Pocket Economics: A Guide To Changing Lives

In the new episode of our ‘Pocket Economics’ podcast, we discuss the ‘middle-income trap’, namely the state of affairs whereby a developing economy becomes stuck at a certain level of income and cannot join the ranks of advanced, high income economies. Is the ‘middle-income trap’ a myth or in fact a reality afflicting many countries? Listen to Alexander Plekhanov in conversation with Jonathan Charles.

How can equity help companies? Listen to Çağatay Bircan, Principal Economist at the EBRD, on impact investing, the recent trends in private equity and whether equity has grown in emerging markets.

What is China’s Belt and Road Initiative and how is it reshaping the world as we know it? Listen to our Managing Director for Economics, Policy & Governance, Mattia Romani, describe what is arguably China’s most ambitious economic and foreign policy project since the founding of the People’s Republic.

Are financial crises predictable? What conclusions can be drawn from the 2008 financial crisis and how can we prevent the next one? Listen to the latest episode of Pocket Economics with Tamim Bayoumi, deputy director at the International Monetary Fund.

What lessons can be drawn from the 1917 Russian Revolution and the seven decades of Soviet rule that followed it? Listen to a very special episode of Pocket Economics with the EBRD’s very own Sergei Guriev.

What is the economic impact of natural disasters? How will the 21st century’s economic cycle and its weather cycle influence each other in an era of global warming? Listen to the latest episode of Pocket Economics with Maurice Obstfeld, IMF Chief Economist.

Does corruption beget more corruption? Why culture matters and what makes the difference between success and failure when a country is fighting corruption? Listen to the latest episode of Pocket Economics with Nicolas Ajzenman from Sciences Po University, Paris.

How do we define and measure innovation in firms? Why are companies afraid of innovating? What holds them back and how can we boost creativity, the driving force behind innovation? Listen to the latest episode of Pocket Economics with the EBRD’s Director of Research, Ralph de Haas.

This special episode contains some of the highlights of our first year, the perfect soundtrack for your summer holiday! Over the last 12 months the podcast has examined everything from microfinance to economic resilience and life satisfaction to the social contract in the Middle East and North Africa.

Description: How should countries make the transition to market economies? How should they respond to the challenges of globalisation? Listen to the latest episode of Pocket Economics with the EBRD’s Chief Economist Sergei Guriev.

How has the idea of a social contract been interpreted in the MENA region? Did the uprisings in the Arab world in 2010-11 come as a surprise to economists? Listen to the latest episode of Pocket Economics with the EBRD’s Chief Economist Sergei Guriev and the World Bank’s Chief Economist Shanta Devarajan.

Description: What takes place behind the courts’ walls and how does this affect the performance of a market economy? How do we measure how effective a justice system is? Listen to the latest episode of Pocket Economics with Peter Grajzl from Washington and Lee University

Why is economic inclusion one of the defining challenges of our time across the EBRD regions and beyond? What is the EBRD doing to close the inclusion gap? How does it affect the democratic process and institutions? Listen to the latest episode of Pocket Economics with the EBRD’s Lead economist focusing on Inclusion Barbara Rambousek.

What does secular stagnation mean for a market economy? What causes it and how could countries overcome it? Listen to the latest episode of Pocket Economics with the EBRD’s Sergei Guriev.

What does resilience mean for a market economy? How can it become truly resilient to shocks and global challenges? Listen to the latest episode of Pocket Economics with the EBRD’s Mattia Romani and Bojan Markovic.

What challenges do women entrepreneurs face? What does it take to succeed as a woman in business? Listen to the latest episode of Pocket Economics with the EBRD’s Charlotte Ruhe.

The latest episode of the Pocket Economics podcast looks at what it means to be gay or lesbian in the modern workplace, asking how sexuality affects salary levels. Cevat Giray Aksoy, Principal Economist at the EBRD, Researcher at the London School of Economics and an expert on inequalities in the labour market helps us shed light on this issue.

What is family empowerment? What role do families play in shaping modern economies? Listen to the latest episode of Pocket Economics with Oriana Bandiera, Professor of Economics at London School of Economics (LSE) and an expert on poverty reduction, inclusion and labour policies.

What makes us happy and how should we measure life satisfaction? EBRD Chief Economist Sergei Guriev explains the findings of our Life in Transition Survey, the largest of its kind ever carried out in the EBRD regions.

What is gender equality and why does it matter? The EBRD’s Chief Counsellor for Social Issues and the Director of its Gender team, Michaela Bergman, discusses the importance of gender equality in encouraging economic growth.