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Tuesday, March 26, 2024

Shang-Jin Wei joins ADB as head of economics, research

Shang-Jin Wei began working as the Asian Development Bank's (ADB) chief economist on Wednesday.

Wei, a professor of finance and economics at Columbia University's Graduate School of Business in New York City, will serve as a spokesperson on economic issues and head ADB's economics and research department.

"ADB is the region's premier development partner and I am excited to lead its economics team," Wei said. "I look forward to working with governments and academia across the region and beyond on research that will contribute to the continued growth and development of Asia and the Pacific."

Wei--a U.S. national--was born in the People's Republic of China (PRC). He has a long and distinguished career in academia and international finance and trade, having previously served as the N.T. Wang Director of the Chazen Institute of International Business at Columbia University. Wei also served as the director of the National Bureau of Economic Research's working group on the PRC economy, and as as research fellow at the Center for Economic Policy Research.

Wei also served as an assistant director and chief of division at the International Monetary Fund (IMF), leading the fund's policy research and advising on international trade, investment and globalization issues.

Wei earned a doctorate in economics and a master's degree in finance from the University of California-Berkeley. He has a master's degree in economics from Pennsylvania State University and a bachelor's degree in work economy from Fudan University in the PRC.