UCLA CONFERENCE ON SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT IN ARMENIA

Noyan Tapan
Armenians Today
Apr 13 2006

LOS ANGELES, APRIL 13, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. “Armenia:
Challenges of Sustainable Development” is the theme of an international
conference to be held at the University of California, Los Angeles
(UCLA), on Saturday, May 6. The conference featuring specialists in
economics, finance, and governance is dedicated to UCLA Professor
Emeritus of Economics, Armen A. Alchian, a world-renowned economist
and teacher who was born in Fresno in 1914 and joined the UCLA faculty
in 1946. The conference is organized by the Armenian Educational
Foundation Chair in Modern Armenian History at UCLA and the Armenian
International Policy Research Group (AIPRG), with support from the UCLA
Von Grunebaum Center for Near Eastern Studies and the Department of
Economics. AEF Chair Holder Richard Hovannisian will open the morning
session with introductory comments on “The Economic Factor,” followed
by the presentation of Professor Alchian and his contributions to
economic theory by a similarly distinguished Professor of Economics,
Harold Demsetz. Enrique Gelband, Deputy Division Chief and former
Mission Chief to Armenia of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), will
give the keynote address on “Growth and Poverty Reduction in Armenia:
Achievements and Challenges,” the title of his recent book published
by the IMF. A panel discussion on the subject will be moderated by
UCLA Professor of Economics Michael Intriligator and include William
Ascher, McKenna Professor of Government and Economics at Claremont
McKenna College; Daniel Mazmanian, Director of the Judith and John
Bedrosian Center on Governance and the Public Enterprise at the
University of Southern California; and Ara Khanjian, Professor of
Economics at Ventura College. The Saturday afternoon session moderated
by Professor Lee Ohanian of the UCLA Department of Economics focuses
on specific topics relating to Armenia’s economic development. David
Grigorian of the IMF will speak on “Tax Potential versus Tax Effort:
Factors behind the Stubbornly Low Tax Collection in Armenia; Bryan
Roberts of the Department of Homeland Security, “Remittances, Poverty,
and Growth in Armenia”; and Nerses Yeritsyan, Central Bank of Armenia,
“Financial Sector Development in Armenia: Problems and Challenges.” A
discussion period will conclude the afternoon session. Richard
Hovannisian stated: “I am pleased that after sixteen wonderful
semi-annual conferences on Historic Armenian Cities and Provinces,
we shifted the focus to contemporary issues in 2005 with ‘The
Enduring Legacy of the Armenian Genocide’ and ‘Three Turkish Voices
on the Armenian Question.’ Now, for the first conference of 2006,
the economic and fiscal challenges facing the Republic of Armenia
will be addressed… The subject of this conference is of critical
importance to Armenia and all those concerned with the welfare of
its people.” The conference is open to the public and free of charge.