The Center for New Structural Economics at Peking University (CNSE), the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), and the African Center for Economic Transformation (ACET) jointly organized the Briefing Session of the Inaugural Conference of the Global Consortium on Economic Structural Transformation (GReCEST) on October 31, 2016 at Peking University.
Briefing Session of the Inaugural Conference of the GReCEST
Representatives from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Beijing Representative Office, the European Union Delegation to China, the Ford Foundation, the China Office of Japan International Cooperation Agency, as well as the US Embassy in Beijing, attended the Briefing Session.
Representatives from different institutes in discussion
Dr. Jiajun Xu, General Secretary of the GReCEST and Executive Deputy Director of the CNSE, opened the Briefing Session with an introduction to the launch, mission, founding members, organizational structure and proposed functions of the GReCEST. Ms. Amy Guang Yang, Policy and Communications Officer of the GReCEST Secretariat, briefed the participants about the preparation for the GReCEST Inaugural Conference, to be held on December 13 and 14, 2016, at Peking University.
Dr. Kevin Chen, Senior Research Fellow and China Program Leader of the IFPRI, moderated the discussion and feedback session, when participants displayed substantial interest in the functions and future work of the GReCEST, and raised questions on different aspects of the Consortium and the Inaugural Conference.
Prof.Justin Yifu Lin, Chair of the GReCEST and Director of the CNSE, responded to questions from the participants and elaborated on the mission and functions of the GReCEST from the perspective of New Structural Economics.
The Briefing Session closed with summative remarks by Prof. Justin Yifu Lin and the enthusiasms from the participants to explore collaborative opportunities withthe GReCEST in the future.
Initiated by the CNSE with support from the IFPRI and the African Center for Economic Transformation, the GReCEST aspires to foster intellectual partnerships and promote original thinking and innovative practice in an effort to help developing countries to achieve economic structural transformation.
With 33 founding members from across the globe, the GReCEST serves as one of the priority areas under the umbrella of the Global Coalition of Southern Think Tank Networks, co-convened by the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) and the United Nations Office for South-South Cooperation (UNOSSC). The launch event of the GReCEST was held in the headquarters of the United Nations on May 18, 2016 in New York.
Prof. Justin Yifu Lin, Chair of the GReCEST, addressing the Launching Ceremony on May 18, 2016 in the U.N.
Prof. Jiajun Xu,General Secretary of the GReCEST,speaking at the Launching Ceremony on May 18, 2016 in the U.N.
The Inaugural Conference of the GReCEST, to be held on Dec 13 and 14, 2016 at Peking University, will feature keynote speeches by the Consortium leaderships, international organizations and selected development agencies, followed by panel discussions on critical topics concerning economic structural transformation.
