Professor, Department of Economics, University of California – Berkeley
Editor, American Economic Review Economists for Ukraine
Yuriy Gorodnichenko, Professor of Economics at the University of California, Berkeley, Editor of the American Economic Review, a co-founder and member of the leadership team of Economists for Ukraine.
Why did you decide to join the Shevchenko Scientific Society?
Science is about teamwork and community. Being together with like-minded scholars who are deeply interested not only in academic research but also in Ukraine is what makes the Shevchenko Scientific Society so important to me.
What do you value about membership in the Society?
The NTSh-A’s Bulletin is a great source of information about what is happening in the Ukrainian academic community. I enjoy reading reports on other scholars’ research and especially those that are outside my area of expertise. This is an opportunity to get out of my economics bubble and learn about other disciplines.
How did your interest in Ukrainian culture and society influence your career path?
I was a teenager when Ukraine went through hyperinflation and a massive economic downturn. I could not understand how this economic catastrophe could happen and why it was not prevented. So, when I was choosing my field of study in social sciences, I majored in economics to not only learn about macroeconomic fluctuations but also help avert recessions in the future.
What is your current project?
A lot of my current research is about inflation and inflation expectations, and it stems from my experience of hyperinflation in Ukraine. However, many people in the U.S. and other advanced economies have not experienced high inflation in their lives. With the recent surge in inflation, there is a new sense of urgency to understand what causes recession and how one can prevent inflation from taking hold of lives. I try to push the frontier of our knowledge in this arena and to help central banks design better policies to control inflation. For example, I co-authored a report for the U.S. Federal Reserve’s policy framework review, and I consult the National Bank of Ukraine.
What career advice would you give to new members of the Shevchenko Scientific Society in the United States?
By now, there is a vibrant community of Ukrainian researchers willing to help each other. The Society is a unique resource for young scholars to connect with the network of top academics who share backgrounds, interests, and aspirations. Use it!