The Conference brought together 49 participants from member countries in South Asia. The members of the Steering Committee and Research Advisory Panel, resource persons, researchers doing collaborative projects under SANEI and other economists from research institutions in India participated in the Conference.

Researchers of the seven ongoing studies under SANEI presented their work-in-progress. Participants provided their comments during a lively discussion that followed the presentation. RAP members had separate technical meetings with the individual research teams and gave them their comments on the research projects. Three new research proposals were also presented at the Conference and the RAP in some cases, asked for substantial revision of the research proposals.

The country studies on Explaining Growth in South Asia that are being undertaken for five countries (Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka) in South Asia under the Global Research Project (GRP) were also presented during the Conference.

The Steering Committee of SANEI met on August 28. The members reviewed the financial situation of SANEI and agreed on a Constitution. They decided to register SANEI (India) as a society with Prof. T N Srinivasan as its Chairman.

The occasion of the Conference was used to launch a series of SANEI Lectures by eminent persons. On his way to the SANEI Conference, Dr. John Williamson, Senior Fellow, Institute of International Economics delivered the SANEI lecture on “Financing for Development: Implications of the Zedillo Report for South Asia” hosted by the Bangladesh Institute of Development Studies (BIDS), Dhaka on August 27. Dr. Quazi Shahabuddin , Research Director, BIDS chaired the session.

At Delhi, the lecture titled “IMF Conditionality and Country Ownership of Programmes” was delivered on August 29 by Dr. Mohsin Khan, Director, IMF Institute. Dr. Rakesh Mohan, Chief Economic Advisor to the Finance Minster of India chaired the session.

The book edited by Dr. Parthasarthi Shome titled “India and Economic Cooperation in South Asia” was released by HE Hiroshi Hirabayashi, Aambassador of Japan to India on this occasion.

Back to Conference Page

top