Thai cultural show features traditional dances, music, food
The Chicago Maroon
By Pamela Appea
The sound of Thai classical symphonic music greeted attendees of the first annual U of C Thai Cultural Night. The event took place Saturday night, May 16, at Hutchinson Commons in the Reynolds Club. Siam Square hosted the show, which attracted 130 students and community residents, Pechluck Suwatanapongched and Justin Ruaysamran, fourth-year students in the College, served as emcees for the event.
“It went well. I liked the performances. Everything went very smoothly. All in all, the event was very successful,” said Sompid Saamipak, president of Siam Square and a fourth-year student in the College.
Members of the Buddhadharm Temple began the program with three selections of classical music. Traditional classic music instruments include thereat thum, a rectangular instrument which curves outward, the zither, a stringed instrument with a hollow body, roughly similar to a guitar, the timbrel, and the gong kettle similar to a stringed instrument with a hollow body, roughly similat to a guitar, the timbrel, and the gong-kettle drums.
The instrument selections combined religious and secular themes of love, nature and spirituality. Thai classical music is no harmonic and combines melodic and rhythmic elements. One of the selections paid homage to a famous Thai waterfall, and the instruments imitated the sounds of water in nature.
Fon Tien, or the candle dance, followed. The six dancers synchronized their hand and body body movements to the music while swirling each of the two candles in an arch-like shape.
“The candle dance was magnificent. It was delicate and slow, and they danced together very well,” said Raksapok Thanaanuwong, a second-year student in the College.
Next, Pariya Phualsuk, of the Northwestern Thai Student Organization, read a Thai poem. “The poem stressed that women should be educated. It stressed the importance of being well-rounded both inside and outside the home,” explained Samipak.
Following the poem, the Manora dance was performed by Judy Pongched, a first-year student at Hinsdale High School. This classical dance originates from an ancient Thai folktale Manora was a princess who was kinari, or a mythical creature, half-bird and half human.
Suwatanapongched explained the story. Manora’s guardian wanted to keep her confined in a castle, so the guardian took Manora’s wings and claws away so that she would not be able to escape. One day, it was decreed that in order to escape terrible destruction of the kingdom, one animal of each kind would be sacrificed.
“Manora asked for her wings and claws back to do one last dance. In the end, Manora flies to freedom,” Suwatanapongched said.
Pallop Karnchanapanurach, treasurer for Siam Square and a third-year stydent in the College, then performed the Sai Phon song.
King Bhumiphol of Thailand actually composed the song which extols the importance of rain. The song praised the essence of nature after rainfall because trees are greener and crops will grow about being nourished by water.
A similar celebration, Loi Krathong is an annual festival celebrated in Thailand where the people pay homage to the Mother of waters by gathering at all the rivers, ponds, and lakes under the full moon.
The program concluded with the Ramwong Matrathan, which means a dance in a circle. This traditional dance is from central Thailand is usually celebrated after the harvest.
“It is an ancient village performance. Usually a guy flirts with a girl and they pair up with each other,” Samipak said.
“It is a great effort of the students here. They worked very hard. This [show] demonstrates the pride in their heritage,” said Achara Raz, MA ‘76 and director of business affairs at the International House.
A member of the Buddhadharm Temple agreed. “I just feel good and proud that I can be part of the show. If people who’ve seen the show travel to Thailand [one day]. I know they’ll love it,” said Busaba Pardungkiattisak, a resident of Wheaton, Illinois.
Dishes served at the dinner included Ar-Jard, cucumber salad, Nua Dad Dream, a beef dish, Gai Yang, traditional thai chicken, basil eggplant, and Musmun Gai, a spicy chicken and potato dish cooked with peanuts and coconuts. The event was funded by the Buddhadharm Meditation Center, Siam Restaurant, Student Government, the Pongched family, and the Thai Association of Illinois and other businesses.
Photo Caption: Dancers perform at the first annual Thai cultural show Saturday night.
