Royal Society of Arts:
www.rsa.org.uk
Last evening Dr Ian Goldin proposed that it might just be Africa's century in a wide ranging speech which you can shortly listen to on the RSA web site.
The lecture was chaired by Alex Russell, FT journo and a former South African correspondent and author of
After Mandela.
I asked a question, not surprisingly about China's presence in Africa, but about what kind of economic structures would warrant being called an African solution as opposed to the failed states of the IMF and World Bank. Hope that's clear as mud if not listen to the podcast.
About Ian Goldin:
Dr Ian Goldin took up his position as the first Director of the School in September 2006.
Goldin was Vice President of the World Bank (2003-2006) and prior to that the Bank's Director of Development Policy (2001-2003). He served on the Bank's senior management team, and was directly responsible for its relationship with the UK and all other European, North American and developed countries. Goldin led the Bank's collaboration with the United Nations and other partners. As Director of Development Policy, Goldin played a pivotal role in the research and strategy agenda of the Bank.
From 1996 to 2001 he was Chief Executive and Managing Director of the Development Bank of Southern Africa and served as an adviser to President Nelson Mandela. He succeeded in transforming the Bank to become the leading agent of development in the 14 countries of Southern Africa. During this period, Goldin served on several Government committees and Boards, and was Finance Director for South Africa's Olympic Bid.
Previously, Goldin was Principal Economist at the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) in London, and Program Director at the OECD Development Centre in Paris, where he directed the Programs on Trade, Environment and Sustainable Development.
Born in South Africa, Goldin has a BA (Hons) and a BSc from the University of Cape Town, an MSc from the London School of Economics, and a Doctorate from the University of Oxford.
Goldin has received wide recognition for his contributions to development and research, including having been knighted by the French Government and nominated Global Leader of Tomorrow by the World Economic Forum. He has published over 50 articles and 12 books, the two most well-known being "Globalisation for Development: Trade, Finance, Aid, Migration and Ideas" (Palgrave Macmillan, reprinted 2007) and "The Economics of Sustainable Development" (CUP, 1995).
In addition to being Director of the School, Goldin holds a Professorial Fellowship at Balliol College, Oxford.