RESTORING THE JAPANESE ECONOMY:A CONVERSATION WITH TAKATOSHI ITO

• On 25 June 2019, UNU will host “Reviving Japan’s Economy: The Role of Policy” a conversation with Takatoshi Ito, Professor at the School of International and Public Affairs of Columbia University and distinguished scholar on the Japanese economy.

  This event will start at 18:30 on 25 June 2019 in the 2F Reception Hall at UNU Headquarters in Tokyo.

  Japan’s economy in the post-war era went through a period of spectacular double-digit growth, followed by the crash in the early 1990s, when the economic bubble burst. For more than half a century, Japan held the position of the world’s second largest economy until recently, when it was surpassed by the People’s Republic of China.

  Now, policymakers are faced with the challenges of addressing population decline, lack of inflation, and public debt. What is Japan’s place today amongst the leading global economies? Will the Tokyo Olympics next year stimulate the economy? And what have we learned from Abenomics?

  Prof. Ito will join Dr Sabine Becker-Thierry, UNU Chief of Staff, to discuss the challenges and offer an outlook on the recent reforms that Japan’s economy has been undergoing.

  The UNU Conversation Series aims to foster audience participation: you are encouraged to engage with the speakers during the conversation and at the reception that will follow, where all audience members are invited to enjoy the drinks and hors d’oeuvres that will be served while exchanging ideas and making new contacts.

  Please note that this event will be in English only; Japanese interpretation will not be provided. Advance registration (by 24 June 2019) is required. Please click on the REGISTER button above to access the online registration page.

  About the speaker

  Takatoshi Ito is a Professor at the School of International and Public Affairs of Columbia University and Senior Professor at the National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies. He has taught extensively both in the United States and Japan since finishing his PhD in economics at Harvard University, including the University of Tokyo and has held visiting professor positions at Harvard University, Stanford University, Columbia Business School, and University of Malaya.

  Prof. Ito has distinguished academic and research appointments such as President of the Japanese Economic Association, Senior Advisor in the Research Department at the International Monetary Fund, Deputy Vice Minister for International Affairs at the Ministry of Finance of Japan. He was also a member of the Prime Minister’s Council on Economic and Fiscal Policy.

  Prof. Ito is an author and also contributes op-ed columns to the Financial Times. He was awarded the National Medal with Purple Ribbon for his excellent academic achievement by the Government of Japan.

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