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Economists from around the world gather in Barcelona for the first BSE Summer Forum
The first BSE Summer Forum has now concluded, having brought together 481 economic researchers from more than 200 institutions around the world. The first international event of its kind in Europe, the Summer Forum included seventeen workshops across the spectrum of economic fields and two policy roundtables featuring expert panels. Participants included researchers from leading universities, central banks, and international organizations.
"Our goal is to make the BSE Summer Forum one of the main events in Europe for economists," said this year's organizers, Prof. Omar Licandro (IAE-CSIC and BSE) and Prof. Jaume Ventura (CREI, UPF and BSE).
Plans have already begun for the second BSE Summer Forum, which will take place from June 9-20, 2014.
Download the full 2013 BSE Summer Forum Program [pdf]
Workshops provide perfect group setting for making progress on research questions
Participants in the workshops appreciated the chance to exchange ideas and interact with colleagues who are based in other cities or other countries.
“The organizers have done a wonderful job of gathering everybody you could think of in this area,” said Prof. Raquel Fernández (NYU) who presented a paper in the Workshop on Family Economics. “So far it's been very full and fascinating.”
“The Summer Forum has brought together people from different countries who are working on different aspects of very related problems,” said Prof. Rachel Griffith, Professor of Economics at the University of Manchester and Deputy Research Director of the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS). “It's been great to interact with people who are using similar methodological tools to ask different questions.”
Princeton’s Prof. Mark Watson found that the Workshop on Time Series for Finance and Macro provided a perfect, intimate group setting for making progress on research in that area. “The great advantage of a workshop like this is getting people in Europe and North America to come together to talk and think about these issues, both while we're presenting papers and when we're out here on a wonderful terrace drinking coffee and continuing the discussion,” Prof. Watson said.
Roundtable panels offer expert insights on development and economic crisis
The Summer Forum roundtables gave the public a chance to hear expert perspectives on two issues that directly impact individuals and society as a whole: development and the current financial crisis.
Roundtable on Development: poverty, corruption, fragmentation and conflict
Roundtable panel: Rohini Pande (Harvard University), Debraj Ray (New York University), Mark Rosenzweig (Yale University), Omar Licandro (IAE-CSIC and BSE), Roundtable Chair
Roundtable on Lessons from the financial crisis: how much longer until the end of the crisis?
Roundtable panel: Roger Farmer (UCLA), Jordi Galí (CREI, UPF and BSE), Xavier Vives (IESE), Jaume Ventura (CREI, UPF and BSE), Roundtable Chair
"Changing one aspect of the economy is not going to do it alone. You need a holistic policy in order to get somewhere."
- Mark Rosenzweig (Yale University)
"Learning to control financial fluctuations as an alternative to traditional fiscal policy is the way to prevent this kind of crisis from affecting us so badly in the future."
- Roger Farmer (UCLA)
The Summer Forum is one of the research initiatives the BSE has created with the support of the Severo Ochoa Recognition of Excellence Program.