International Monetary Fund

Newsletter

Japan-IMF Scholarship Program for Asia

IMF OAP/MCM joint seminar:Capacity Building Seminar on Stress Banks, March 13-14, 2014

vol 5. June 2014

To commemorate the 20th anniversary of the JISPA, this newsletter, published quarterly for 2014, brings you up-to date information on JISPA events as well as featured alumni and scholars. JISPA provides scholarships for junior government officials of key economic agencies in Asia and the Pacific who wish to undertake graduate studies in related fields at universities in Japan.

Sharing the vision of the JISPA: the commitment of the partnership universities to fostering future policy makers in the region

Continuing from the fourth issue, this fifth issue features the remaining interviews with the professors of the four partnership universities. It will focus on features and strengths of each university, the universities’ perspective on the JISPA’s achievements, messages to potential candidates, as well as describing the living environment that the universities provide for the scholars.

An interview with Ms. Vathana Dalaloy, Director-General of the Securities and Exchange Commission Office, Bank of the Lao PDR, is featured to illustrate the career path of as a successful alumna. This issue also features an interview with Mr. Ashrafbek Olimov, the State Tax Committee of Uzbekistan, who has enrolled in a PhD program at Yokohama National University as a JISPA open-track scholar. The JISPA activities during March-May 2014 are also described.

Here is the round-table talk with the professors. Read More

JISPA Today

JISPA Seminar

Mr. Martin Cihak On March 12, Mr. Martin Čihák, Deputy Division Chief, Monetary and Capital Markets Department (MCM), IMF, delivered a lecture titled “Financial Inclusion”. With his profound knowledge and deep experience as a leader of the core team publishing the 2014 Global Financial Development Report on this topic, Mr. Čihák explained the importance of financial inclusion for development and poverty reduction and the current status in developing countries. While elaborating findings from research, he described strategies and policies to improve financial inclusion. During the Q&A session following the presentation, the scholars shared their country experience as examples. Read More

Alumni News

I feel that the biggest challenge is to balance the role of securities regulators between development drivers and supervisory functions so that the domestic capital market will grow healthily and sustainably to contribute to the economic development and poverty reduction effectively.

Since 2010, Ms. Vathana Dalaloy has been heading Lao Securities Commission Office as General Director. She was a 1995-96 JISPA scholar, and graduated from the Graduate School of Policy Science of Saitama University (Predecessor of GRIPS). Here is an interview with Ms. Dalaloy. Read More

Current Scholar

JISPA seminars gave us a very good opportunity to differentiate between the academic and practical approaches to real economic phenomena.

Mr. Ashrafbek OlimovMr. Ashrafbek Olimov is a JISPA open-track scholar (2012-15), who is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in Economics at the Global Economy Program, Yokohama National University. He is seconded from the State Tax Committee, Uzbekistan. Mr. Olimov likes practicing Judo and Sudoku, and travelling over Japan. Read More

Go to Alumni Networking Site

JISPA Photo

IMF Seminar:
"Financial Inclusion"
March 12, 2014

Events

June 12
IMF Capacity Building Seminar: "Institutions for Fiscal Credibility—Fiscal Policy Rules and Fiscal Councils: Experience and Prospects in the Asia-Pacific Region"
June 23
JISPA Thesis Presentation
June 23
JISPA Farewell Reception
June 30
IMF Seminar: "Sustaining Long-Run Growth and Macroeconomic Stability in Low-Income Countries"
July 14-
Orientation Program
Late August
OAP Staff Visit to the Orientation Program

Funded by the Government of Japan and Administered by the IMF Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific