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Women-Led Development Economics from the Ground Up

Driving Change / Inclusion and gender

Driving Change: Ipek Ilkkaracan on Why Investing in Care Pays Off

IPEK ILKKARACAN December 4, 2024

Driving Change: Women-Led Development Economics from the Ground Up is an IMF / IEA-WE collaborative podcast series. This episode features Turkish economist Ipek Ilkkaracan, who makes a strong business case for investing in social care infrastructure.

Driving Change / Development

Driving Change: Marcela Eslava on Latin America’s Social Security Woes

MARCELA ESLAVA December 4, 2024

Driving Change: Women-Led Development Economics from the Ground Up is an IMF / IEA-WE collaborative podcast series. This episode features Colombian economist Marcela Eslava, whose research looks to fix Latin America’s dysfunctional social security network.

Driving Change / Data collection

Driving Change: Rose Ngugi on how Indices are giving Kenya an Edge

ROSE NGUGI December 4, 2024

Driving Change: Women-Led Development Economics from the Ground Up is an IMF / IEA-WE collaborative podcast series. This episode features Kenyan economist Rose Ngugi whose indices are helping local counties design better policies.

Fintech

Technology / Artificial intelligence

Yuval Noah Harari on Human Evolution and the AI Revolution

Yuval Noah Harari October 1, 2024

Stories can unify or divide but our ability to imagine them is uniquely human. Cooperation and trust, built through shared stories and narratives, are the foundation of human societies and economies. So what happens when humans no longer hold the pen? Yuval Noah Harari is a historian, philosopher, and author. In this podcast, Harari says artificial intelligence is a risk to humankind’s most valuable resource, trust.

Technology / Fintech

Measuring Money in the Digital Age: Jim Tebrake

Jim Tebrake January 23, 2024

As the global economy becomes increasingly digitalized, effective policy and regulation are critical to ensure a stable and equitable financial system. Jim Tebrake is Deputy Director and heads the data and methodology efforts in the IMF Statistics Department. In this podcast, Tebrake says the world of digital money is changing quickly and statisticians should be prepared to provide the data that policymakers need to respond effectively.

Technology / Artificial intelligence

AI’s Real Risk to Wages: Andrew Berg and Maryam Vaziri

MARYAM VAZIRI, ANDREW BERG December 7, 2023

The pace at which artificial intelligence is transforming jobs is astounding, but while it boasts higher productivity AI is also increasing wage inequality. When workers are replaced by machines, real wages decline, and the owners of capital prosper. So who owns AI and how should its benefits be distributed? The IMFs Andrew Berg and Maryam Vaziri discuss AI’s inequality problem.

Technology / Central banks

Jookyung Ree on the eNaira, One Year After

Jookyung Ree July 20, 2023

Nigeria’s eNaira was the first Central Bank Digital Currency in Africa and only the second in the world when it launched in October 2021, but a growing number of countries across the globe are now planning to follow suit with their own CBDCs. What can they learn from Nigeria’s experience? Jookyung Ree is an economist in the IMF African Department and assigned to Nigeria when the CBDC was introduced. Ree has since studied its impact on the economy and found that existing mobile money networks are proving a challenge to the eNaira’s adoptability.

F&D Magazine

F&D Magazine / Development

Elizabeth Johnson on Fixing Sao Paolo’s Housing Deficit

ELIZABETH JOHNSON December 19, 2024

As urbanization continues to grow worldwide, affordable housing is a rare commodity in many cities. Sao Paolo, South America’s biggest city, has gained over 2 million new residents in the past decade alone. Elizabeth Johnson heads Brazil research at TS Lombard and says the city is now looking to its largely abandoned downtown core to address its housing woes.

F&D Magazine / Housing

Deniz Igan on The Housing Affordability Crunch

DENIZ IGAN December 12, 2024

While housing markets play a significant role in economies, new research shows houses across 40 countries are less affordable than at any time since the 2008 financial crisis. In this podcast, IMF economist Deniz Igan says the pandemic triggered an unusual sequence of events that housing markets around the world are still struggling to correct.