Photo Credit: David O.
Originally published May 19, 1998
Tuesday, May 19, 1998
Conference panelists examine causes, effects, solutions of Asian economic crisis
Conference panelists examine causes, effects, solutions of Asian economic crisis
The Chicago Maroon
By Pamela Appea
The Singaporean and Malaysian Students’ Union and the Hong Kong Students Association (HKSA) at the University of Chicago hosted an economic conference last Saturday afternoon at the Biological Sciences Learning Center.
The conference entitled “The Asian economic crisis: Is There a Solution?” featured several academic and business representatives.
Before the conference, members of the Spartacist League and the Spartacus Youth Club congregated outside the building to protest International Monetary Fund’s (IMF) recent offer to lend $43 billion dollars to Indonesia to aid the country’s faltering currency, the ruppiah.
IMF offered the loan in an attempt to avert economic collapse, but a representative of the organization said that employees of “U.S. Imperialism” and the CIA should not be involved.
Peter Ho, president of HKSA and a second-year student in the College, said the aim of the conference was not only to increase awareness of the economic problems in East Asian countries and their significance in the global economy, but also to analyze the origins of the crisis and propose plausible solutions.
The first panel discussion featured James Yuen, director of the Hong Kong Trade Council; Jack Chiang, deputy director General of the Tapei Economic and Cultural Office in Chicago; and Glenda Wenchi Kao, professor of Finance at DePaul University. Other panelists included Dali Yang, assistant professor of Political Science atthe U of C and Robert Z. Aliber, professor of International Economics and Finance at the Graduate School of Business (GSB),who served as moderator for both panel discussions.
Yuen discussed the continued viability of the Hong Kong market since the 1997 reunification of Hong Kong into Communist China.
He explained how How Kong has continued its free trade system, despite political changes.
According to Yuen, investment and business opportunities still exist in Hong Kong. He said his main concern was currency devaluation and rising price of land and property, but added that Hong Kong’s current economic policy has spelled prosperity.
“Our recovery will be faster than any other country,” he concluded.
According to several other panelists, countries such as Thailand, Indonesia, mainland China and Japan have been more seriously affected.
“You really have to have a prudent economic policy. Probably what went wrong in Thailand is that people were getting overzealous with the stock market,” said Kao. She pointed to the fact that in the nineties, property companies were building numerous condominiums and shopping malls, especially in the capital city of Bangkok.
“Banks gave out loans without checking. The end result was that it brought a lot of uncertainty,” she said.
According to Kao, when investors began to realize a possible economic slump, they panicked.
“People were trying to change the currency,” she explained. The baht deeply depreciated in mid-to-late 1997 and Thailand went into a state of economic depression.
“There are no winners in the Asian economic crisis. There are survivors and there are losers. If you run on borrowed money, you run on borrowed time,” added Yang.
“The [first] panel wasn’t as effective because two of the panelists were representatives of the government,” said Jennifer Rim, a fourth-year student in the College.
“It didn’t really address any of the issues that we came here to talk about: hard core social problems [in Asia,]” she said.
The second panel discussion focused more on strategies for economic reform. Kim Young-guen, director of Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Energy of the Republic of Korea, Mary Ainger, senior Information Analyst at Northern Trust Corporation, and Robert LeFleur, chief Investment Strategies at Northern Trust Corporation, gave the keynote speeches. Other panelists were Professor David E. Altig, adjunct professor of Economics at the U of C, Francesco Caseli, assistant professor of Economics, and David Hummels, assistant professor of Economics.
Ainger discussed the Japanese economy. [S]He said that lower interest rates and excess capacity are not viable solutions for Japan.
According to LeFleur, Asia has had to contend with new factors which affect its prosperity. He discussed new competition, deteriorating trade bubbles, excess capacity and over-leveraged debt.
LeFleur stated that the two keys to recovery for East Asian markets were strong economic growth in the U.S. and positive policy responses. According to LeFleur, countries such as Taiwan and Hong Kong will begin to differentiate themselves as players in the global market.
