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The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) will present a distinguished lecture on ‘The Economic Outlook of Asia Pacific in 2016’ delivered by Dr. Shang-Jin Wei, the Chief Economist of the Asian Development Bank (ADB), on 31 March, 2016 (Thursday). During the lecture, Dr. Wei will give his views on the latest economic developments in Asia Pacific. Members of the public are welcome to join the lecture by online registration at www.econ.cuhk.edu.hk/registration/sjwei 

Dr. Wei will present ADB’s latest economic growth projections for Asia, including analyses for each of ADB’s 45 developing member economies (including China and Hong Kong) and 5 sub-regions: Central Asia, East Asia, South Asia, Southeast Asia and the Pacific. In addition, he will present ADB’s analysis of macroeconomic issues in the region, such as the impact of China’s economic slowdown and the prevalence of producer price deflation. Asia’s growth pace has declined since the global financial crisis, leading some pundits to dub the situation the “New Normal”. Dr. Wei will analyze this issue and offer policy advice on how to counteract the slowdown. 

Dr. Wei has a long and distinguished career in academia, in the areas of international finance and trade. Before joining ADB, he was the N.T. Wang Chair and Director of the Chazen Institute of International Business at Columbia University, Director of the National Bureau of Economic Research’s working group on the Chinese economy, and a research fellow at the Center for Economic Policy Research (Europe). 

Prior to Columbia University, Dr. Wei was an Assistant Director and Chief of Division at the International Monetary Fund (IMF) where he led the Fund’s policy research and advised on issues in international trade, investment, globalization, and related topics. He was IMF Chief of Mission to Myanmar in 2004. Dr. Wei served as an advisor on anti-corruption policy and research at the World Bank from 1999 to 2000. 

Dr. Wei earned a PhD in Economics and a Master’s degree in Finance from the University of California, Berkeley, a Master’s degree in Economics from Pennsylvania State University and a Bachelor’s degree in World Economy from Fudan University in China.