Revision as of 00:07, 8 October 2018

A brief biography

Gita Gopinath
From: Surojit Gupta, Gita Gopinath named IMF chief economist, October 2, 2018: The Times of India

2010: 1^st Indian woman full professor at Harvard

1^st Indian woman full professor at Harvard

Chicago: Gita Gopinath, an Indian-origin associate professor at Harvard University’s Department of Economics, has been appointed a full professor, the first Indian woman in the institution’s history to be given this appointment.

Gopinath’s position as a tenured full professor of Economics at Harvard begins on July 1. University president Drew G Faust confirmed tenure for Gopinath last month, making her only the third woman to be a tenured full professor in the department. “I am delighted at the appointment. This is a great recognition for me,” Gopinath, who has been working in the area of international macroeconomics and finance, said over phone.

The economics department had voted at an executive committee meeting in February to nominate Gopinath, who had been working as an associate professor in the department, for tenure, which is a status indicating that the position is permanent and life-long.

The university’s newspaper Harvard Crimson quoted Chairman of Harvard’s Economics department Professor John Campbell as saying that “Gopinath is really becoming a professional leader in terms of training economists” given her ability to move between theory and data analysis, and her strong skills as a teacher. PTI

2018: Chief Economist of the IMF

Surojit Gupta, Gita Gopinath named IMF chief economist, October 2, 2018: The Times of India

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) appointed Delhi School of Economics and Lady Shri Ram College alumna Gita Gopinath as its chief economist, a post once held by former Reserve Bank of India governor Raghuram Rajan.

Gopinath will succeed Maurice Obstfeld as economic counsellor and director of the IMF’s research department. A top-notch economist, she currently serves as the John Zwaanstra professor of international studies and economics at Harvard University.

The 46-year-old India-born economist joins the illustrious list of Rajan and Kaushik Basu who have served as chief economists of the IMF and the World Bank, respectively. Basu also taught at D-School.

Gopinath has also served as a member of the eminent persons’ advisory group on G-20 matters for the finance ministry and was appointed as economic adviser to the Kerala CM in 2016.

Gopinath, a US citizen, got her PhD in economics from Princeton University in 2001.

Gita an outstanding economist, says Lagarde

Gita is one of the world’s outstanding economists, with impeccable academic credentials, a proven track record of intellectual leadership, and extensive international experience, IMF managing director Christine Lagarde said while announcing her appointment.

“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.”

She joined the University of Chicago in 2001 as an assistant professor before moving to Harvard in 2005 and became a tenured professor there in 2010. She did her BA (Honours) in economics from Delhi’s Lady Shri Ram College and then MA from D-School and the University of Washington.

“…it is not only unprecedented in terms of practice but it is also unprecedented in terms of theory. Pretty much every macro-economist colleague of mine that I have spoken to would say that this is something that we do not recommend to any developing country,” Gopinath, who is an advocate of less cash, told a television channel in January last year when asked whether demonetisation was an unprecedented event.