Let’s start with the basics. How did you choose economics as a profession? Growing up in Turkey, I had an early encounter with certain macro-economic concepts. Chronic high inflation was a defining feature, and even seven-year-olds understood how quickly the purchasing power of their weekly allowance dwindled. I would hear my parents—who are teachers, not economists-discuss the current account deficit during dinner. Soon enough, the economics section had become my favorite part of the newspaper, and I wanted to understand how the Turkish economy worked and why it appeared to be so different from the advanced economies.
The IMF Research Department held the 22nd Jacques Polak Annual Research Conference on November 4–5, 2021.