NASHVILLE, Tenn. ñ The economics department at Vanderbilt University
marks the establishment of its newest chair, the Joe L. Roby Chair of
Economics, with a lecture on Nov. 17 by the chair’s first holder, Eric
("Rick") Bond, professor of economics and a renowned international
economist.
An expert on the World Trade Organization, Bond will lecture on
"Does the WTO Need Fixing?" While the WTO ñ and its predecessor the
General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade ñ has successfully reduced trade
barriers over the past few decades and contributed to unprecedented
growth in world trade, Bond notes that recent meetings have been marred
by violent protests, and the latest round of negotiations have stalled.
He will discuss key issues facing the WTO, including trade barriers and
agriculture subsidies, patent protection on drugs during public health
emergencies, and relations between developed and developing nations.
The chair was funded by Joe L. Roby, a member of the Vanderbilt
University Board of Trust and chairman emeritus of Credit Suisse First
Boston. A 1961 graduate of Vanderbilt, Roby earned his MBA from Harvard
and built a distinguished career at Donaldson, Lufkin & Jenrette,
where he was president and CEO at the time of the firm’s merger with
Credit Suisse First Boston. He serves on Vanderbilt’s "Shape the
Future" Campaign Steering Committee and leads the campaign’s committee
for the College of Arts and Science.
Of being named the holder of the chair, Bond said, "The opportunity
to be the inaugural holder of the Roby chair was a major factor in my
decision to come to Vanderbilt last year. I am thrilled about the
possibilities the chair provides to continue to develop international
economics as an area of strength at Vanderbilt."
Bond came to Vanderbilt from Pennsylvania State University. An
expert in the linkage between trade and economic growth, he is a
frequent consultant to the World Bank on trade and foreign investment
projects. His current research focuses on the economics of the WTO and
whether lessons learned from WTO agreements can be applied effectively
to international agreements on antitrust policy, intellectual property
rights and environmental policy. Funded by a National Science
Foundation grant, Bond also is studying the effects of the risk of
financial crises on the entry and exit of firms, information useful to
policymakers in crisis-prone economies in Latin America and elsewhere.
He has studied trading blocs and economic integration, the role of tax
holidays in attracting foreign investment, and the role of information
in markets for insurance and durable goods.
Bond earned his bachelor of science in economics from Lehigh
University and his doctorate from the University of Rochester. He has
been a visiting scholar in China, Australia, Japan and Russia, and he
serves on the editorial boards of numerous academic journals, including
the Journal of International Economics.
This endowed chair is a major addition to the university’s economics
department, said Ping Wang, professor of economics and chair of the
department. "The economics department feels fortunate to have Professor
Bond on our faculty. In addition to being part of an elite group of
international economists, he has been cited widely in the areas of
industrial organization, public economics and growth and development.
Since his addition to the Vanderbilt community, the depth and breadth
of his knowledge and his active participation in intellectual exchange
have contributed significantly to our program. We expect him to
continue his high-impact research while playing a key role in promoting
the department and the university as a whole."
The Nov. 17 lecture is from 4:30 to 6 p.m. in Flynn Auditorium of
the Vanderbilt University Law School. It is open to the public, but
reservations should be made by calling 343-3118. A reception will
follow the lecture.
Media contact: Susanne Hicks, (615) 322-NEWS
Susanne.hicks@vanderbilt.edu