Young Aspirants Gain Hands-on Experience in IMF Economic Analysis
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Media Inquiries
International Monetary Fund
Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific
Press Officer: Yuko Maeda
Tel: 81-(0)3-3597-6719
Email: oapmedia@imf.org
Workshop overview
- The workshop was held in Tokyo from 21-22 June and reported on June 22, 2019.
- The event was organized by the IMF Regional Office for the Asia and the Pacific (OAP).
- The workshop was the 7th edition of the Macroeconomist Training Program under OAP’s Initiative for Macroeconomists of the Future.
- It was organized in collaboration with the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).
Participation and composition
- 20 participants attended.
- Participants came from 14 universities.
- Participants represented 11 different nationalities.
- Most participants were graduate students.
Instruction and faculty
- Dr. Jerald Schiff, former Deputy Director of the IMF Asia and Pacific Department (APD) and current teacher at American University, delivered lectures.
- Lectures provided an overview of how the IMF analyzes macroeconomic issues and designs lending programs.
- Dr. Jerald Schiff also shared personal experiences from senior positions held at the IMF.
Hands-on exercise and learning outcomes
- After lectures, participants were grouped into fours to conduct their own analysis on the economy of Brazil.
- The assignment simulated real-life constraints: limited time and limited data.
- Participant feedback:
- “The assignment itself was very hands-on and reflects real life situations where many times you are required to accomplish tasks in a limited amount of time with a very limited amount of data”, said Mr. Jason Agius, a participant now pursuing his master’s degree in economics.
- “Studying the country examples was also very helpful in understanding how the IMF conducts surveillance in member states”, said Ms. Secil Er, a participant from a PhD program.
- Some groups worked late into the night to prepare presentations, indicating the demanding nature of the task and high engagement.
Program background and future plans
- The Initiative for Macroeconomists of the Future was launched in summer 2017 as part of OAP’s efforts to reach out to wider audiences, particularly youth, to raise awareness of the IMF’s work and to foster future economists.
- The initiative is organized regularly and has already welcomed nearly 150 participants.
- The next edition is expected to be held in early 2020.
Visuals
- Photo (Right): Ms. Secil Er carefully listens to the lecture at the workshop.
- Photo (Left): Mr. Jason Agius receives the certificate from Dr. Jerald Schiff at the end of program.
Content in this bundle
- 7th Macroeconomist Training Program
- 7th Macroeconomist Training Program, Tokyo, June 21-22 2019