Washington and Lee Professor Appointed Member of Fulbright Specialist Program Washington and Lee University’s Martin Davies, associate professor of economics, was appointed a member of the Fulbright Specialist Program for three years.
Washington and Lee University’s Martin Davies, associate professor of economics, was appointed a member of the Fulbright Specialist Program for three years.
“The Fulbright Specialists Program is an exciting opportunity for me as it will allow me to continue to spend time in Papua New Guinea and the Pacific Islands, and to conduct research there,” said Davies. “Spending time in PNG over the past year has been inspirational from a research perspective, as it provides insight and directs one to relevant and important research questions, both for PNG and for developing countries more generally.”
Davies spent time in three different locations during his 2017-18 sabbatical. During that time, he spent eight months at the University of Papua New Guinea in Port Moresby, three months in Canberra at the Crawford School of Public Policy at Australian National University and three months at Oxford University.
The Fulbright website states: “The Fulbright Specialist Program, part of the more massive Fulbright Program, was established in 2001 by the U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA). The program pairs highly qualified U.S. academics and professionals with host institutions abroad to share their expertise, strengthen institutional linkages, hone their skills, gain international experience and learn about other cultures while building capacity at their overseas host institutions.
“This is a well-deserved honor for Martin,” said Marc Connor, provost. “It reflects his deep expertise and experience in global economics and international studies. His work in Papua New Guinea is significant and this will strengthen that work.”
During his sabbatical Davies was also successful in raising $50,000 from the Development Policy Centre at the Australian National Universityto support two research projects based around his work in Papua New Guinea. Both projects look at the impact of the resources sector in resource-rich developing countries (RRDCs) like Papua New Guinea, but from different viewpoints. The first project looks at macroeconomic policy-setting in RRDCs and examines how countries might better set policy in response to a resources boom like an oil or natural gas discovery. The second project takes a microeconomic viewpoint, examining individual-level savings behavior around the recent LNG resources boom in Papua New Guinea.
During his time in Papua New Guinea, Davies gave a keynote addresses at the National Planning Consultative Summit at the request of the Minister for National Planning. Thisevent takes place every five years, at the start of the new government, to assist in planning and allocation of government resources. Davies spoke on “Economic Growth: A Framework, Global and Regional Comparisons, and Papua New Guinea,” and was scheduled in the opening session with the prime minister and the minister for national planning.
