Institute

Publications

Presentations

Aims and principles

The Institute for Economic Research and Policy Consulting was founded in October 1999 by top-ranking Ukrainian politicians and the German Advisory Group on Economic Reforms, which is part of Germany's TRANSFORM programme. The Institute is jointly financed by the Ukrainian and the German Government. It is in full operation since July 1st, 2000.

Aims of the Institute:

• to establish an independent research organisation that will provide decision-makers, inside and outside government, with analyses of the Ukrainian economy and economic policies;

• to support the economic training and analytical capacity of Ukrainian scholars as potential economic reformers;

• to provide policy advice on the basis of sound economic research.

Principles of work

The Institute is dedicated to the principles of a free and democratic market economy. Political independence is a prerequisite for the Institute if it is to find appropriate answers to questions of economic policy and avoid the manipulation of results. At the same time, close contacts to political decision-makers are needed in order to implement political advice. While the Institute develops its own long-term research agenda, the Institute will be responsive to short- and medium-term policy issues in the Ukrainian economy.

The structure of the Institute and research team

The Institute is directed by Igor Burakovsky, Professor at the National University "Kyiv-Mohyla Academy". It is staffed by 12 Ukrainian research associates, most of whom have been educated in international education programs. During the first phase of its operation, the Institute is working in close co-operation with the German Advisory Group on Economic Reforms. An intensive know-how and information transfer between the Institute and numerous international and foreign universities and research institutions is pursued.

1) Department of macroeconomic analysis

• monitoring of the national economy and preparation of short-term forecasts;

• monetary and exchange rate policy, development of financial markets and the banking sector;

• international economic policy (capital flows, foreign trade, competitiveness, integration into the European and the world economy).

2) Department of structural reforms

• corporate sector reform (privatisation, deregulation, competition policy, restructuring of privatised enterprises administration of the state's corporate holdings);

• development of small and medium-sized enterprises;

• reforms in the energy and agricultural sectors;

• development of infrastructure.

3) Department of public finance

• fiscal policy (budget deficit, tax policy, subsidies, government debt);

• regional policy;

• social policy.

Publications

The research results of the Institute are available to the public. The Institute issues a Working Paper series, including studies of current Ukrainian topics in economic policymaking. Other publications of the Institute include the MEMU (Monthly Economic Monitoring of Ukraine), MIU (Infrastructure Monitoring for Ukraine), QES (Quarterly Enterprise Survey), Macroeconomic Forecast Ukraine and conference proceedings. Contributions come from the Institute's staff, the German Advisory Group, and outside experts. Current research projects and publications are also available through the Internet (http://www.ier.kiev.ua). The Institute continues the tradition of the German Advisory Group organising biannual international conferences on important topics of economic policy in Ukraine.

Current research topics

• Concession versus privatisation issues, problems of concession design and implementation.

• What is the impact of major demand aggregates on growth of GDP?

• Gravity model of Ukrainian foreign trade.

• The instruments of the NBU for conducting monetary policy.

• The sequencing of capital market liberalisation and its importance for economic growth.

• Analysis of the driving forces for enterprise restructuring: Competition (level playing field, reducing subsidies), privatisation, corporate governance of state and non-state firms.

• Evaluating the degree of competition in different markets and hindrances to competition.

• Problems of corporate governance of private as well as state property.

• How to increase real investment in agriculture: Policies and institutions.

• Financing of firms and debt reduction.

• The impact of competition and (de-) regulation in infrastructure sectors (power, gas, railways, roads, telecommunications etc.).

• Economic issues of Ukraine's accession to WTO.

• Problems of the regional policy.

• Quality of governance and SME development in Ukraine.

• Determinants of tax evasion by Ukrainian enterprises.

Guest Professors:

• Anders Aslund (Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, Washington D.C., USA);

• Stephan von Cramon-Taubadel (University of Gottingen, Germany);

• Hans Fehr (University of Wurzburg, Germany);

• Paul Gregory (University of Houston, USA);

• Wolfgang Pfaffenberger (University of Oldenburg, Germany);

• Gerhard Schwodiauer (University of Magdeburg, Germany).

Association of the Friends of the Institute

The Institute is supported by the 'Association of Friends' that provides institutional and material assistance. Among the founding members of the Association are high-ranking individuals and corporate enterprises from Ukraine, Germany and other countries, among them Orlan, Galichina, Obolon, Deutsche Bank, DaimlerChrysler and Siemens. A. Kinach, former Prime Minister of Ukraine and the President of the Ukrainian League of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs (USPP), is the Head of the Board of Directors of the Association of Friends of the Institute. Dr. Hoffmann, Director of the Institute for Eastern European Studies, has been elected as the Deputy Head, while K. Rau (representative of the German Chamber of Commerce and Industry) - as the member of the Board of Directors of the Association. We invite anyone interested to join the Association, and thus to set a sign of support to the aims and working of the Institute.

Members of the Supervisory Board:

• Viktor Yushchenko, former Prime Minister of Ukraine, Leader of "Our Ukraine", Head of the Supervisory Board;

• Viktor Lysytskyi, former Secretary of State;

• Valeriy Lytvytskyi, Advisory Group to the Governor of the National Bank of Ukraine;

• Sergiy Tihipko, Governor of the National Bank of Ukraine;

• Ihor Shumylo, Director General Economic Department;

• Anatoliy Chukhno, Member of the Ukrainian Academy of Sciences;

• Michailo Savluk, Director of the Ukrainian Banking Academy;

• Lutz Hoffmann, Director of the Institute for Eastern European Studies, Munich;

• Lorenz Schomerus, Former State Secretary of the German Federal Ministry of Economics;

• Kirk Mildner, Representative of the German Kreditanstalt fur Wiederaufbau;

• Ferdinand Pavel, German Advisory Group.

Directors:

• Igor Burakovsky, Chairman of Board - Director of the Institute;

• Lars Handrich, Deputy Director, German Advisory Group.

Treasuries:

• Ricardo Giucci, German Advisory Group;

• Vasyl Pasichnyk, National Bank of Ukraine;

• Marina Shapovalova, NBU Center For Banking Policy Research.