Tuesday, August 8th, 2006
Japanese Academics Join WB Chief Economist John Page for Round Table Discussion on Africa
Japanese academics and development practitioners joined World Bank Chief Economist for Africa, Mr. John Page for a Round Table Discussion on Africa at the World Bank Tokyo Office on August 8, 2006.
“Africa is the most challenging problem we face in development”, said Mr.Page, opening the session. Held to exchange information on on-going research in Africa and explore opportunities for cooperation between academic circles in Japan and the Bank, Mr.Page posed the question, “Aren’t there some new ideas for Africa?”
Reflecting on recent discussions with Nobel Laureate Joseph Stiglitz, Mr.Page outlined four themes to take Africa beyond recovery and modest growth—the political economy of shared growth, African firms and industrial policy, the relationship between rural and urban economies, and skills and human development beyond primary education.
11 representatives from Japan gave a brief presentation of their experiences in Africa and current research projects. A discussion followed spanning issues such as the difference in aid management in Africa and Asia, and all agreed to follow up on these discussions in the near future.
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