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We look at human capital as one of the quiet engines behind the rise of capitalism. Capitalism did not grow solely from markets or technology, but from societies that found ways to build, organise, and reward skill. We explore how historians and economists measure human capital across time, how literacy, schooling, training, and mobility reshaped labour markets, and how these long-run changes underpinned the shift to modern capitalist economies. By placing Denmark alongside other European cases, we will trace how different human-capital regimes contributed to divergent paths of development. Denmark’s blend of early mass education, civic culture, and later vocational and tertiary expansion offers a revealing window into how capitalism takes root, adapts, and endures.
Keynotes and Panel Debate: The Educational Engine of Capitalism?DIAS Seminar Roomhttps://clients.mapsindoors.com/sdu/573f26e4bc1f571b08094312/details/e425d304749e408282ae100e13:00-13:05 Welcome, Paul Sharp, DIAS/SDU13:05-13:35 Francesco Cinnirella, University of Bergamo, “Education, Technological Progress, and the Industrial Revolution”13:35-14:05 Gregory Clark, DIAS/SDU, “The Causal Effect of Education in Industrial Revolution England 1754-1889”14:05-14:35 Patrick Wallis, LSE, “Human capital and occupational skills in development”14:35-15:00 Panel discussion with Cinnirella, Clark & Wallis
