Next STEP Global Conference 2021

The Peterson Institute for International Economics (PIIE) and the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy (LKYSPP) at the National University of Singapore launched the Next STEP (Solutions to Economic Problems) Global Conference on November 1-2, 2021. The conference was the first in a series of annual global dialogues where leaders meet to address challenges to human well-being arising from economic instability, insecurity, and exclusion. The sessions are aimed at producing actionable, effective, and sustainable solutions that can be adopted by national governments and international institutions.

Speakers include high-level policymakers and thought leaders in the global community, with audience participation encouraged from early-career professionals, tech practitioners and investors, and voices from Asia, Africa, and Latin America. 

The November conference focused on (1) Supply chains in a world of conflict and COVID-19, with keynote remarks by US Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo on supply chain challenges, followed by a discussion with Tharman Shanmugaratnam, Senior Minister, Singapore, (2) Economic policymaking in a Big Data, Big Tech global economy, and (3) Is it possible for humanity to cooperate in delivering global public goods? 

November 1, 2021

Conference Speaker Biographies

Welcome
7 AM EDT / 7 PM SGT

Speakers:
Adam S. Posen, President, PIIE
Danny Quah, Dean and Li Ka Shing Professor in Economics, LKYSPP at National University of Singapore 
Tharman Shanmugaratnam, Senior Minister, Singapore

Watch welcome video here.

Session 1: Supply chains in a world of conflict and COVID-19
7:15 AM – 8:45 AM EDT / 7:15 PM – 8:45 PM SGT

Moderator: Danny Quah, Dean and Li Ka Shing Professor in Economics, LKYSPP at National University of Singapore

Speakers:
Muhamad Chatib Basri, former Indonesian Finance Minister
Chad P. Bown, Reginald Jones Senior Fellow, PIIE
Michael Buchanan, Head of Portfolio Strategy & Risk Group, Temasek
Jacqueline Poh, Managing Director, Singapore Economic Development Board
Tsai Ming-Kai, Chairman, MediaTek Inc.

Keynote Remarks by US Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo on supply chain challenges
Followed by a discussion with Tharman Shanmugaratnam, Senior Minister, Singapore
8:45 AM – 9:30 AM EDT / 8:45 PM – 9:30 PM SGT 

Moderator: Adam S. Posen, President, PIIE

Session 2: Economic policymaking in a Big Data, Big Tech global economy
8 PM – 9:30 PM EDT / 8 AM – 9:30 AM SGT on November 2

Moderator: Adam S. Posen, President, PIIE

Speakers:
Chong-En Bai, Dean, School of Economics and Management, Tsinghua University
Karan Bhatia, Vice President of Government Affairs & Public Policy, Google
Markus K. Brunnermeier, Sanford Professor, Princeton University; and Nonresident Senior Fellow, PIIE
Martin Chorzempa, Senior Fellow, PIIE
Elina Noor, Director of Political-Security Affairs and Deputy Director, Asia Society Policy Institute, Washington, DC

November 2, 2021

Closing Dialogue* with Martin Wolf, Associate Editor and Chief Economics Commentator, The Financial Times, on Is it possible for humanity to cooperate in delivering global public goods? 
With introductory remarks by Ravi Menon, Managing Director, Monetary Authority of Singapore, and the dialogue moderated by Danny Quah, Dean and Li Ka Shing Professor in Economics, LKYSPP at National University of Singapore
7 AM – 8 AM EDT / 12PM – 1PM London / 7 PM – 8 PM SGT

* This was a joint session with the Monetary Authority of Singapore’s Golden Jubilee Conference and their Welcome Event.