Scholars

Research Associate Willem Thorbecke is an associate professor of economics at George Mason University and a senior fellow at the Research Institute of Economy, Trade, and Industry in Tokyo.

He is currently working with the Network of East Asian Think Tanks (NEAT) on ways that Asian countries can coordinate exchange rate adjustments and help resolve global economic imbalances. He has investigated the socioeconomic impact of macroeconomic fluctuations in Asia, the effects of U.S. monetary policy on financial markets and the economy, and how the burden of contractionary policy is shared among members of society. His publications include:

• "The Effects of Monetary Policy on Bank Lending in Turkey," Applied Economics (with A. Sengonul), forthcoming;
• "The Effects of Exchange Rate and Interest Rate Shocks on Bank Lending in Indonesia,"Economics and Finance in Indonesia (with I. Azis), forthcoming;
• "Budget Deficits, Inflation Risk, and Asset Prices," Journal of International Money and Finance, 2002.

Thorbecke has been a visiting scholar at the ADB-Institute, Tokyo; the Levy Institute, the Social Security Administration, and the Cowles Foundation for Research in Economics. He received a BA from Cornell University and a Ph.D. from the University of California, Berkeley.