World Bank President Robert B. Zoellick Monday announced the
appointment of Justin Yifu Lin, a Chinese national, as the new
chief economist and senior vice president for development economics
at the World Bank.
Lin, currently professor and founding director of the China
Center for Economic Research at China's prestigious Peking
University, was selected after a global search, according to a
statement released by the bank.
Expected to take up his position on May 31, Lin will succeed
Francois Bourguignon, who retired from the Bank Group last year to
become director of the Paris School of Economics.
"As our first chief economist from a developing country, and an
expert on economic development and particularly agriculture, Justin
Lin brings a unique set of skills and experience to the World Bank
Group," said Zoellick in the statement.
"I look forward to working closely with him on a number of
areas, including growth and investment in Africa, opportunities for
South-South learning and bank instruments to better support
countries hit by high energy and agriculture prices," he said.
Well known for his work on fiscal decentralization, enterprise
reform, urban and rural modernization and agricultural innovation
and reform, Lin has taught at several eminent universities in the
world, including Peking University, the Hong Kong University of
Science and Technology, Duke University of the United States, the
Australian National University and the University of California at
Los Angles.
A professor at Peking University since 1993, Lin has twice been
awarded the Sun Yefang award, China's highest economic honor.
Lin is also vice chairman of the All-China Federation of
Industry and Commerce and vice chairman of the Committee of Economy
of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political
Consultation Conference.
He has a Ph.D. in economics from the University of Chicago, a MA
in political economy from Peking University and a MBA from the
National Chengchi University.
Lin has served on several national and international committees
including the United Nations Millennium Task Force on Hunger, the
Eminent Persons Group of the Asian Development Bank, the Working
Group on the future of the OECD, the Reinventing Bretton Woods
Committee and the World Bank Chief Economist's Advisory
Council.
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(Xinhua News Agency February 5, 2008)
