2020 Webinar Series: Central Banking in the COVID-19 Era

The COVID-19 pandemic has sparked extraordinary economic policy responses by central banks, financial regulators and other financial policymakers around the world. This webinar series will be bring together current and former policymakers from central banks and regulators, as well as SIPA faculty and other scholars, to discuss the structure and impact of these changes.  Which policies have been more or less effective in “cushioning the blow” of the pandemic for households and businesses? How have different economic policymakers -- fiscal, monetary, regulatory -- coordinated their policy responses either within or across countries? How has the nature of this particular crisis driven policy choices?  What practical policy lessons have we learned from the experience so far?  What else may need to be done on the economic policy front?

Global Liquidity and Lender of Last Resort

Monday, December 7, 2020 | 8:00-9:00 a.m ET

This webinar will cover new and old lessons about global liquidity and international lender of last resort: effectiveness, usage and limits of swap line arrangements; the evolution of multilateral lending arrangements particularly for EMs; the IMF short-term liquidity facilities; and lessons on global liquidity risks from the COVID period.

Moderator: Takatoshi Ito, Professor of International and Public Affairs, Columbia SIPA; Associate Director, Center for Japanese Economy and Business, Columbia Business School

Organized by: Central Banking and Financial Policy

Central Bank Digital Currencies

Friday, November 13, 2020 | 8:00-9:00 a.m. ET

The major central banks of advanced countries have just issued their study on the central bank digital currency (CBDC). Some other central banks, such as the People's Bank of China, have started issuing CBDC as "experiments." This webinar will explore the current state and thinking of CBDC from experts on the issue.

Moderator: Takatoshi Ito, Professor of International and Public Affairs, Columbia SIPA; Associate Director, Center for Japanese Economy and Business, Columbia Business School

Discussant: Patricia Mosser, Director, Central Banking and Financial Policy, Columbia SIPA

Organized by: Central Banking and Financial Policy

Outreach Partner: Center on Japanese Economy and Business, Columbia Business School

Policy Challenges for Emerging Markets Central Banks

Tuesday, October 13, 2020 | 8:00-9:00 a.m. ET

Panelists will discuss the unique challenges for emerging economy central banks during the pandemic:

• Addressing both the negative real economy shock of COVID-19 and the large spillovers from aggressive policy actions of the advanced economies,
• Fiscal role of central banks.  Is it time to relax constraints on EM central banks' asset purchases, particularly of government bonds?
• Inflation in many Emerging Markets is low despite massive monetary policy stimulus.  What does this mean for the future of inflation targeting and expansionary monetary policy?  More “unconventional policies" by central banks?  Is it time to relax constraints on central banks' purchases of government bonds?

Moderator: Patricia Mosser, Director, Central Banking and Financial Policy, Columbia SIPA

Discussant: Guillermo Calvo, Professor of International and Public Affairs, Columbia SIPA

Implications for Central Bank Independence

Thursday, September 24, 2020 | 8:00-9:00 a.m. ET

Moderator: Takatoshi Ito, Professor of International and Public Affairs, Columbia SIPA; Associate Director, Center for Japanese Economy and Business, Columbia Business School

Discussant: Patricia Mosser, Director, Central Banking and Financial Policy, Columbia SIPA

Recent Lessons for Financial Regulation and Macroprudential Policy

Tuesday, September 8, 2020 | 8:00-9:00 a.m. ET

Moderator: Patricia Mosser, Director, Central Banking and Financial Policy, Columbia SIPA

Discussant: Takatoshi Ito, Professor of International and Public Affairs, Columbia SIPA; Associate Director, Center for Japanese Economy and Business, Columbia Business School

Organized by: Central Banking and Financial Policy

Outreach Partner: Center on Japanese Economy and Business, Columbia Business School