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Published 11 August 2014

Faces – Young Scientist Profile: Valentin Bolotnyy

Meet #LindauEcon14 participant Valentin Bolotnyy.

In Faces we portray the young scientists of the Lindau Nobel Laureate Meetings and give them an open forum to talk about their research and everything else that is important to them. Everybody should feel encouraged to also share their own thoughts and stories.

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On his research interests:

“My recent research has included work on the role of affordable housing goals in the US mortgage crisis; the quality of forecasting models used in bank stress tests; the evolution of borrowing patterns and the role of counterparty risk in the Federal Funds market; and the nature of trade shock propagation in the international trade system. With these projects, as with all of my research, my aim is to tackle big, policy-relevant questions.”

 

On the challenges of an economist’s life:

“My family and I moved to the US from Ukraine when I was 8 years old. Working with my family to learn English, integrate socially, and make ends meet was both challenging and motivating. I grew up appreciating the opportunities the US made available to me and decided to dedicate myself to work that had the potential to improve lives around the world.”

 

What makes a good economist? (Watch the video)

“A good economist is someone who has the courage to question conventional wisdom, whether that wisdom comes from the public or from academia itself, and to insure that the politics of the profession do not interfere with the ultimate goal of improving the human condition.”

 

What are the challenges for the next generation? (Watch the video)

“As economies, financial markets, and government policies become increasingly interconnected and complex, the world will turn to economists with increasingly more difficult questions. It will be up to the next generation of economists to keep up with the questions by developing and applying more creative tools, thinking in more interdisciplinary ways, and engaging the public in a more constructive dialogue with the academic literature.”

 

On his expectations on the Lindau Meeting on Economic Sciences:

“I’m especially excited about the depth and breadth of experiences that both Nobel Laureates and students will bring with them to Lindau. It will be terrific to learn from all of them.”

 

To join the debates and reach out to other participants use the Twitter Hashtag: #LindauEcon14.