Energy Centre Farewells a Giant
31 December 2021
Many alumni will have been taught or supervised by Professor Basil Sharp, who joined the Business School’s Department of Economics in 1990. Over 30 years later, having made such an impact on so many, Basil is officially retiring. We wish him all the very best in the next stage of his journey.
Basil joined the Business School’s Department of Economics in the position of Senior Lecturer in February 1990, and was appointed Head of Department the following year. His second term ended in 1996, and since then he has served as Deputy Head (2001-2003), and Head again from 2010 to 2012.
Basil was appointed Director of the Energy Centre in 2010, and since then it has grown to become an exemplar of a Centre undertaking cross disciplinary research, attracting significant external funding, building international connections, growing a large network comprising industry and the general public, and providing funding and research opportunities for PhD students. Basil designed the Energy Centre’s annual Summer School in Energy Economics, a flagship event that is always oversubscribed, with 70% of participants coming from industry. In 2011, Basil received a Distinguished Contribution Award from the School.
Basil has taught at all levels, specialising most recently in ECON201 Microeconomics and ECON303 Law and Economics. He has also supervised the completion of 15 PhDs while at the University of Auckland. The Teaching Excellence Award he received in 2015 was in recognition of his contribution to PhD supervision. He also received a Research Excellence Award from the Business School in 2016, as well as the Economic Policy Prize from the NZ Association of Economists that same year.
An applied economist, with a focus on tackling contemporary challenges facing New Zealand, Basil has worked across disciplines, spanning fisheries, water resources, and most recently energy. Engagement with policy advisors has opened up opportunities to advise government officials on policy initiatives and state sector reforms. His research on energy, water resource management and natural hazards has appeared before numerous hearings of the Environment Court. Beyond the University, Basil has also served on numerous external advisory panels. He was also a founding member of the Energy Research Institutes Network, based in Tokyo, with participating members throughout Asia, Australia and the US.
Following his retirement, Basil plans to complete his obligations as supervisor of 3 PhD candidates, continue to work on journal submissions and revisions, continue to contribute to external research contracts, and will continue to support the Energy Centre. So we are glad that he won’t be too far away!
Steven Poelhekke will take on the role of Acting Director of the Energy Centre in 2022.
Find out more about the Energy Centre.