Wednesday, May 18, 2011

Good News

"Stanley Fischer candidate to replace Strauss-Kahn."

I have known Stan for many years. I first took a graduate course from him at MIT in 1980, and he was the main adviser for my PhD dissertation a few years later.  He also took the lead in 1987 in trying to recruit me, unsuccessfully, to leave Harvard to join the MIT faculty. Saying no to Stan was one of the hardest things I ever did.

Stan is a superb economist and international policymaker: smart, sensible, experienced, personable, and open-minded. He would be an ideal person to head the IMF.