International Studies Program Update
Volume 2, Number 1 (February 2002)

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Fiscal Policy Training Program 2002
The Andrew Young School of Policy Studies at Georgia State University is pleased to present its Fiscal Policy Summer Training Courses for 2002. The training courses, led by a panel of distinguished faculty and leading policy experts with worldwide experience, are designed for government officials and policy makers from developing and transition countries as well as their counterparts with international donor agencies. This year's program consists of three courses: Fiscal Analysis and Revenue Forecasting (July 1 - 12, 2002); Fiscal Decentralization in Developing and Transition Economies (July 15 - August 2, 2002); and Public Budgeting and Fiscal Management (August 5-16, 2002).While the courses cover related topics, they are taught independently from each other; participants may choose to enroll in either one or more courses. Training will take place on the campus of Georgia State University in Atlanta, Georgia, U.S.A. The application deadline for the program is June 15, 2002.

Virtual Seminar on Strengthening Fiscal Policy Analysis in Palestine
In light of its partnership with the Economics Department at An-Najah National University in Nablus, West Bank, the Andrew Young School's International Studies Program organized a "virtual seminar" on fiscal policy analysis in Palestine in Atlanta on December 20, 2001. During this "virtual" seminar, faculty members from the Andrew Young School made presentations about the various facets of fiscal policy analysis and their relevance to good governance in Palestine. The seminar presentations were recorded and are made available online.

Fiscal Decentralization in Indonesia
In January 2002, Professors Roy Bahl and Jorge Martinez-Vazquez served as members on the World Bank International Panel for Fiscal Decentralization in East Asia during a conference in Bali, Indonesia. As part of the Andrew Young School's ongoing support to fiscal decentralization reforms in Indonesia, the Andrew Young School is preparing to host Deans and administrators of several of Indonesian universities, including Syiah Kuala University, Sam Ratulangi University, Mulawarman University, and Cendrawasih University from February 25 through March 3, 2002. The purpose of the Deans’ visit is to aid in the development and improvement of their Economics Departments through discussions, interactions, and observations of the Andrew Young School of Policy Studies. In addition, during the first week of May, the School will further host a Conference on Fiscal Decentralization Reform in Indonesia, to be held in Stone Mountain, Georgia.

Visiting Scholars
During the coming months, the Andrew Young School will be hosting a number of prominent international scholars. In February and March, Mr. Manoj Shrestha will be a visiting scholar with the Andrew Young School. Mr. Shresta -a Joint Secretary with the Ministry of Local Development in Nepal- will visit the School as part of the Humphrey Fellowship Program. In March, Professor Richard Bird (a Distinguished Visiting Professor at the Andrew Young School) will visit Atlanta to engage in joint research, present seminars and teach as part of the Indonesian Masters Program in Applied Economics. Also in March, the School will host Dr. Atul Sarma, a Professor of Economics and Director of the Indian Statistical Institute in Delhi, India.

Fiscal Policy Resource Center Upgraded
With support from the United Nations Capital Development Fund (UNCDF), the International Studies Program has upgraded the learning materials for the online module Principles of Fiscal Decentralization. In addition to key background readings, the module now contains over two hours of streaming lecture presentations on a variety of fiscal decentralization topics. The Fiscal Policy Resource Center aims to make learning materials available on the internet in the fields of fiscal policy and applied economics. Significant strides have also been made in the development of a second online module An Overview of Fiscal Policy Analysis Techniques.

New Working Papers
Two recent additions to the International Studies Program Working Paper Series include an evaluation of the main features of Mexico's tax system by Jorge Martinez-Vazquez and an overview of intergovernmental fiscal relations and subnational public finance in Nigeria by James Alm and Jameson Boex.

More Information
For more information on the International Studies Program or its activities, please visit our website at http://isp-aysps.gsu.edu or contact Mr. Paul Benson at paulbenson@gsu.edu.

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