Press Release No. 11/8

Press Release: IMF, UWI Announce Papers Selected for Academic Conference, to Host Barbados Student Question Session

January 13, 2011

The University of the West Indies (UWI), the Central Bank of Barbados and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) will hold a conference, Caribbean Policy Challenges After the Global Crisis, and a student Town Hall meeting in Bridgetown, Barbados January 27-28, 2011. These events focus on economic and social challenges facing the region and seek to deepen the dialog between the Fund and Caribbean stakeholders.

Academic researchers from the Caribbean, the U.S., the U.K. and Canada will discuss papers submitted to the conference on such topics as changes in the terms of trade and impact on jobs, fiscal sustainability, and the region’s elevated levels of debt, among others, over two days  (see program).

In the Town Hall, Caribbean Leaders of Tomorrow: Ask the IMF, youth leaders and students will discuss the regional outlook and policy responses, and the role of the IMF, with Nicolás Eyzaguirre, Director of the IMF’s Western Hemisphere Department. The event will be televised by the Caribbean Media Corporation.

How to participate in the Town Hall

The Town Hall meeting will be held at UWI’s Cave Hill Campus, Bridgetown on Thursday, January 27, 2011. To participate, students and youth from the region should submit questions about topics such as the global economy, regional economic issues, the role of the IMF, and concerns about their own economic future. UWI will select a set of questions which will be put to the IMF during the meeting. Questions will also be taken from the audience live. More information on how to participate can be found at the event’s website. The deadline for submissions is Monday, January 24, 2011.