The Economics of COVID-19 in Developing East Asia Pacific: an Introductory Course

The COVID-19 pandemic has altered the global economy and the development prospects of East Asia and the Pacific countries. Many changes will be durable and all consequences are not yet clear. The East Asia & Pacific Chief Economist Office Research Center in Kuala Lumpur presented a course covering conceptual and empirical analysis that is accessible to economics students, economists, researchers, and others with an interest in the field. The objective is to help understand what has happened over the past two years, why, what to expect and what can be done.

This 2 hour course introduced the conceptual and empirical analysis of key economic and policy issues.

Topics covered:

• Economy wide impact: The macroeconomics of the pandemic and implications for macro policy.
• Globalization: The international economics of trade and supply chains in goods and services.
• Firms and Technology: The microeconomics of firms in crisis, recovery and growth.
• Households: The microeconomics of labor markets, education, health and inequality.

Speakers: 

CHAIR 
Aaditya Mattoo
Chief Economist, East Asia and Pacific Chief Economist Office, World Bank

PRESENTERS 
Ergys Islamaj
Senior Economist, East Asia and Pacific Chief Economist Office, World Bank
Agustin Samano
Economist, Development Research Group: Macroeconomics & Growth, World Bank
Shafaat Khan
Economist, East Asia and Pacific Chief Economist Office, World Bank
Francesca de Nicola
Senior Economist, East Asia and Pacific Chief Economist Office, World Bank
Jonathan Timmis
Economist, East Asia and Pacific Chief Economist Office, World Bank
Andrew Mason
Deputy Chief Economist, East Asia and Pacific Chief Economist Office, World Bank
Tobias Pfutze
Senior Economist, East Asia and Pacific Chief Economist Research Center in Kuala Lumpur, World Bank