IMF Global Economic Outlook
A Luncheon Presentation by OLIVIER BLANCHARD, Economic Counselor & Director of Research Department, International Monetary Fund

Friday, July 9, 2010
Conrad Hotel, Level 7, Hennessy Room, Pacific Place, Admiralty
Registration at 12.15 p.m., Luncheon at 12.30 p.m., Close at 2.00 p.m.
$390 Asia Society members/ Full-time students; $490 Non-members 

To register, please email hk@asiasociety.org. Remember to mention your alumni affiliation in order to get the Member Discount offer. For enquiries, please contact Frances Chim on 2103 9508 or Wendy Poon on 2103 9502.

In its world economic update report released in April, the International Monetary Fund expects world output to rise by about 4.25 percent, following a 0.5 percent contraction in 2009. Economies that are off to a strong start are likely to remain in the lead. Meanwhile, Europe’s sovereign-debt crisis has cast a shadow over the global economic outlook. Will Europe’s debt crisis spin out of control? What are the prospects for a global recovery? Can Asian economies lead the way? Olivier Blanchard is Economic Counselor and Director of the Research Department at the International Monetary Fund. He is currently on leave from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology where he is the Class of 1941 Professor of Economics. Prior to MIT, Professor Blanchard taught at Harvard University. A macroeconomist, he has worked on a wide set of issues including the role of monetary policy and the nature of speculative bubbles and has collaborated with numerous countries and international organizations. He is the author of many books and articles, including two textbooks in macroeconomics, one co-authored with Stanley Fischer. Professor Blanchard obtained his Ph.D in economics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Aspirasians
Asia Society Summer Film Series 2010

July 10 - 24, 2010
The Grand Cinema, 2/F, Elements, 1 Austin Road West, Kowloon (Kowloon Station, MTR)
Asia Society members/ Students/ Seniors$50; General $60
Telephone Reservation: 31 288 288;
Internet Reservation: www.hkticketing.com or www.thegrandcinema.com.hk 

To register, please email hk@asiasociety.org. Remember to mention your alumni affiliation in order to get the Member Discount offer. For enquiries, please contact Frances Chim on 2103 9508 or Wendy Poon on 2103 9502.

Asia’s remarkable growth in recent decades has been marred by rising inequality. Millions of people have failed to benefit from the rapid development enjoyed by a small elite. In its eighth year, the Asia Society Summer Film Series draws attention to the plight of the region’s people and their remarkable valor in the face of adversity. Aspirasians is a poignant reminder of how those in less than ideal situations can rise above their given circumstances.

Film synopses:

Thanks Maa (Irfan Kamal, India 2009) A 12 year-old street kid’s quest to locate the mother of an abandoned baby, and in the process, learns a bitter truth about life.

Noriben - The Recipe for Fortune (Akira Ogata, Japan 2009) A divorcee returns to her hometown with her young daughter dreaming of independence and financial stability by opening a bento shop.

Beijing Taxi (Miao Wang, USA/China 2010) Three Beijing taxi drivers as they navigate a quickly morphing city in preparation for the 2008 Olympics struggling to adapt to the new realities of life.

A Matter of Size (Sharon Maymon/Erez Tadmor, Israel 2009) An overweight Israeli man discovers a love for sumo-wrestling and with a few friends pursue a newfound passion which gives them an entirely new perspective on life.

If I Knew What You Said (Mike Sandejas, Philippines 2009) An angry but talented musician meets a deaf teen at a camp. Despite a rocky first meeting, they develop a strong bond, yet are forced to adapt to each other’s worlds.

For full program schedule, please go to www.asiasociety.org/aspirasians.

To register, please email hk@asiasociety.org. Remember to mention your alumni affiliation in order to get the Member Discount offer. For enquiries, please contact Frances Chim on 2103 9508 or Wendy Poon on 2103 9502.


After a heated political tug of war, Hong Kong’s Legislative Council passed government bills to expand the electoral college to choose the Chief Executive and to increase the number of elected seats in the legislature. The breakthrough came when the central government responded to the moderate democrats’ compromise package. The government describes the votes as ‘historic’ and a big step forward, and called for an end to ‘hatred and attacks’. Have the divisions in political reform widened the rift in Hong Kong society? What is Hong Kong’s political landscape, going forward? Does Beijing’s compromise signal a paradigm shift and could it lead to the widening of Hong Kong’s path to democracy? Do functional constituencies have any value and should they be abolished? What is the future of a divided Democratic Party? We have invited leading Legco members to share their views.

Emily Lau, Lawmaker representing New Territories East and Vice Chairman of the Democratic Party. She graduated in journalism at the University of Southern California and received her M.Sc. in International Relations from the London School of Economics and Political Science.

Audrey Eu, Lawmaker representing Hong Kong Island and Leader of the Civic Party. She is a Senior Counsel and a former Chairman of the Hong Kong Bar Association. Ms. Eu graduated from the University of Hong Kong and the University of London.

Miriam Lau, Lawmaker representing the transport sector and Chairman of the Liberal Party. She is a solicitor and graduated from the University of Hong Kong. (Invited)

Moderated by Zoher Abdoolcarim, Asia Editor, TIME International