Janos Matyas Kovacs graduated at the Karl Marx University of Economics, Budapest in 1973, and became a research fellow at the Institute of Economics, Hungarian Academy of Sciences. In 1987, he moved to Vienna and worked as a visiting fellow at the Institute for Human Sciences (IWM) until 1990. Between 1991 and 2018, Kovacs acted as a permanent fellow of the IWM while remaining an external research fellow of the Institute of Economics until 2014. From 2009 to 2021, he taught history of economic thought at the Department of Economics, Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest. Meanwhile, he also gave courses as visiting professor at the Columbia University and the Central European University. Kovacs joined RECET in 2019 as its senior member.

Research interests

• History of Economic Thought in Eastern Europe
• History of Communist Economies
• Political Economy of New Capitalism in Eastern Europe
• Economic Cultures after Communism
• Institutional Economics

Major research projects

• Economic Collectivism: Old and New. Lessons from the Communist and Post-Communist Experience (RECET, Vienna 2019–)
• Between Bukharin and Balcerowicz. A Comparative History of Economic Thought under Communism (IWM, Vienna 2014–2017)
• Understanding Nascent Capitalisms in Eastern Europe (CAPITO) (IWM, Vienna 2010–2012)
• Cultural Encounters in the European Economy (DIOSCURI) (IWM, Vienna – CEU, Budapest 2004–2008)
• After the Accession... Socio-Economic Cultures of Eastern Europe in the Enlarged Union (ACCESS) (IWM, Vienna 2001–2004)
• Cultural Globalization in Eastern Europe (IWM, Vienna – Boston University 1998–2002)
• Populists and Westernizers in Eastern Europe (IWM, Vienna 1994–1998)
• The Social Costs of Economic Transformation in Eastern Europe (IWM, Vienna 1992–2002)
• The Communist Legacy in Eastern Europe (IWM, Vienna – Boston University 1991–1992)
• Plan and/or Market. A Comparative Study of Reform Economics in Soviet-Type Societies (IWM, Vienna 1987–1992)

Current research project

Economic Collectivism: Old and New. Lessons from the Communist and Post-Communist Experience. This project covers the history of economic ideas in nine ex-communist countries: Bulgaria, China, Czechoslovakia, GDR, Hungary, Poland, Romania, Soviet Union and Yugoslavia. The research results are published by Rowman and Littlefield in its series Revisiting Communism: Collectivist Economic Thought in Historical Perspective. Following the publication of two comparative volumes on the evolution of ownership concepts and planning theories, respectively, the project participants will publish another volume on market concepts in 2023. A detailed description of the project can be found here.

Editorial positions

• Transit (Vienna, 1990–2017)
• 2000 (Budapest, 1991–)
• Series editor, Revisiting Communism. Collectivist Economic Thought in Historical Perspective, Rowman and Littlefield (2016–)

Selected recent publications:

(ed) Communist Planning versus Rationality. Mathematical Economics and the Central Plan in Eastern Europe and China. Rowman and Littlefield, Lexington Books, 2022.

"Mathematical Economics Outside the Neoclassical Paradigm? Evolution of Planning Concepts in Hungary under Communism." (co-author: Gergely Kőhegyi) In: J.M. Kovacs (ed), Communist Planning versus Rationality..., 2022.

"Rationality Found and Lost? In Search of a New Historical Narrative of Optimal Planning." In: J.M. Kovacs (ed), Communist Planning versus Rationality..., 2022.

(ed) Brave New Hungary. Mapping the "System of National Cooperation" (co-editor Balazs Trencsenyi), Rowman and Littlefield, Lexington Books, 2019.

"Orban's Right Hand Thinks. On the Sources of György Matolcsy's Economic Vision." In: J.M. Kovacs and Balazs Trencsenyi (eds), Brave New Hungary..., 2019.

"Hungary – Brave and New? Dissecting a Realistic Dystopia." (co-author: Balazs Trencsenyi) In: J.M. Kovacs and Balazs Trencsenyi (eds), Brave New Hungary ..., 2019.

(ed) Populating No Man's Land. Economic Concepts of Ownership Under Communism, Rowman and Littlefield, Lexington Books, 2018.

"From Two to One and Only? Theorizing Ownership in Communist Hungary." In: J.M. Kovacs (ed), Populating No Man's Land ..., 2018.

"Expeditions to No Man's Land. Comparing Economic Concepts of Ownership under Communism: An Evolutionary View." In: J.M. Kovacs (ed), Populating No Man's Land ..., 2018.

"Heading the Gloom. How I Did Not Become a Reformer in the Hungary of 1968." [in Hungarian] 2000, 2018/6.

"Vom Zweifel zur Scham. Sieben falsche Vorhersagen über das postkommunistische Ungarn." Transit, 2017/50.

"Everything I always wanted to know about mathematical economics (but was afraid to ask)" [in Hungarian], 2016. http://ketezer.hu/2016/11/minden-amit-tudni-akartam-matematikai-kozgazdasagtanrol-de-nem-mertem-megkerdezni-2/

"Tradition, Nachamung, Erfindung. Neue Kapitalismen in Osteuropa." Transit 43, 2013.

"Shooting Sparrows with a Cannon? On the History of Eastern European Economic Thought (1917-1989) I, II" [in Hungarian], 2000, May/June 2013.

(ed) Capitalism from Outside? Economic Cultures in Eastern Europe After 1989 (co-editor Violetta Zentai), Budapest / New York: CEU Press, 2012.

"Beyond Basic Instinct? On the Reception of New Institutional Economics in Eastern Europe." In: J.M. Kovacs and Violetta Zentai (eds), Capitalism from Outside? ..., 2012.

"Defining the Undefinable: East-West Cultural Encounters." (co-author: Violetta Zentai) In: J.M. Kovacs and Violetta Zentai (eds), Capitalism from Outside? ..., 2012.