reading, please visit: 
http://nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/economics/laureates/2009/ 

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/8302662.stm 

http://economix.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/10/12/elinor-ostrom-and-oliver-e-williamson-win-nobel-in-economic-science/