Griffith sharpens focus on G20

Griffith University’s Centre for Governance and Public Policy hosts a two-day workshop on the evolving role of the G20 this week.

Academic experts from Griffith University will be joined by scholars from the United States, Denmark, Northern Ireland and across Australia to consider the G20 in the context of the Global Financial Crisis, and as an institution for global economic governance.

“It is an important and timely workshop, marking — to some extent — the pathway to next year’s G20 Summit in Brisbane,” says Dr Wesley Widmaier who heads up the Centre’s International Political Economy, Global Governance and G20 Studies program.

The workshop will examine the role played by the G20 before, during and in the aftermath of the Global Financial Crisis.

More on Brisbane G20 Summit and Griffith University

“The G20 played a constructive role in the early days of the GFC when the global economy required a massive stimulus.” Dr Widmaier says.

“However, one should not overrate its effectiveness. Prior to the crisis, the emergent G20 failed to stem the imminent financial crash.

“In the years since the crisis, the G20 partly authored the misguided turn to austerity, and struggled with global rebalancing and the European debt crisis.”

The workshop will attempt to explain this contrast in roles, analysing to what extent macroeconomic cooperation was easily achieved and how difficult financial reform was to bring about in the wake of the crisis.

The scope of the analysis will trace historical events and influences, with a contemporary view turning towards November 2014 when the heads of 19 countries and the European Union will descend on Brisbane for the G20 Summit.

Academics from the University of Texas (Austin), Australian National University, Melbourne University, Queens University (Belfast), Copenhagen Business School, University of Sydney, University of Tasmania will join political scientists from Griffith University on Tuesday and Wednesday for the workshop.

This week’s workshop takes place on Tuesday and Wednesday, May 28/29.