JVI Alumni Quotes

I attended the virtual course Financial Education on  February 22-26. This topic is very important especially in a time of crisis. It was a great opportunity for me to learn more about best practices and key financial education tools. I will definitely apply the insights gained from this course. I warmly thank the organizers for the excellent organization of this online training and the speakers for the quality of the presentations. Ms. Fatima-Zahra Aziz, Moroccan Foundation for Financial Education (FMEF), February 22-26, 2021

I attended the virtual course on Financial Education (FE) in February, 2021. During this tough times of COVID-19, when face-to-face meetings are limited, online training organized by JVI with the help of The Oesterreichische Nationalbank (OeNB), was an excellent opportunity for me to get theoretical and practical knowledge on Financial education and Financial literacy (FL). Professionals from different universities and practitioners from The World Bank and other organizations shared their knowledge and experience about key stakeholders’ engagement in promoting FE and FL, targeting groups and products, designing programs and channels, and how FE and FL activities can be best coordinated across institutions and countries to ensure sustainability. The course presented examples of different FE tools and gave the opportunity for the participants to introduce best practices in their countries and to effectively discuss and exchange their experience on these topics. I would highly recommend this online training to everyone who is interesting in this field. Alexander Memov, Bulgarian National Bank, Virtual course on Financial Education, February 22-26, 2021

Through a nice balance of lectures and training sessions, the course covered very complex issues and allowed me to deepen my understanding of competitiveness. The theoretical concepts were nicely linked with the data to support it. Participants’ engagement in training sessions and group work was particularly useful. The top-quality lecturers enriched my knowledge related to competiveness, growth and crisis.  Vladimir Simic - University of Split, Croatia Austrian Authorities Virtual Course on Competitiveness, Growth and Crisis, March 01-12, 2021

Fostering growth and handling tumultuous periods are the primary obligations of an economist. "Competitiveness" is the umbrella of concepts, tools, and policies that can serve to catalyze growth and buffer crisis. Integrating the environmental and social aspects of life into the discussions about competitiveness and disrupting the traditional economic models related to it was what I liked the most from the "Competitiveness, Growth and Crisis" course. Amid the COVID-19 crisis, the insights conveyed were distinctly beneficial.  Olsi Pajo - Bank of Albania Austrian Authorities Virtual Course on Competitiveness, Growth and Crisis, March 01-12, 2021

It is challenging to offer a course on competitiveness - a very elusive and ambiguously defined concept, especially on the macro level. That is why I highly appreciate the issues discussed during the course and the practical approach to all topics. The idea of "competitiveness", competitiveness indicators, and a policy related to competitiveness were fully unpacked during the course.   Magdalena Olczyk – Gdansk University of Technology, Poland Austrian Authorities Virtual Course on Competitiveness, Growth and Crisis, March 01-12, 2021

“The FPP course, presented virtually, has helped me to improve my understanding of how to diagnose macroeconomic imbalances and correct them through a coordinated set of adjustment policies. It was a hands-on and team approach and we have considered on a specific example of the country case and special scenarios (Covid-19 pandemic), with the help of well-trained և knowledgeable lecturers. I recommend this course to all my colleagues.” Ms. Gayane Barikyan, Central Bank of Armenia, virtual Financial Programming and Policies Course, February 08-19, 2021

“The JVI virtual course “Financial Programming and Policies” allowed me to deepen my understanding of the interlinkages between macroeconomic sectors and provided an extensive overview of the IMF’s financial programming framework. The case study, which entailed conducting a realistic financial programming exercise in groups, helped me not only to consolidate my knowledge, but also to understand the trade-offs between different policy choices, pre- and post-COVID-19. I also benefited from hearing about the lecturers’ and participants’ experience with various practical issues and challenges. Many thanks to the JVI team for organizing such an excellent course!” Ms. Raluca Enache, National Bank of Romania, virtual Financial Programming and Policies Course, February 08-19, 2021