Event Details
- Date and Time: Wednesday, April 7, 2021, 11:00AM EST
- Hosts: Yale Department of Economics, Economic Growth Center, and International and Development Economics Masters Program
Event Description
The fast escalation of mobile money in Kenya in the early 2000s provided new opportunities for economic growth and gave digital financial services to many people with little access to brick-and-mortar banks. Today in Kenya 96 percent of households have a mobile money account, and other African countries show high and growing usage. But has the mobile money revolution lived up to its full potential in spurring the economy, especially for the poor? What policies have led to greater digital financial inclusion, and what actions can be taken to better serve citizens?
Kenya Central Bank Governor Patrick Njoroge and MIT Professor of Applied Economics Tavneet Suri have worked at the intersection of financial inclusion and technology in Kenya for many years. Their paths have crossed at various points and they have both drawn on their economics training at Yale throughout their careers. In this interactive conversation, they discuss the Kenyan case and the future role of Central Banks as technologies that build on the rails of mobile money get more widely adopted.
Part of the celebration of the 60th anniversary of EGC and the 65th of the International Development and Economics (IDE) Masters program at Yale, this keynote event launched a multi-day forum for students, affiliates, and alumni to hear from an array of IDE graduates who are now faculty at top tier research universities and influential policymakers.