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Now displaying: 2021
Dec 21, 2021

Much has been said and written about the dangers of government borrowing. In their new book, In Defense of Public Debt, economic historian Barry Eichengreen and his co-authors trace the evolution of sovereign debt from the wars of medieval Europe through the Covid-19 crisis, illustrating public debt's many positive uses, from reacting to financial crises to building public works. In this podcast, Eichengreen discusses the book with Finance and Development Magazine’s Chris Wellisz. Transcript: https://bit.ly/3ec6Hvj

 

Dec 16, 2021

While the world has been focused on the pandemic for the past two years, the rapid rise of Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias pose another threat to global public health. Nathaniel Counts is Senior VP for Behavioral Health Innovation at Mental Health America and Assistant Professor at Albert Einstein's School of Medicine. In this podcast, Counts says dementia will vastly increase across the globe as the population age rises with increasing life expectancy and have profound impacts on welfare and economic growth, especially in low- and middle-income countries.  Transcript: https://bit.ly/32cwKQc

Read the F&D article at IMF.org/fandd

Dec 9, 2021

Despite all the money and health infrastructure available to them, some of the world's richest countries have suffered higher death rates from COVID-19 than many developing countries. Jay Patel is a researcher at the Global Health Governance Program at the University of Edinburgh and has coauthored along with colleague Devi Sridhar an article about pandemic preparedness in the December issue of Finance and Development. In this podcast, Patel tells journalist Rhoda Metcalfe that regardless of their limited resources, many developing countries in Africa delivered effective containment strategies because of strong local leadership and knowledge sharing.

Transcript: https://bit.ly/33hY0xx

Read the article at IMF.org/fandd.

Dec 2, 2021

For all its strengths in measuring a country's economy, GDP falls short when it comes to gauging the well-being of its residents. For example, per capita GDP numbers today suggest people in the US are better off now than they were before the pandemic, regardless of the enduring social and economic upheaval. The recognition that GDP cannot encompass many dimensions of well-being has prompted a search for measures that reflect a more complete account of what people care about. Miles Kimball is a Professor at the University of Colorado, Boulder, and is developing the principles for a national well-being index. In this podcast, Kimball says the index would also serve to grade governments. Transcript: https://bit.ly/3lfnD8c

Read the F&D article at IMF.org/fandd

Dec 2, 2021

Pandemics pose significant macroeconomic costs but only recently have garnered the attention they deserve. In this podcast, economist Ruchir Agarwal, sits down with Peter Sands, Executive Director of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB and Malaria, to discuss the role of macroeconomics in public health preparedness. Agarwal heads the IMF's Global Health and Pandemic Response Taskforce. Transcript: https://bit.ly/32KapKk

Read the F&D article at IMF.org/fandd

Nov 18, 2021

In this third episode of Women in Economics, distinguished British economist Diane Coyle speaks with journalist Rhoda Metcalfe about how the lack of diversity within the economic profession is holding it back. Coyle is the Bennett Professor of Public Policy at the University of Cambridge and author of several books, some of which challenge conventional economic wisdom such as GDP. In this podcast, Coyle says economists need to start working with other disciplines if they are to live up to the influence they have in public policy and help deliver solutions to the complex challenges the world is now facing. Transcript: https://bit.ly/3DydryE

Look for the review of Diane Coyle's latest book Cogs and Monsters in the Fall edition of Finance and Development. IMF.org/fandd

Nov 12, 2021

It's been almost 2 years since the coronavirus began to disrupt economies across the globe. In this podcast, IMF Chief Economist Gita Gopinath asks Raghuram Rajan about inflation and his views on what Central Banks should be doing to minimize the damage caused by the pandemic. Rajan is a former Governor of the Bank of India and currently the Catherine Dusak Miller Distinguished Service Professor of Finance at Chicago Booth. This podcast is an abridged version of their discussion, you'll find a webcast of the full event at IMF.org. 

Transcript: https://bit.ly/3n69L1m

Oct 27, 2021

Despite two brutal COVID-19 waves and the widespread disruptions that ensued, India's economy is set to be one of the fastest-growing major economies for this year and beyond. Following a sharp contraction in GDP last year, India's latest outlook shows growth is expected to rebound to 9.5 percent this year and 8.5 percent in FY2022/23. Luis Breuer is IMF Senior Representative to India, Nepal and Bhutan, and a coauthor of the report. In this podcast, Breuer says India is recovering thanks to its response and scaled-up vaccine production but the pandemic is still clouding the country's outlook.  Transcript: https://bit.ly/2ZvKViG

Oct 22, 2021

La planète reste aux prises avec une pandémie qui dure et avec une accélération des changements climatiques. Les solutions à ces défis internationaux doivent mobiliser tous les pays et toutes les régions, y compris l’Afrique subsaharienne, qui possède la population la moins vaccinée au monde et des écosystèmes critiques. La croissance de la région devrait s’établir à 3,7 % en 2021, puis à 3,8 % en 2022. Cela fait suite à la forte contraction de 2020, mais représente toujours la reprise la plus lente par rapport aux autres régions. Papa N'Diaye dirige l'équipe qui produit les perspectives économiques régionales pour l'Afrique subsaharienne. Dans ce podcast, il dit que l'accès aux vaccins est toujours la priorité pour la région.

