Harvard professor, now financial advisor to Kerala CM: Gita Gopinath

Well known economist and professor at the Harvard University Gita Gopinath has been appointed financial advisor to Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan. She has a decade of academic experience in economics, and is a regular contributor to global journals on the economic state of India. Here is a lowdown on this 44 year old expert in economic affairs:

• Gopinath is the John Zwaanstra Professor of International Studies and of Economics at Harvard University and specialises in international finance and macroeconomics.

• She is a visiting scholar at the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston and a member of the economic advisory panel of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York.

• Her academic journey started from Lady Shri Ram College in Delhi where she did her Bachelors in Economics. She followed this up with Masters in Economics from Delhi School of Economics and University of Washington and consequently went on to pursue her Doctorate on the subject from Princeton University.

• Gopinath stepped into Harvard in 2010 as a permanent professor of Economics. And, with that she became the third woman ever and the second Indian to occupy this post after Nobel laureate Amartya Sen.

Gita Gopinath at the World Economic Forum 2012 ( Picture Credit: Wikipedia)

Gita Gopinath had a chat with The Economic Times back in 2010, when she recalled, "When I was doing my bachelors from Delhi University, India experienced its first major external financing and currency crisis in 1990-91. This inspired me to pursue graduate work in economics and was the foundation for my interest in international finance.”

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• The economist was named a ‘Young Global Leader’ by the World Economic Forum in 2011.

• Gopinath has also served as a member of the Eminent Persons Advisory Group in India on G20 matters for the finance ministry.

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• A native of Mysuru, Gopinath also holds the position of Research Associate with the National Bureau of Economic Research and Research Program Member at the International Growth Center at LSE (London School of Economics) and Oxford

Feature Image Credit: Bloomberg.com

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