Originally published Tuesday, May 19, 1998
The Chicago Maroon
By Pamela Appea
The Singaporean and Malaysian Students’ Union and the Hong Kong Students Association (HKSA) at the University of Chicago hosted an economic conference last Saturday afternoon at the Biological Sciences Learning Center.
The conference entitled “The Asian economic crisis: Is There a Solution?” featured several academic and business representatives.
Before the conference, members of the Spartacist League and the Spartacus Youth Club congregated outside the building to protest International Monetary Fund’s (IMF) recent offer to lend $43 billion dollars to Indonesia to aid the country’s faltering currency, the ruppiah.
IMF offered the loan in an attempt to avert economic collapse, but a representative of the organization said that employees of “U.S. Imperialism” and the CIA should not be involved.
Peter Ho, president of HKSA and a second-year student in the College, said the aim of the conference was not only to increase awareness of the economic problems in East Asian countries and their significance in the global economy, but also to analyze the origins of the crisis and propose plausible solutions.
The first panel discussion featured James Yuen, director of the Hong Kong Trade Council; Jack Chiang, deputy director General of the Tapei Economic and Cultural Office in Chicago; and Glenda Wenchi Kao, professor of Finance at DePaul University. Other panelists included Dali Yang, assistant professor of Political Science atthe U of C and Robert Z. Aliber, professor of International Economics and Finance at the Graduate School of Business (GSB),who served as moderator for both panel discussions.
Yuen discussed the continued viability of the Hong Kong market since the 1997 reunification of Hong Kong into Communist China.
He explained how How Kong has continued its free trade system, despite political changes.
According to Yuen, investment and business opportunities still exist in Hong Kong. He said his main concern was currency devaluation and rising price of land and property, but added that Hong Kong’s current economic policy has spelled prosperity.
“Our recovery will be faster than any other country,” he concluded.
According to several other panelists, countries such as Thailand, Indonesia, mainland China and Japan have been more seriously affected.
“You really have to have a prudent economic policy. Probably what went wrong in Thailand is that people were getting overzealous with the stock market,” said Kao. She pointed to the fact that in the nineties, property companies were building numerous condominiums and shopping malls, especially in the capital city of Bangkok.
“Banks gave out loans without checking. The end result was that it brought a lot of uncertainty,” she said.
According to Kao, when investors began to realize a possible economic slump, they panicked.
“People were trying to change the currency,” she explained. The baht deeply depreciated in mid-to-late 1997 and Thailand went into a state of economic depression.
“There are no winners in the Asian economic crisis. There are survivors and there are losers. If you run on borrowed money, you run on borrowed time,” added Yang.
“The [first] panel wasn’t as effective because two of the panelists were representatives of the government,” said Jennifer Rim, a fourth-year student in the College.
“It didn’t really address any of the issues that we came here to talk about: hard core social problems [in Asia,]” she said.
The second panel discussion focused more on strategies for economic reform. Kim Young-guen, director of Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Energy of the Republic of Korea, Mary Ainger, senior Information Analyst at Northern Trust Corporation, and Robert LeFleur, chief Investment Strategies at Northern Trust Corporation, gave the keynote speeches. Other panelists were Professor David E. Altig, adjunct professor of Economics at the U of C, Francesco Caseli, assistant professor of Economics, and David Hummels, assistant professor of Economics.
Ainger discussed the Japanese economy. [S]He said that lower interest rates and excess capacity are not viable solutions for Japan.
According to LeFleur, Asia has had to contend with new factors which affect its prosperity. He discussed new competition, deteriorating trade bubbles, excess capacity and over-leveraged debt.
LeFleur stated that the two keys to recovery for East Asian markets were strong economic growth in the U.S. and positive policy responses. According to LeFleur, countries such as Taiwan and Hong Kong will begin to differentiate themselves as players in the global market.