Oct 22, 2021

The world remains in the grip of the pandemic and a seemingly accelerating pace of climate change. Solutions to these global problems must involve all countries and regions, especially sub-Saharan Africa, with the world’s least vaccinated population and critical ecosystems. Sub-Saharan Africa’s economy is set to expand by 3.7 percent in 2021 and 3.8 percent in 2022. This follows the sharp contraction in 2020, but still represents the slowest recovery relative to other regions. Papa N’Diaye leads the team that produces the Regional Economic Outlook for sub-Saharan Africa. In this podcast, he says access to vaccines is still the priority for the region.

Transcript: https://bit.ly/3ppx8EP

Oct 20, 2021

The Women in Economics series showcases extraordinary work by extraordinary women in a field dominated by men. In this second episode, journalist Rhoda Metcalfe speaks with Jayati Ghosh, Professor of Economics at University of Massachusetts Amherst, whose work on gender issues and the public value of care work gives voice to the unpaid caregivers who form the economic base for societies around the world. In this podcast, Ghosh says our whole notion of productivity is skewed because most care work is not captured in GDP.  Transcript: https://bit.ly/3lUclqA

Oct 12, 2021

While the World Economic Outlook shows output in advanced economies set to exceed pre-pandemic levels next year, prospects for low-income countries and emerging markets have darkened considerably due to vaccine shortages and limited support. Overall, the outlook's global growth projection for 2021 has been revised down marginally to 5.9 percent and is unchanged for 2022 at 4.9 percent. The downgrade also reflects continuing supply disruptions and the impact on advanced economies. IMF Chief Economist, Gita Gopinath heads the WEO. In this podcast, she says universal vaccine access remains key for an equitable global recovery.  Transcript

Transcript: https://bit.ly/3BBV2zZ

Read the blog at: blogs.imf.org

Oct 11, 2021

The latest Global Financial Stability Report takes a close look at how recent supply chain disruptions, wage pressures and inflation might compromise the stability of the global financial system. Fabio Natalucci is Deputy Director of the Monetary and Capital Markets Department and heads the GFSR. In this podcast, he says while risks have been contained so far, vulnerabilities remain in a number of sectors including the housing market, where house prices have unexpectedly surged during the pandemic. Transcript

Read the blog at blogs.imf.org

Read the report at imf.org/GFSR

Oct 8, 2021

The crypto ecosystem is growing fast because there are a number of potential benefits to adopting crypto assets, like making payments and financial services cheaper, faster and accessible to more people. But the rapid growth and increasing adoption of crypto assets are posing new challenges to financial stability. Analysis in the latest Global Financial Stability Report takes a deep dive into the world of crypto and calls for a global push to regulate crypto assets. IMF Financial Counsellor, Tobias Adrian, headed the research and in this podcast, he says a regulatory approach with common standards across countries will make crypto assets safer and protect investors.

Transcript: https://bit.ly/3oIisjG

Read the blog at blogs.imf.org

Oct 6, 2021

Inflation has not been much of a concern since the 70s when exogenous oil shocks were widely seen to have caused the phenomenon known as stagflation. But given the uncertain nature of the pandemic recovery, inflation is now on the rise and once again on everyone's mind. Analysis in the latest World Economic Outlook explores today's inflation landscape and finds we're in uncharted territory. Prachi Mishra is an Advisor in the IMF Research Department and coauthor of the study. In this podcast, she says while inflation expectations have stayed relatively anchored so far, there is still much to be concerned about. Transcript: https://bit.ly/3lgu7UV

Read the blog at: blogs.imf.org

Sep 28, 2021

Most economists would agree a carbon tax is a powerful tool in fighting climate change, but carbon pricing alone is not enough. As green technologies evolve and prices fall, the fight against climate change will need a more nuanced plan of attack where people can actually afford to do the right thing. In this podcast, journalist Rhoda Metcalfe talks to Harvard Professor of Political Economy James Stock about how he sees the decarbonization process playing out sector-by-sector, which is the subject of his article titled Driving Deep Decarbonization in the September edition of Finance and Development.

Transcript: https://bit.ly/3m8QV7Z

Read the F&D article at IMF.org/fandd

Sep 20, 2021

This is the first in a series of IMF podcasts that will showcase extraordinary work by extraordinary women in economics. In this episode, Dr. Lisa Cook, speaks with journalist Rhoda Metcalfe about her work using data on lynching and racial violence in the US to study the impact of violence on innovation and economic growth. Cook has made her mark not only as a black woman economist in a field dominated by white men but for her ground-breaking research on how racism, sexism and violence prevent economies from achieving their potential.  

