Torsten Persson is Swedish Research Council Distinguished Professor of the IIES at Stockholm University, Centennial Professor at the London School of Economics, and has held visiting positions at leading universities as Harvard, Princeton and Berkeley. Persson was President of the Econometric Society in 2008, and President of the European Economic Association in 2003. His scientific prizes include the 1997 Yrjö Jahnsson Medal, given biannually to “the best young economist in Europe”. Persson’s work has spanned different areas, but he is most well-known for his articles and books on political economics. His current research focuses on economic development, political selection, institutions and culture, and the Covid-19 pandemic.