F&D Magazine / Productivity

Nicholas Bloom on why Remote Work is Good for Growth

NICHOLAS BLOOM September 3, 2024

Working from home was not an option for most people before March 11, 2020, when work and home life suddenly collided. Stanford University's Nicholas Bloom was studying the potential impact of remote work long before the pandemic launched it into the mainstream and now has data to suggest businesses should stick to the hybrid working model.

F&D Magazine

Raghuram Rajan on Blazing a New Path to India’s Development

RAGHURAM RAJAN, KRISHNA SRINIVASAN August 15, 2024

For many emerging market economies, moving from an export-oriented strategy with labor-intensive manufacturing to a more sophisticated production process was key to their development. But the world is quickly changing, and former Reserve Bank of India Governor Raghuram Rajan says India need not follow that same path. In this podcast, IMF Asia and Pacific Department Head Krishna Srinivasan and Rajan discuss how India might leverage its growing workforce and pivot from “brawn to brain”.

Women in Economics

Women In Economics

Women in Economics: Kate Raworth on Economics for the Living Planet

KATE RAWORTH August 29, 2024

Kate Raworth talks with journalist Rhoda Metcalfe about her alternative economic model Doughnut Economics, which places economic objectives within the social and ecological boundaries of the living planet. Raworth is an ecological economist and the author of Doughnut Economics: Seven Ways to Think Like a 21st Century Economist.

Women In Economics / Development

Women in Economics: Una Osili on the Resilience of Philanthropy and Why so Few African Women Economists

Una Osili May 21, 2024

When disaster strikes, the knee-jerk reaction is to seek public funds for support, but private donors have the agility that governments often don’t. Una Osili holds the Efroymson Chair in Philanthropy at Indiana University and believes Africa would benefit from more private donors and more African women to manage it. In this podcast, Rhoda Metcalfe asks Dr. Osili about her work and why there aren’t more women economists on the continent.

Women In Economics

Women in Economics: Olivia Mitchell on Retirement Reality

March 28, 2024

With life expectancy steadily rising and pension systems doomed to fall short, the prospects for an early retirement are fading fast. Olivia Mitchell wrote the book on retirement and modern pension research and has spent her career helping people improve their financial literacy. Mitchell is a Professor of Economics and Public Policy at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. She sat down with journalist Rhoda Metcalfe to discuss the challenges of today’s economy for Americans planning their golden years.

Women In Economics / Labor

Women in Economics: Juliet Schor on the Benefits of a 4-Day Week

Juliet Schor February 1, 2024

Productivity has been the driving force behind the five- sometimes six-day workweek, but there is a growing body of evidence that shows a shorter week is equally, if not more productive in many respects. Juliet Schor is a champion of the four-day week and led the charge in the early 90s with her book The Overworked American. Journalist Rhoda Metcalfe spoke with Juliet Schor about her four-day week mission, as part of our special Women in Economics series.

FINANCIAL MARKETS

Financial Stability / Financial sector stability

Global Financial Stability: Financial Markets Navigate Uncertainty

Jason Wu, Nassira Abbas October 22, 2024

As inflation and interest rates continue to decline and the likelihood of a recession slowly fades, the latest Global Financial Stability Report (GFSR) warns of several factors that could upend the recovery, including the disconnect between market buoyancy and heightened uncertainty. Jason Wu and Nassira Abbas lead the IMF’s work on financial stability. In this podcast, they say while the near-term risks appear contained, medium-term prospects remain a concern.

Financial Stability / Central banks

Nigeria Bank Governor Olayemi Cardoso: Regaining Stability and Trust

Olayemi Cardoso June 21, 2024

Nigeria’s new administration has set out on an ambitious reform path to stabilize its currency, regain market confidence, and tame inflation. In this podcast, Governor Oleyemi Cardoso and IMF Africa Department head, Abebe Aemro Selassie discuss the role of Nigeria’s central bank in restoring macroeconomic stability.

