Peterson Institute Events: Audio

The Peterson Institute released its latest book Private Rights and Public Problems: The Global Economics of Intellectual Property in the 21st Century on September 27, 2012. Author Keith E. Maskus presented the main conclusions of his book, which offers a comprehensive analysis of the critical roles played by intellectual property rights (IPRs) in the global economy at a time when innovation and creativity are more important than ever for creating jobs and sustaining growth. In the book, he assesses the economic impact and challenges for the future of the unprecedented expansion of new and stronger IPRs over the past decade or so.

IMF Managing Director Christine Lagarde discusses the state of the world economy at the Peterson Institute on September 24, 2012.

The Peterson Institute hosted an event on September 18, 2012, to discuss a major shift in the International Monetary Fund's (IMF) framework for identifying exchange rate and financial policies in member countries that may have harmful implications for global stability or adverse economic effects on other countries. The leaders of the IMF team for this revised strategy--Sean Hagan, Tamim Bayoumi and Steven Phillips--presented the key elements of their work, as published recently by the IMF, the Pilot External Sector Report and underlying External Balance Assessment methodology. PIIE Senior Fellows Joseph E. Gagnon and John Williamson led off with separate remarks on the IMF framework.

The Peterson Institute released a new book by Surjit Bhalla entitled Devaluing to Prosperity: Misaligned Currencies and Their Growth Consequences on September 17, 2012. The book analyses the role of currency policy in the development strategies of a number of major developing countries during the postwar period, with a focus on China's recent efforts but with considerable attention to earlier approaches by Japan, Korea, and others. Bhalla concludes that successful development has often been achieved through deliberate currency undervaluation and stresses the need for systemic responses that will prevent deleterious effects on the global economy from such practices in the future. Event audio and video will be available.

The Peterson Institute hosted a meeting July 30, 2012, to discuss the implementation of the Dodd-Frank financial reform law and to release the new report "Setting the Record Straight on Cost-Benefit Analysis and Financial Reform at the Securities and Exchange Commission" (SEC) by Better Markets, a nonprofit organization that promotes the public interest in the financial markets. An important new development has emerged in the debate over the Dodd-Frank law: an attempt to subject every regulation to extensive cost-benefit analysis with the industry claiming that the costs of financial reform are too high, that they will hurt growth and employment, and that the agencies have failed to conduct proper analysis. These arguments have prevailed in a major court case and have had a significant impact at the regulatory agencies. In response, SEC rulemaking has almost stopped and has revised some of its practices.

Professor Dr. Hans-Peter Keitel, President of the Federation of German Industries (BDI), spoke on the topic of "Stability and Growth: A Perspective from German Business" at an event cohosted by the Peterson Institute and the Representative of German Industry and Trade (RGIT) in cooperation with the German Embassy on July 16, 2012. Ambassador of Germany Peter Ammon introduced Keitel, and C. Fred Bergsten moderated a question and answer session.

Congressman Kevin Brady, Chairman of the Trade Subcommittee of the House Ways and Means Committee, delivers the opening keynote speech at a conference on US trade policy at the Peterson Institute for International Economics on June 19, 2012.

Robert B. Zoellick, President of the World Bank, discussed his outlook for a wide range of global economic and foreign policy issues at an event held at the Peterson Institute on June 14, 2012. Peterson Instiute Director C. Fred Bergsten moderated a discussion with the audience following Zoellick's presentation.

Jean-Claude Trichet delivered the eleventh Stavros Niarchos Foundation Lecture at the Peterson Institute on May 17, 2012. Trichet, who recently stepped down as President of the European Central Bank, discussed the current euro crisis in the context of the evolution of Europe and particularly its future prospects.

Taeho Bark, Trade Minister of Korea, discussed Korea's free trade agreement (FTA) policy at the Peterson Institute on May 16, 2012. Korea has conducted an effective trade policy over the last decade, negotiating FTAs with its partners from all parts of the world. The Korean initiatives thus offer a potential bridge between the "Asia track" of Asia-only agreements and the "Pacific track" characterized by the Trans Pacific Partnership, a key issue for the future trade (and political) architecture of the region and indeed the world economy.

Martin Wolf, chief economics commentator of the Financial Times, spoke on the topic of "Why the Eurozone Crisis is Not Over" at the Peterson Institute on May 3, 2012. Wolf believes that the euro area crisis in fact has barely begun and requires a process of adjustment that could take a full decade and posed the question of whether the member countries have the political will to make that process work and resolve the crisis successfully. Wolf's speech was cosponsored by the Peterson Institute and the National Economists Club.

Anders Borg, Finance Minister of Sweden, spoke at the Peterson Institute on April 23, 2012, on how reforms prior to the global financial crisis and current policies have resulted in Sweden's dramatic success story in handling the global financial crisis.

Pranab Mukherjee, Finance Minister of India, discussed India's short- and medium-term prospects in the context of the world economy at an event held April 20, 2012 at the Peterson Institute with assistance of the Confederation of Indian Industry. Chandrajit Banerjee, director general of the Confederation of Indian Industry, and Arvind Subramanian, senior fellow at the Peterson Institute for International Economics, led a discussion following Mr. Mukherjee's presentation.

On April 17, 2012, the Peterson Institute hosted the release of The Occupy Handbook, a compendium of articles by leading economists and others on the causes and implications of the recent Occupy movements around the country. A number of the book's contributors—including Carmen M. Reinhart, Peterson Institute; Robin Wells; James A. Robinson, Harvard University (coauthor of Why Nations Fail); and John Cassidy, the New Yorker—summarized their commentaries in the volume and took audience questions.

Simon Johnson, senior fellow, presents the findings of his latest book, White House Burning: The Founding Fathers, Our National Debt, and Why It Matters to You, at an event hosted by the Peterson Institute on April 9, 2012.