ESPOL Polytechnic University is the venue of the XXIII Annual Meeting LACEA LAMES

 

 

On ThursdayNovember 8, within the framework of the 60th Anniversary of ESPOL Polytechnic University, the XXIII Annual LACEA LAMES 2018 MEETING began. This is the most relevant academic event in the economic and econometric fields in the region, and this year, it is taking place in Guayaquil, Ecuador for the first time.

The board was formed by Cecilia Paredes Verduga, President of ESPOL Polytechnic University; Leonardo Sánchez Aragón, Dean of the College of Social Sciences and Humanities (FCSH, acronym in Spanish).  In addition, renowned academics who were part of the board were Augusto de la Torre, professor of  Columbia University  and former World Bank`s Chief Economist for Latin America and the Caribbean and  Nicolás Figueroa, associate professor of the Pontificia Universidad Santiago de Chile.  Furthermore,  Janeth Maldonado, general manager of the Central Bank of Ecuador ; Santiago Levy, president of the Latin America and Caribbean Economics Association, LACEA; and Gloria Gallardo, president of the municipal office for tourism in Guayaquil  and  delegate of the Mayor were other members of the board.

The FCSH CollegeDean, Leonardo Sánchez, welcomed the participants and thanked the logistics team and sponsors of the event.  “It´s an honor for Ecuador to be the venue of this conference for the first time (…).  During these three days, our country will become the center of the best debates on economic issues of the region.  The outcomes of this conference and all the scientific analysis that will result from it, are part of a systematic process that  ESPOL Polytechnic University  fosters to reach standards of excellence”, he pointed out.

The LACEA LAMES 2018 conference includes two winners of The Sveriges Riksbank Prize in Economic Sciences in Memory of Alfred Nobel, (informally called the Nobel Prize in Economics), Christopher Pissarides (2010) and Christopher A. Sims (2011), 9 notable keynote speakers, 38 invited speakers and experts from the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund and the Inter-American Development Bank. These experts will share their knowledge together with authorities from other organisms and will discuss financial and economic issues from the Latin American and Caribbean countries.

The President of ESPOL Polytechnic University, Cecilia Paredes, emphasized that ESPOL, has reached 60 years by pursuing a path of constant adaptation and by looking for different ways to interact with society.  “(…) We are a dynamic university, open, pluralist, that strives  to improve every day, and which is willing to contribute to  Guayaquil, Ecuador and the rest of the world. (...) Our work focuses on improving what has already been achieved and  becoming an engine of innovation. At ESPOL, we form professionals and develop research projects that satisfy the demands of an ever-changing society. In addition, Paredes wished a pleasant stay to the nearly 700 participants of the LACEA LAMES Conference  that includes economists, academics and public policy experts.

Furthermore, Santiago Levy, president of the Latin America and Caribbean Economics Association, LACEA, thanked the hospitality of  Ecuador, Guayaquil  and ESPOL.  “(…) Of the 700 participants, 500 come from other countries. I am not sure whether this is a record or not, but this might be one of the highest number of foreign visitors that have come from all over the world to be part of this event.  This shows the attraction the LACEA LAMES event has, but above all, it shows the effort of the team.  (…) The organizers received more than 900 papers in response to the call and the participants will present 500 during the conference.  These are impressive numbers.  We are pleased with this and convinced that the conference will be a success.”

LACEA LAMES Meeting  started its operations in the region in 1996.  It develops general interest topics related to Economic Theory, Experimental Economy, Crime Economy and Applied Economy, among others.