Playlists

Gordon Hanson on Shifting Trade Alliances

Gordon Hanson November 13, 2025

It’s not unusual for countries to reevaluate trade relationships as the global economy evolves. However, the persistent uncertainty brought on by tariffs has prompted entire regions to reconsider long-established alliances and rethink new ones that were unimaginable only a year ago. In this podcast, Harvard Professor Gordon Hanson says we need to reinvigorate the process of building new trade agreements that reflect the new world, and middle- and newly high-income countries should play a leading role.

Kenneth Rogoff on Dollar Dominance

KENNETH ROGOFF October 30, 2025

Where Startups Do Roam: Swati Bhatt

SWATI BHATT October 2, 2025

The US is a breeding ground for startups, and California has been the center of that universe since the dot-com boom in the late 1990s. But rising costs, tighter quarters, and increasing bureaucracy have many tech innovators seeking greener pastures, well beyond Silicon Valley. In this podcast, Princeton University's Swati Bhatt talks about these new entrepreneurs opting for a different lifestyle.

Chady El Khoury on the Virtual Reality of Financial Crime

CHADY EL KHOURY September 30, 2025

While countries came together in the late 80s to fight money laundering and the financing of terrorism, technology and the advent of virtual currencies have further complicated the tracking of illicit financial flows across borders. In this podcast, IMF assistant general counsel Chady El Khoury says the anonymity of virtual currency transactions is supercharging the ability for criminals to grow their empires.

Danny Quah on Rethinking Multilateralism

DANNY QUAH September 17, 2025

What happens when the great powers that have been supporting the multilateral system decide it’s not working for them anymore? Danny Quah is the Li Ka Shing Professor of Economics at the National University of Singapore. In this podcast, he says that while economics and geopolitics worked together to build the multilateral rules-based system, they are now working together to break it apart.

Grit and Luck: Gita Gopinath Reflects on her Career and Roles at the Fund

GITA GOPINATH September 10, 2025

As the IMF Chief Economist and subsequently the institution’s First Deputy Managing Director, Gita Gopinath navigated unprecedented global crises, including the pandemic and the ensuing great lockdown, wars in Ukraine and the Middle East, inflation, and geopolitical fragmentation. In this podcast, Gita Gopinath reflects on her experiences at the Fund and what she’s taking back with her to Harvard University.

Carl Benedikt Frey on AI and Growth

CARL BENEDIKT FREY September 4, 2025

As tech innovation, particularly in the field of AI, is increasingly focused on a few key players, the industries benefiting from these tools have also become more concentrated. In this podcast, Carl Benedikt Frey says that concentration of AI-using industries will push the direction of technological change further towards automation rather than product innovation.

Karen Dynan on Regaining Lost Ground in Policy Influence

KAREN DYNAN July 24, 2025

There was a time when economic expertise ruled policy debates at virtually all levels of government. And while trade, taxation, and other important policies are still guided by economic analysis, economists increasingly feel sidelined by politics. In this podcast, Karen Dynan says economists need to engage with policymakers and the public at the level that they can understand if they want to be part of the policy conversation.

Women In Economics

Women in Economics: Stefanie Stantcheva on Thoughts that Matter

STEFANIE STANTCHEVA July 15, 2025

Public resistance to new policies often leaves policymakers scratching their heads. Stefanie Stantcheva’s multidisciplinary approach to research digs deep into the minds of people at the receiving end to help design better policies. Stantcheva sat down with journalist Rhoda Metcalfe to discuss how tax policy impacts innovation.

Diaa Noureldin on Growth Prospects in an Aging World

DIAA NOURELDIN June 19, 2025

Most advanced economies are witnessing their populations age and labor forces shrink, and the same trend is expected to hold for the largest emerging economies within the decade. So the largely touted demographic dividend of previous decades is making way for a demographic drag. IMF economist Diaa Noureldin says healthy aging and policies that keep people in work longer could offset the drag on growth.

Recovery Interrupted: Sub-Saharan Africa’s Outlook

ANDREW TIFFIN June 12, 2025

After four long years of numerous crises, sub-Saharan Africa’s hard-won recovery has been disrupted by yet another shock. Economist Andrew Tiffin and his team produce the IMF Regional Economic Outlook for sub-Saharan Africa. In this podcast, Tiffin says the current shake-up in global value chains, while disruptive, can create new trade and investment opportunities.

Ulrike Malmendier on Making Germany Grow Again

ULRIKE MALMENDIER May 29, 2025

While the German economy has been one of Europe’s strongest for decades, its performance in recent years has fallen short of expectations. Why is this once economic powerhouse now lagging? In this podcast, economist Ulrike Malmendier says an aging population and a lack of workers are contributing to the country’s economic woes.

Never Miss Out on an Episode!

Sign up for our weekly podcast newsletter by entering your email address below:

phone