The use of behavioural economics insights and economic experiments has become increasingly recognised within economics, by other social and behavioural sciences, and, recently, by policy-makers and the public at large both in the UK and all over the world.
Behavioural and experimental economists in the UK can of course join the Economic Science Association (ESA), the Royal Economics Society (RES), the European Economic Association (EEA), as well as many other professional associations, and participate in their events and activities.
Until July 2024, however, there has been no specific network of behavioural and experimental economists based in the UK.
Initiatives such as the ESRC-funded Network for Integrated Behavioural Science (NIBS) by the Universities of Nottingham, East Anglia and Warwick were launched in recent years to promote conversations (e.g., the popular annual NIBS conference) between behavioural and experimental economists, psychologists, and other behavioural scientists.
However, the NIBS’ funded period has unfortunately come to an end. Other ESRC and UKRI initiatives are currently trying to partially fill this gap by fostering the creation of a national hub for behavioural research, for example. At the same time, the community of behavioural and experimental economists has significantly grown, becoming increasingly international and diverse with the opening of several new labs, centres, and groups at Birmingham, Durham, Essex, Exeter, Glasgow, King’s College London, Lancaster, Leeds, Leicester, LSE, Newcastle, among other places.
Thus, we believe there is a potential diffuse interest for linking up all these new colleagues, labs, and initiatives into a broader UK network, and for this reason we have launched the BEE UK network.