In conjunction with Case Study (Finance and Development in Emerging Asia II)
Date & time: Monday, June 8, 2016, 15:00-16:30
Venue: Room 610, 6th Floor, Administration Bureau Building 2
Language: English
Facilitator: Prof. Toshiro Nishizawa
Open to all current students
Overview:
Laos is a small, open, least-developed country (LDC) in Southeast Asia. It is a resource-richeconomy, however, with over 570 identified mineral deposits. As a result, Laos has experienced massive inflows of foreign direct investment (FDI), an important source of finance for development, in the mining and hydroelectricity sectors since 2003. There are three objectives in my talk. First is to given an overview of the economic conditions and poverty in Laos as well as the characteristics of natural resources investment. Second is to quantify the impact of natural resources on the economy and poverty. Last but not least is to discuss policy options for Lao government to avoid the resource curse, a negative impact from abundant natural resources.
Speaker’s Profile:
Dr. Phouphet Kyophilavong received his PhD in economics from Kobe Universityin 2003. He has been carrying out research on issues including macroeconomic management, economic integration, energy, natural resources and poverty and contributing to International Review of Economics & Finance, Research in International Business and Finance and the Journal of Cleaner Production. He has directed numerous research projects and works closely with government agencies in Laos and international organizations such as ERIA, Asian Development Bank, ADB Institute, Japan International Cooperation Agency and Mekong River Commission (MRC). Dr. Phouphet served as a visiting scholar at Pukyong National University, Nagoya University, University of Laval, and Nanyang Technological University as well as stayed at Harvard University as a Fulbright U.S.-ASEAN Visiting Scholar. He is editor in chief of the Lao Journal of Economics and Management.