Originally published Tuesday, May 19, 1998
Sunday, May 17, 1998
Theology conference encourages spiritualism, racial unity
Theology conference encourages spiritualism, racial unity
The Chicago Maroon
By Pamela Appea
Thirty years ago James Cone, currently of New York’s Union Seminary, burned the midnight oil, like any other intellectual , in order to write.
Cone, who had studied the great Western theologians and thinkers for years in the seminary, decided, however, to break away from what he deemed to be the uninspiring type of publication produced by his peers in order to pen the groundbreaking book entitled Black Theology & Black Power.
This single work opened the floodgates to theological and intellectual discourse across the nation on the discipline of black theology, a previously unheard of concept.
This past weekend marked the first U of C black theology conference held anywhere in the United States. It was hosted by the Martin E. Marty Center and the University of Chicago Diversity School. The conference, organized by Associate Professor of Theology Dwight Hopkins, along with Divinity School students, was entitled “Black Theology as Public Discourse: From Retrospect to Prospect,’ and helped to honor the 30th anniversary of the publication of Cone’s book.
“I think we needed to be better prepared for the overwhelming response,” said Hopkins. “Hotels were not available. People called and said they could not come because there wasn’t a place to stay, particularly students. [This response demonstrates that] black theology is an essential issue.”
Over 2,500 community leaders, students and faculty congregated in Hyde Park in order to discuss, debate, and question black theology and examine black theological issues in relation to every social reality of blacks, both during the Civil Rights movement of the 1960s and current times.
Cone, Cornel West, professor of Afro-American studies and religion at Harvard University, Manning Marable, professor at Columbia University, and Emilie Townes, of the St. Paul School of Theology, were featured speakers for the conference. The conference also featured workshops and panel discussions.
West spoke Friday, April 3, at the Rockefeller Memorial Chapel about the relevance of black rage with black individuals’ intense desire to be considered human, which every individual grapples with in their lives from a theological standpoint.
“[Cone’s] classic … changed the lives of thousands and thousands of young brothers and sisters who were trying to reconcile the times of the Civil Rights movement and their own Christianity,” said West.
Cone spoke on the afternoon of Saturday, April 4 for the annual U of C Aims of Religion Address at Rockefeller Memorial Chapel. Cone talked about his awakenings, prompted by the unjust assassination of Martin Luther King Jr.
“The Civil Rights and the Black Power movements awakened me from my theological slumber. The curriculum at Garrett and Northwestern did not deal with the questions that black people were asking,” said Cone.
Cone detailed the beginning of his search for his “theological identity.”
“Malcolm taught me how to make theology black and to not be ashamed of my African roots. Martin taught me how to make theology [truly] Christian and to deal with socio-political injustices,” he said.
In that time period Cone declared that his identity was transformed from a Negro theologian to a black theologian.
“As someone who has followed black theology, it has challenged me to be critically engaged with issues of black liberation … and to rethink creatively the foundations of the black theological movement,” said Kazi Joshua, director of organization for the conference, research assistant to Hopkins, and a third-year student in the Divinity School.
Cone went on to discuss the idea that liberation theology must strive to include disenfranchised individuals of other minority groups.
“After the Holocaust, theologians asked whether anti-Semitism was an extractable segment of the C Christianity. [Then] Feminist theologians asked whether patriarchy is so deeply rooted In Christianity. Gay and lesbian theologians are asking whether homophobia is part of the Christianity, third-world theologians are asking the same,” he said.
Cone challenged individuals to explore Christianity, which he says has been used for unjust purposes by white theologians and white ministers.
“Christianity was used to justify slavery, colonialism, and socio-economic injustices for over 500 years. I sometimes wonder how they are not embarrassed with their unwillingness to deal with the issues,” he said.
Cone concluded that individuals should not give up hope. However, Cone believes the “radical edge of theology” should not be dulled or dropped, but rather honed for education, racial healing, and theological discourse.
