The first chairs in economics were created at the School at its foundation in 1936, but the Department itself was not established until 1951/52. Academic research has always occupied a central place in the activities of the Department, and since the late 1960s its members have been active contributors to international economics journals. Many of them have also taken a strong interest in matters of economic policy, sometimes as members or experts on government committees, and sometimes as contributors to public debate about current economic issues. In recent years, the research activities can be categorized into 9 research groups.