World’s top economists are to convene in Chernivtsi

In 2011 a hundred years will pass since the prominent Austrian economist and sociologist Joseph Schumpeter wrote the work The Theory of Economic Development, which is considered to be the reference book for Nobel Prize laureates. He wrote this book, as well as many others, while he taught at the then University of Czernowitz (now Chernivtsi).

“This year will see the jubilee of Schumpter’s ‘Chernivtsi period,’” says Petro Nikiforov, the dean of the economic department at the Fedkovych Chernivtsi National University. “So we decided to start holding an International Forum, set for October 14-16, precisely in Chernivtsi. At the same time, we’ll organize an international conference of economists, where we expect scholars from Austria, Germany, Canada, and the US. We also plan to hold German language readings of works by Joseph Schumpeter, which he wrote in Chernivtsi — exhibits of manuscripts and new editions by the famous economist.”

Despite the fact that Joseph Schumpeter lived in Bukovyna for only two years, he left an extensive scholarly heritage. Many of his original works are kept in the depositaries of the research library of the Chernivtsi National University. Thus, besides economists, librarians are getting ready for the forum as well.

“We recently started organizing the index of works by Joseph Schumpeter,” says Mykhailo Zushman, the library’s director. “We want to prepare an exhibit of the economist’s manuscripts and editions from different times.”

The ambassador extraordinary and plenipotentiary of Austria to Ukraine Wolf Dietrich Heim, who is a member of the organizing committee of the project, has been actively supporting it.