Originally published Tuesday, April 7, 1998
The Chicago Maroon
By Pamela Appea
Thirty years ago James Cone, currently of New York’s Union Seminary, burned the midnight oil, like any other intellectual , in order to write.
Cone, who had studied the great Western theologians and thinkers for years in the seminary, decided, however, to break away from what he deemed to be the uninspiring type of publication produced by his peers in order to pen the groundbreaking book entitled Black Theology & Black Power.
This single work opened the floodgates to theological and intellectual discourse across the nation on the discipline of black theology, a previously unheard of concept.
This past weekend marked the first U of C black theology conference held anywhere in the United States. It was hosted by the Martin E. Marty Center and the University of Chicago Diversity School. The conference, organized by Associate Professor of Theology Dwight Hopkins, along with Divinity School students, was entitled “Black Theology as Public Discourse: From Retrospect to Prospect,’ and helped to honor the 30th anniversary of the publication of Cone’s book.
“I think we needed to be better prepared for the overwhelming response,” said Hopkins. “Hotels were not available. People called and said they could not come because there wasn’t a place to stay, particularly students. [This response demonstrates that] black theology is an essential issue.”
Over 2,500 community leaders, students and faculty congregated in Hyde Park in order to discuss, debate, and question black theology and examine black theological issues in relation to every social reality of blacks, both during the Civil Rights movement of the 1960s and current times.
Cone, Cornel West, professor of Afro-American studies and religion at Harvard University, Manning Marable, professor at Columbia University, and Emilie Townes, of the St. Paul School of Theology, were featured speakers for the conference. The conference also featured workshops and panel discussions.
West spoke Friday, April 3, at the Rockefeller Memorial Chapel about the relevance of black rage with black individuals’ intense desire to be considered human, which every individual grapples with in their lives from a theological standpoint.
“[Cone’s] classic … changed the lives of thousands and thousands of young brothers and sisters who were trying to reconcile the times of the Civil Rights movement and their own Christianity,” said West.
Cone spoke on the afternoon of Saturday, April 4 for the annual U of C Aims of Religion Address at Rockefeller Memorial Chapel. Cone talked about his awakenings, prompted by the unjust assassination of Martin Luther King Jr.
“The Civil Rights and the Black Power movements awakened me from my theological slumber. The curriculum at Garrett and Northwestern did not deal with the questions that black people were asking,” said Cone.
Cone detailed the beginning of his search for his “theological identity.”
“Malcolm taught me how to make theology black and to not be ashamed of my African roots. Martin taught me how to make theology [truly] Christian and to deal with socio-political injustices,” he said.
In that time period Cone declared that his identity was transformed from a Negro theologian to a black theologian.
“As someone who has followed black theology, it has challenged me to be critically engaged with issues of black liberation … and to rethink creatively the foundations of the black theological movement,” said Kazi Joshua, director of organization for the conference, research assistant to Hopkins, and a third-year student in the Divinity School.
Cone went on to discuss the idea that liberation theology must strive to include disenfranchised individuals of other minority groups.
“After the Holocaust, theologians asked whether anti-Semitism was an extractable segment of the C Christianity. [Then] Feminist theologians asked whether patriarchy is so deeply rooted In Christianity. Gay and lesbian theologians are asking whether homophobia is part of the Christianity, third-world theologians are asking the same,” he said.
Cone challenged individuals to explore Christianity, which he says has been used for unjust purposes by white theologians and white ministers.
“Christianity was used to justify slavery, colonialism, and socio-economic injustices for over 500 years. I sometimes wonder how they are not embarrassed with their unwillingness to deal with the issues,” he said.
Cone concluded that individuals should not give up hope. However, Cone believes the “radical edge of theology” should not be dulled or dropped, but rather honed for education, racial healing, and theological discourse.