Financial Stability

Global Financial Stability: Fragilities Along Disinflation’s Last Mile

FABIO NATALUCCI, Jason Wu April 16, 2024

As inflation slowly subsides and optimism pervades financial markets, the latest Global Financial Stability Report (GFSR) warns of potential setbacks. The IMF's Fabio Natalucci and Jason Wu discuss potential risks to the much anticipated soft landing.

Financial Stability

Jamaica’s Nigel Clarke: Stability First then Growth

November 2, 2023

Jamaica's Finance Minister, Nigel Clarke, discusses the country's strong track record of investing in institutions and prioritizing macroeconomic stability with IMF Western Hemisphere Department head, Rodrigo Valdés. The conversation took place as part of the Governor Talks series held during the Annual Meetings in Marrakech.

Wenjie Chen on Sub-Saharan Africa’s Latest Outlook

WENJIE CHEN April 25, 2024

Sub-Saharan Africa is slowly emerging from four turbulent years with higher growth expected for nearly two thirds of countries. But while inflation has almost halved and debt has broadly stabilized, economies still face financing shortages and impending debt repayments. Wenjie Chen is deputy head of the team that publishes the Regional Economic Outlook for sub-Saharan Africa. In this podcast, she says the surging global demand for minerals could help the region overcome the ongoing funding squeeze.

Outlooks / Inflation

Euro Area Inflation and how Import Prices, Profits, and Wages fit in

Frederik Toscani August 3, 2023

While import prices account for much of Europe’s inflation, its outlook largely depends on how companies absorb wage gains as higher prices erode workers’ purchasing power. IMF economist Frederik Toscani says corporate profits account for 45 percent of price rises since the start of 2022.

Development

F&D Magazine / Development

Elizabeth Johnson on Fixing Sao Paolo’s Housing Deficit

ELIZABETH JOHNSON December 19, 2024

As urbanization continues to grow worldwide, affordable housing is a rare commodity in many cities. Sao Paolo, South America’s biggest city, has gained over 2 million new residents in the past decade alone. Elizabeth Johnson heads Brazil research at TS Lombard and says the city is now looking to its largely abandoned downtown core to address its housing woes.

Driving Change / Development

Driving Change: Marcela Eslava on Latin America’s Social Security Woes

MARCELA ESLAVA December 4, 2024

Driving Change: Women-Led Development Economics from the Ground Up is an IMF / IEA-WE collaborative podcast series. This episode features Colombian economist Marcela Eslava, whose research looks to fix Latin America’s dysfunctional social security network.

Women In Economics / Development

Women in Economics: Una Osili on the Resilience of Philanthropy and Why so Few African Women Economists

Una Osili May 21, 2024

When disaster strikes, the knee-jerk reaction is to seek public funds for support, but private donors have the agility that governments often don’t. Una Osili holds the Efroymson Chair in Philanthropy at Indiana University and believes Africa would benefit from more private donors and more African women to manage it. In this podcast, Rhoda Metcalfe asks Dr. Osili about her work and why there aren’t more women economists on the continent.

Global / Development

Kristalina Georgieva: Building Bridges to Strong Future Growth

KRISTALINA GEORGIEVA October 6, 2023

IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva kicked off the 2023 Annual Meetings in Marrakech with her customary curtain raiser speech from Cote d’Ivoire. It’s the first time since 1973 that the Annual Meetings are held in Africa and Georgieva says it’s an opportunity to pave the way to the next 50 years.

BEHIND THE MIC

Bruce Edwards

International Monetary Fund

Bruce Edwards produces the IMF podcast program. He's an award-winning audio producer and journalist who's covered armed conflicts, social unrest, and natural disasters from all corners of the world. He believes economists have an important role in solving the world's problems and aspires to showcase their research in every IMF podcast.

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Women-Led Development Economics from the Ground Up

Fintech

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BEHIND THE MIC

Bruce Edwards

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