Transcript: https://bit.ly/3zsucIG

Read her Profile in F&D at IMF.org/fandd

Sep 10, 2021

Nature is often missing in economic models, but in a study commissioned by the UK government, Partha Dasgupta examines the economic benefits of biodiversity and the costs of losing it. Dasgupta is Professor Emeritus of Economics at the University of Cambridge, and his 600-page study titled the Economics of Biodiversity: The Dasgupta Review sets out a framework for including Nature in our economic thinking and provides a guide for change through three broad, interconnected transitions. Professor Dasgupta published an article about his findings in the September edition of Finance and Development. In this podcast, he says humans are embedded in nature and cannot escape the biosphere through ingenuity.  Transcript: https://bit.ly/3A56Eem

Read the F&D article at IMF.org/fandd

Sep 3, 2021

There's been a shift in the economic understanding of climate change of late. Climate action, once believed a trade-off to economic growth, is now seen by many economists as an opportunity to drive innovation and increase efficiency. After almost a decade at the World Resources Institute, Andrew Steer is now President and CEO of the Bezos Earth Fund, which has committed $10 billion toward supporting new technologies that help reduce our impact on nature. Rhoda Metcalfe sat down with Dr. Steer to talk about his recent article in Finance and Development magazine. In this podcast, he says philanthropy has a big role to play in addressing climate change.

Transcript:  https://bit.ly/3tbRy43

Read the F&D article at IMF.org/fandd

Aug 30, 2021

When it comes to cooperation, humans and chimpanzees still have much in common. Perhaps that's not surprising given humans share over 98 percent of our DNA with chimps. But in a recent article in Finance and Development, economist Ruchir Agarwal argues the 2 percent genetic difference propels humanity’s success, but also its potential for disaster. In this podcast, Agarwal asks whether humans have evolved enough to escape “chimpanzee politics” and confront the greatest risk our species is facing—climate change.  

Transcript: https://bit.ly/3Bk80C0

Read the Article at IMF.org/fandd

Aug 28, 2021

As climate change looms ever larger, most economists agree that a carbon tax would go a long way toward reducing emissions. But carbon taxes and related policies often face deep political constraints, and many are looking at sustainable investing as a way forward. Economist Divya Kirti is coauthor along with Dalya Elmalt and Deniz Igan of a working paper titled Limits to Private Climate Mitigation. In this podcast, Kirti talks about how such market forces could help make meaningful progress in addressing climate change.   Transcript: https://bit.ly/3mDPYXj

Aug 23, 2021

Special Drawing Rights (SDR) are international reserve assets and used as the accounting unit for IMF transactions with its member countries. Earlier this month, in a historic multilateral response to the pandemic, the IMF board of governors approved a new SDR allocation of $650 billion, the largest in the institution's history. Ceyla Pazarbasioglu heads the Strategy, Policy and Review Department at the IMF. In this podcast, she says the SDR allocation will go a long way toward helping vulnerable countries and minimize the dangerous divergence in recovery paths around the world.  Transcript: https://bit.ly/3y6inY1

Aug 5, 2021

Inclusion doesn't just happen; it takes policies that intentionally serve the very specific purpose of ensuring inclusion. That is the focus of Rohini Pande's work these days as the Director of Yale's Economic Growth Center. Pande is one of the most influential development economists of her generation, always looking for ways for the poor to increase their influence and claim their fair share of growth. In this podcast, Pande speaks with journalist Rhoda Metcalfe about how tackling poverty depends less on direct aid and more on creating effective democratic institutions so that vulnerable populations can push their representatives to implement redistributive policies.

Transcript: https://bit.ly/37lughM

Read Rohini Pande's profile at IMF.org/fandd

Jul 29, 2021

60 percent of the working-age population worldwide operates in the informal sector. A new book titled The Global Informal Workforce, Priorities for Inclusive Growth uses IMF research to study the causes and effects of the high levels of informality in economies across the globe. The book covers interactions between the informal economy, labor and product markets, gender equality, fiscal institutions and outcomes, social protection, and financial inclusion. In this podcast, co-editors Corinne Deléchat and Leandro Medina say the pandemic has exposed the vulnerabilities of the informal workforce.

Transcript: https://bit.ly/3rEZGt7

The book is available at elibrary.imf.org

Jul 15, 2021

Capacity development is one of the IMF's best-kept secrets. Strong institutions are key to a country's long-term development, and a third of the IMF's operating budget goes toward helping governments build the institutional capacity they need to fulfill their development goals. Oral Williams heads the IMF Regional Capacity Development Center for Anglophone West Africa and is coauthor with economists Ralph Chami and Elorm Darkey of a study that shows a direct relationship between technical assistance and the improvement in tax revenues. In this podcast, Williams says providing technical assistance and training to governments means better living standards for more people. Transcript: https://bit.ly/3eiK4py

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