WEB DESK
Indian-origin Harvard University professor Gita Gopinath has been appointed chief economist of the International Monetary Fund or IMF, the international organisation tweeted.
She replaces outgoing chief economist Maury Obstfeld, who will retire in December, IMF said.
Gita Gopinath is the John Zwaanstra Professor of International Studies and Economics at Harvard University. Her research focuses on international finance and macroeconomics.
IMF Managing Director Christine @Lagarde appoints Harvard’s Gita Gopinath as IMF Chief Economist, replacing Maury Obstfeld who will retire from IMF in December. https://t.co/M6UV5qH714 pic.twitter.com/k16ztkYIwi
— IMF (@IMFNews) October 1, 2018
IMF managing director Christine Lagarde congratulated the economist on the appointment. “Gita Gopinath is an outstanding economist, with impeccable academic credentials, a proven track record of intellectual leadership, and extensive international experience.
I am delighted to name such a talented figure as the IMF’s Chief Economist,” said Ms Lagarde, who has long championed greater inclusivity of women in geopolitics and global power circles.
“Gita is one of the world’s outstanding economists, with impeccable academic credentials, a proven track record of intellectual leadership, and extensive international experience,” Ms. Lagarde said. “All this makes her exceptionally well-placed to lead our Research Department at this important juncture. I am delighted to name such a talented figure as our Chief Economist.”
Ms. Gopinath is co-editor of the American Economic Review and co-director of the International Finance and Macroeconomics Program at the National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER). She is co-editor of the current Handbook of International Economics with Former IMF Economic Counsellor Kenneth Rogoff. She has authored some 40 research articles on exchange rates, trade and investment, international financial crises, monetary policy, debt, and emerging market crises.
Ms. Gopinath was born and grew up in India. She is a U.S citizen and an Overseas Citizen of India. She received her Ph.D. in economics from Princeton University in 2001 after earning a B.A. from the University of Delhi and M.A. degrees from both the Delhi School of Economics and University of Washington. She joined the University of Chicago in 2001 as an Assistant Professor before moving to Harvard in 2005. She became a tenured Professor there in 2010.