Robert Holzmann: Globalization and pandemics – introduction of Professor Pol Antràs

Introduction by Dr Robert Holzmann, Governor of the Oesterreichische Nationalbank, the Austrian central bank, of Professor Pol Antràs, Global Economy Lecture 2020, Vienna, 26 November 2020.

The views expressed in this speech are those of the speaker and not the view of the BIS.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

On behalf of the Vienna Institute for International Economic Studies (wiiw) and the Oesterreichische Nationalbank, I welcome to this year's Global Economy Lecture, which is the 25th of its kind. We have a very distinguished speaker today, Professor Pol Antràs from Harvard University, who is joining us from Cambridge, Massachusetts. A very warm welcome to you, Professor Antràs, we are very honored that you are taking your time today, on Thanksgiving Day, to present your views on "Globalization and pandemics."

The Global Economy Lecture series has existed since 1999, but this is the very first time that it takes place online. While we would certainly have preferred meeting you all in person at the OeNB premises in the usual setting, with a reception and informal networking after the lecture, I have to admit that the new format also has its merits. Pol Antràs would probably not have agreed to fly over to Europe for a lecture on Thanksgiving Day. And, besides, a physical meeting would probably not have attracted as many participants as we can welcome today.