Top American economist to visit University of Queensland

Top American economist to visit University of Queensland

Visiting Stanford University economics professor John Taylor will address students and staff at a University of Queensland public forum on Monday, October 4.

Professor Taylor's discussion and a debate on The Macroeconomic Implications of Minimum Wages and Part-time Employment form part of the curriculum for Introductory Economics - so more than 1400 students will attend.

The students will be invited to join the discussion and will be assessed on the forum, which features a debate between Professor Taylor, Professor Bob Gregory (Australian National University) and Professor John Mangan (UQ Business School). It will be chaired by UQ Economics Department senior lecturer Dr Richard Brown, coordinator of Introductory Economics, who organised Professor Taylor's visit to the Department from October 1 to 5.

Professor Taylor will also address a lunch-time economics forum on Monetary Policy and the Long Boom in the US at Customs House on Friday, October 1. His talks will be open to the UQ community and the public.

Formerly director of the Stanford Center for Economic Policy Research, Professor Taylor is a highly respected authority on economic issues. In 1993 he devised the so-called "Taylor Rule", frequently used to predict central bank monetary policy decisions. He has served on the US President's Council of Economics Advisers and currently serves on the California Governor's Council of Economic Advisers.

Professor Taylor was a member of the United States delegation to the Uruguay Round trade talks in Brussels and has participated in US-Japan trade talks. He directs the Program for Introductory Economic Studies at Stanford and recently received the Rhodes Prize for excellence in undergraduate teaching.

He is the author of a new introductory economics textbook used for subjects at UQ. Coinciding with his visit, the Australian adaptation of the book will be published by John Wiley & Sons Australia.

Economics Forum - Friday, October 1, 12pm at Customs House. Limited numbers, booking essential. Cost: $25 (or $5 for students). Registration: telephone 07 3300 3094 or email zoemkt@bigpond.com.au).

Student and Staff Public Forum - Monday, October 4, 6.45pm at Mayne Hall, St Lucia. For more information contact Dr Richard Brown (telephone 07 3365 6716 or email r.brown@economics.uq.edu.au).