Originally published Tuesday, April 7, 1998
Tuesday, May 05, 1998
Klaus delivers third annual Stigler lecture
Klaus delivers third annual Stigler lecture
The Chicago Maroon
By Pamela Appea
In the late 1980s, Czechoslovakia was still under Soviet rule. Those in power viewed the theory and practice of free market economics to be irrelevant or even dangerous. During this epoch, Vaclav Klaus came to visit the University of Chicago.
After years of secretly reading and discussing the ideas of famed Chicago economists such as George Stigler and Milton Friedman, Klaus had come full circle. Shortly after this visit, Klaus was ready to put economy theory into practice in his own country after 40 years of Communist rule.
Although Klaus was never formally trained in Chicago, he enthusiastically claims wherever he goes that the strong spiritual connection is just as important as a degree
Klaus, former prime minister of the Czech Republic and chair of the Civic Democratic Party, spoke to a full crowd at Mandel Hall in the Reynolds Club on Monday, May 4.
President Hugo Sonnenschein and Robert Hamada, dean on the Graduate School of Business (GSB) made the opening remarks. Klaus’ speech, entitled “The Preaching of George Stigler, Communism and Its Transformation” was the U of C’s third annual George Stigler lecture.
Klaus addressed the issue of economic reform in the post-Communist Czech Republic.
“I do not believe in the possibility of a [totally] smooth economic transition. We are not in a brave new world of perfect markets or perfect government,” Klaus said.
“The market economy flourishes now … We know that the best way to discourage monopolistic practices is to encourage domestic and foreign investors.”
In a light moment, Klaus joked, “There is an American expression, there is no free lunch, and there is no free reform [either,]” he said.
Klaus detailed the difficulties of transforming a Communist state into a democracy. “The non-zero cost of reform meant that there was a heavy price to be paid,” he said.
According to Klaus, after 40 years of administered prices under Communism, the return to a normal pricing system in the Czech Republic did not go smoothly. He felt it was necessary to rapidly privatize as many businesses as possible during the beginning of his tenure as prime minister.
Klaus related the story to his audience: “In the early days, [in] 1990, American businessmen came knocking on my door asking, “When do you plan on privatizing Czech Telecom, the country’s telephone company?”
Klaus explained that every single business, including the first grocery store and the first hairdresser, needed immediate attention in the process of privatization. He stated that Western investors at the time did not understand how basic changes had to be implemented.
The second stage of economic reform is more classical. In the years to come, Klaus believes that more attention will be paid to privatization of banks and Telecom.
“The citizens expect a visible, tangible change,” said Klaus.
“In the past few years, it is difficult to explain the gradual process of transformation and implementation of a viable economy in the Czech Republic,” he said.
Klaus discussed the importance of economic theory in the revitalization of the Czech economy. “Without theories, it would be a hopeless endeavor,” he said.
Klaus praised Stigler’s economic theory and social scientific research. He stated that Stigler’s ideas have made an important impact for the international community.
Attendees enjoyed the lecture.
“I think he is a very interesting figure. He stands for George Stigler’s ideas and represents the importance of the market and the role of the government,” said Carlos Perez-Verdia, a fourth-year graduate student in Economics. Perez-Verdia went on to add that Klaus has demonstrated to the world that economic theory put into practice does work.
“I think Vaclav Klaus is a great politician because he made a huge socio-economic transformation [of his government.] I admire his respect of individual freedom, freedom of ideas, and democratic rule,” said Tomas Serebrisky, a third year Economics graduate student.
“I research capital markets in central Europe. He is the one who transformed the market in the Czech Republic. In history, he is a very important person,” said Marnie Gracey, a first-year student in the GSB.
Klaus has a degree from the Prague School of Economics, where he studied international economic relationships and economic trade. He also studied Economics in Italy and at Cornell University.
Former George J. Stigler lecture speakers include George Schulz and Milton Friedman. The event is sponsored by the George G. Stigler Center for the Study of the Economy and the State. Funds for speakers’ honorariums are provided by the Lynde and Harry Bradley Foundation, Inc.
