The current state of the economy, forecast where the economy is headed, and identify economic policies that can change the course of the economy are being analyzed by the framework of financial programming.

IMF’s Institute for Capacity Development with edX is presenting the online course ‘Financial Programming and Policies, Part 1: Macroeconomic Accounts & Analysis’. In this section you will learn the basic skills required to conduct financial programming. The four principal features of the course that comprises the macro economy are real, fiscal, external, and monetary. These demonstrate how to read, interpret, and analyze the accounts for these sectors and illustrates how these sectors are interlinked are presented by this course.

You will learn the building blocks of how to answer the following questions in this FPP course: How healthy is the state of the economy? How can economic policy help support or restore health to the economy? etc.

Course Begins

The session will start on June 2, 2014 for the duration of 6 weeks.

Duration of Course

Students need to contribute 8-10 hours/week.

Course Field

The course is offered to study Macroeconomic Accounts & Analysis

Course Format

During the course, economists from the IMF will lead you through the accounts and analysis of an economy. Besides engaging with lecture videos, you will answer questions on the concepts explained, solve short numerical exercises, discuss with fellow participants economic developments in your country, and work with data for a hypothetical country. The reading material will be provided to you.

Eligibility

Students with some knowledge of economics will be helpful but it is not mandatory. Graded assignments require the use of spreadsheets. Civil servants working on economic issues for your country, a professional working with economic data, or you are simply interested in better understanding the developments of an economy can apply.

About the Instructor

-Paolo Dudine

Paolo Dudine is a national of Italy and is a Senior Economist at the IMF’s Institute for Capacity Development. From New York University he obtained his PhD in 2004. During his career at the IMF, Paolo worked on low-income country issues, served as the external sector economist for Honduras and Bulgaria, and worked in the African Department.

-Adolfo Barajas

Adolfo Barajas a Colombian and is a Senior Economist at the IMF’s Institute for Capacity Development. From Stanford University he has completed his PhD specializing in finance and development and open economy macroeconomics. At the IMF, Adolfo has worked in the Middle East and Central Asia Department and the Western Hemisphere Department.

-Eric Verreydt

Eric Verreydt is a Belgium national and is a Senior Economist at the IMF’s Institute for Capacity Development. During most of his twenty-plus year career at the IMF, Eric has worked as a country economist, resident representative, or mission chief for various low- or middle- income countries in Africa and the Western Hemisphere.

-Luisa Zanforlin

Luisa Zanforlin is a national of Italy and is a Senior Economist at the IMF’s Institute for Capacity Development. From the European University Institute in Florence she complete her PhD. She joined the IMF in 1995 and has worked in the European Department and the Monetary and Capital Markets Department.

-Nan Li

Nan Li is a national of China and is an Economist at the IMF’s Institute for Capacity Development. From Stanford University Nan has completed his PhD in economics, specializing in business cycles, international economics and economic growth. Nan joined the IMF from the Ohio State University, where she was an assistant professor at the Department of Economics (2007-2011).