Paul Krugman (New York, 1953), young as he is, is one of the most outstanding economists of our times both for his significant contributions to our knowledge of the economics of international trade and for his ability to convey economic theories to a wider public by combining the precision of his academic approach with brilliant explanatory power and communicative ability.

A 1974 Yale graduate and MIT doctor, he is now professor of Economics and International Affairs at Princeton University, having previously held key academic posts at both MIT and Stanford. He is the author of 20 books - including Pop Internationalism, Geography and Trade, and Peddling Prosperity- and over two hundred articles, which have been published in the most prestigious specialised press. He is also a columnist for the New York Times, Fortune and Slate Magazine. Journalists and colleagues alike have dubbed him "the great critic" for his perceptive, incisive analyses of in-vogue theory, fatalism, and ideas within his profession that are shrouded in obscure language.

His reputation stems from academic work on finance and international trade, where he has forged the concepts of the "new trade theory" and "new economic geography". The American Economic Association awarded him its John Bates Clark Medal in 1991 in acknowledgement of his work. This is awarded every other year to the economist under the age of forty who has made a significant contribution to economic knowledge. His current research focuses on economic and currency crises. His work on the New Economy and on the American and Japanese economies is also outstanding.