Originally published Tuesday, May 5, 1998
The Chicago Maroon
By Pamela Appea
In the late 1980s, Czechoslovakia was still under Soviet rule. Those in power viewed the theory and practice of free market economics to be irrelevant or even dangerous. During this epoch, Vaclav Klaus came to visit the University of Chicago.
After years of secretly reading and discussing the ideas of famed Chicago economists such as George Stigler and Milton Friedman, Klaus had come full circle. Shortly after this visit, Klaus was ready to put economy theory into practice in his own country after 40 years of Communist rule.
Although Klaus was never formally trained in Chicago, he enthusiastically claims wherever he goes that the strong spiritual connection is just as important as a degree
Klaus, former prime minister of the Czech Republic and chair of the Civic Democratic Party, spoke to a full crowd at Mandel Hall in the Reynolds Club on Monday, May 4.
President Hugo Sonnenschein and Robert Hamada, dean on the Graduate School of Business (GSB) made the opening remarks. Klaus’ speech, entitled “The Preaching of George Stigler, Communism and Its Transformation” was the U of C’s third annual George Stigler lecture.
Klaus addressed the issue of economic reform in the post-Communist Czech Republic.
“I do not believe in the possibility of a [totally] smooth economic transition. We are not in a brave new world of perfect markets or perfect government,” Klaus said.
“The market economy flourishes now … We know that the best way to discourage monopolistic practices is to encourage domestic and foreign investors.”
In a light moment, Klaus joked, “There is an American expression, there is no free lunch, and there is no free reform [either,]” he said.
Klaus detailed the difficulties of transforming a Communist state into a democracy. “The non-zero cost of reform meant that there was a heavy price to be paid,” he said.
According to Klaus, after 40 years of administered prices under Communism, the return to a normal pricing system in the Czech Republic did not go smoothly. He felt it was necessary to rapidly privatize as many businesses as possible during the beginning of his tenure as prime minister.
Klaus related the story to his audience: “In the early days, [in] 1990, American businessmen came knocking on my door asking, “When do you plan on privatizing Czech Telecom, the country’s telephone company?”
Klaus explained that every single business, including the first grocery store and the first hairdresser, needed immediate attention in the process of privatization. He stated that Western investors at the time did not understand how basic changes had to be implemented.
The second stage of economic reform is more classical. In the years to come, Klaus believes that more attention will be paid to privatization of banks and Telecom.
“The citizens expect a visible, tangible change,” said Klaus.
“In the past few years, it is difficult to explain the gradual process of transformation and implementation of a viable economy in the Czech Republic,” he said.
Klaus discussed the importance of economic theory in the revitalization of the Czech economy. “Without theories, it would be a hopeless endeavor,” he said.
Klaus praised Stigler’s economic theory and social scientific research. He stated that Stigler’s ideas have made an important impact for the international community.
Attendees enjoyed the lecture.
“I think he is a very interesting figure. He stands for George Stigler’s ideas and represents the importance of the market and the role of the government,” said Carlos Perez-Verdia, a fourth-year graduate student in Economics. Perez-Verdia went on to add that Klaus has demonstrated to the world that economic theory put into practice does work.
“I think Vaclav Klaus is a great politician because he made a huge socio-economic transformation [of his government.] I admire his respect of individual freedom, freedom of ideas, and democratic rule,” said Tomas Serebrisky, a third year Economics graduate student.
“I research capital markets in central Europe. He is the one who transformed the market in the Czech Republic. In history, he is a very important person,” said Marnie Gracey, a first-year student in the GSB.
Klaus has a degree from the Prague School of Economics, where he studied international economic relationships and economic trade. He also studied Economics in Italy and at Cornell University.
Former George J. Stigler lecture speakers include George Schulz and Milton Friedman. The event is sponsored by the George G. Stigler Center for the Study of the Economy and the State. Funds for speakers’ honorariums are provided by the Lynde and Harry Bradley Foundation, Inc.
Originally published Tuesday, May 5, 1998
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)