If you speak, live and eat economics, you might just get invited to Tony Blair's house. JASON LIM finds out how Prof Danny Quah does it

PROFESSOR Danny Quah from the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) speaks with an accent that shows little evidence of his Penang roots. After almost 15 years living and teaching in London, he doesn't sound particularly British either.

Instead, he speaks with what I can only describe as a global accent. Articulate and soft-spoken, he is one of the many lecturers at the LSE who faces an audience of students from over 120 different nationalities and cultures on a weekly basis.

Indeed, students at the LSE are reputed to be a cut above the rest. Its impressive list of alumnus includes philanthropist George Soros, Nobel laureate George Bernard Shaw, and the first lady of Britain, Cherie Blair.

Prof Danny Quah

A strict admission process contributes to a student body (over 50% of its student body come from other parts of the world) comprising individuals from diverse ethnic backgrounds with excellent academic credentials and achievements in sport and various arts.

Prof Quah is no stranger to achievement and excellence. He is a respected figure in the world of economics and his 18-page curriculum vitae lists stints as a consultant for the World Bank, governor of the National Institute of Economic and Social Research, and consultant to the Bank of England among his credentials. Pretty remarkable achievements for a 45-year-old ex-Penang Free School and Francis Light "old boy".

After Sixth Form, Quah left his Datuk Keramat hometown in Penang to pursue engineering studies at Princeton University in New Jersey, United States. However, after a glimpse of the different academic fields through America's more liberal higher education system, he soon switched courses to study physics. And then later, he found his true calling to be economics.

"I was rather active in university, playing on the badminton and table-tennis teams. Being in an institution like Princeton with its privileged white upper middle class students, I felt quite alienated as I was from a Third World country. I guess most people in that situation can react two ways – either feel demoralised or use it as motivation. I learnt to use it as motivation," says Prof Quah.

He graduated from Princeton's class of 1980 and went on to earn a scholarship for postgraduate studies in economics at Harvard University (Boston). While doing research for his doctorate, Quah left the East Coast for the American Midwest, which was academically speaking, less established. The place was ready for new macroeconomic ideas and suspicious of older accepted principles. He cites this interlude as a major turning point in his life.

Exceedingly passionate about economics, Quah began his career in academics as an assistant professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in the States. After teaching there for five years, a chance meeting with Mervyn King, (then the Professor of economics at LSE, and currently governor of the Bank of England) led to an invitation for Quah to visit LSE.

The metropolitan aspect of LSE, located smack in Central London next to the Royal Courts of Justice and its major financial area, was something new to Quah, who until then was more accustomed to the American style universities located in sprawling campuses far away from the cities. The short visit impressed Quah greatly and when a chance to join LSE came up, he moved to London in 1991.

"Being a professor at the LSE is unique as you get to be in the thick of things because of its location. It is like being in a convergence point for journalism, finance, academics and policy-making," says Quah, who has been a professor of economics at LSE since 1996.

Being a prominent figure in economics and teaching in London comes with additional perks like the occasional invite to attend and hold seminars with Tony Blair at 10, Downing Street. Quah also regularly speaks at seminars in various parts of the world on his pet subjects like inequality in economic growth and policies that affect societies such as international property rights issues. As a regular contributor to major economic journals, he has found a place in Who's who in the World and Who's who in Economics (1997).

Besides opening new horizons for his career and academic opportunities, it was in London that Quah met his wife-to-be, Kathleen Tyson, a successful American businesswoman. When they got married, King was the best man at the wedding.

During this interview, Quah reveals that one of his current passions is the martial art tae kwon do. Having just started two years ago, he already holds a blue belt. He speaks excitedly about his training and an upcoming sparring tournament. He also likens the patterns he performs for his tae kwon do training to giving economics lectures onstage for his university students. Both involve concentration and dedicated preparation, he feels.

Quah is also an ex-Penang-state gymnast, and school level ping-pong and badminton player. Evidently, his flexibility is not limited to his travels, academic experience and personal outlook.

Quah makes it a point to return to Malaysia every other year with his wife and two sons Carter and Mason.

"It's important for the kids. They like visiting their relatives," he explains.

During his trips back home, he normally indulges in watching kung-fu movies with his kids, swimming and visiting Penang's famous food courts.

Comfortable with his current position and responsibilities, Quah remains focused on the key challenges in his career, which is "keeping the right balance between research, teaching, and public dissemination.

"Each of these is a demand on my time but no two of them have constituencies in common. Thus, the more of any one activity that I undertake goes entirely unappreciated by people involved in the other two. This can cause considerable tension all around."

Going by his track record, this former gymnast shouldn't have any problem seeking balance at all.

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