The mission of the Center for the History of Political Economy is to promote and support research in, and the teaching of, the history of economics. It supports an active Visiting Scholars program, a regular Workshop series, a Hope Lunch series for the discussion of work in progress, special events, a Summer Institute, and, with Duke University Press, the annual History of Political Economy conference. The Center was founded in 2008 with a significant grant from the John W. Pope Foundation.
In 2019, two new faculty members, Steven G. Medema and Jennifer Jhun, joined the HOPE Center's ranks as faculty fellows. The HOPE Center and the history of economics at Duke is in the midst of an exciting period of renewal and strength, building on a rich history and a growing set of scholarly resources.