LACEA 2015, October 2015

October 21, 2015 Field Trips, Parties, Workshops Comments Off on LACEA 2015, October 2015 6,108 Views

As INESAD was one of the main organizers (together with SEBOL and UPSA) of the 20th annual meeting of the Latin American and Carribbean Economics Association (LACEA), almost all of the INESAD staff went to Santa Cruz de la Sierra to help with the organization and participate in this major event. Below are some of the more fun and memorable moments from the conference.

The evening before the conference, CAINCO generously invited all participants to a welcome cocktail. Evo Morales was supposed to come too, but something came up at last minute and he sent Luis Arce, Minister of Economics and Finance, instead. Here is most of the INESAD team by the end of the cocktail, celebrating that the conference is off to a good start.

The INESAD team at CAINCO's welcome cocktail in Santa Cruz de la Sierra, 14 October 2015. — The INESAD team at CAINCO’s welcome cocktail in Santa Cruz de la Sierra, 14 October 2015.

And here is Luis Arce with the two Nobel Prize Laureates, Lars Peter Hansen and Peter Diamond, as well as the President of the Bolivian Academy of Economic Sciences, Enrique Garcia, the President of LACEA, Eduardo Engel and the hosts from CAINCO.

Luis Arce, Minister of Economics and Finance with the two Nobel Prize Laureates and other important people at the CAINCO welcome cocktail.

The following evening, there was a conference dinner for all the participants at Casa del Camba.

INESAD at the conference dinner at Casa del Camba.

More INESAD members at the conference dinner at Casa del Camba.

At some point during the conference dinner, all Bolivian economists were invited up on the stage for a group photo. These are the people who can potentially take advantage of SEBOL’s offer of free inscription in the Society for Bolivian Economists for LACEA 2015 participants.

Most of the Bolivian economists participating in LACEA 2015.

And the dinner turned into dancing and partying.

And, of course, we got lots of selfies with the participating Nobel laureates:

Carlos Gustavo and Alejandra with Nobel prize Laureate Peter Diamond. — Carlos Gustavo and Alejandra with Nobel Prize Laureate Peter Diamond.

Montserrat also overcame her shyness and got a photo with Nobel Prize Laureate Peter Diamond.

Carlos Gustavo and Alejandra with Nobel Prize Laureate Lars Peter Hansen.

Stefano, Natalia, Marcelo, Lykke and Boris with Nobel Prize Laureate Peter Diamond.

Jose Luis, Natalia, Stefano, Karim and Pablo with Nobel Prize Laureate Lars Peter Hansen.

Anna Sophia was also delighted to meet her professor and thesis advisor from Vassar College, Sarah Pearlman. — Anna Sophia was delighted to meet her professor and thesis advisor from Vassar College, Sarah Pearlman.

The bus-service between the hotels, the conference-venue and all the social events worked extraordinarily well. So much so that there were actually plenty of conference participants at the 8 am sessions Saturday morning after our fantastic conference dinner/party. Here are some of the main organizers leaving in the last bus after the farewell lunch at Guembe.

Jose Luis, Daniel (conference photographer), Stefano, Natalia and Karim in the bus after the farewell lunch at Guembe.

After the conference, Oscar Cortez, Fellow of the Bolivian Academy of Economic Sciences, very generously invited the whole INESAD team to a barbecue at his spectacular house in Santa Cruz.

After the conference, Oscar Cortez generously invited the whole INESAD team to a barbecue party at his house in Santa Cruz. — INESAD and Academy Fellows at a post-conference barbecue at Oscar Cortez’ house.

After the conference, Natalia, Stefano and Karim thanked all the UPSA students who had provided invaluable help throughout the event.

And, finally, here are three exhausted, but happy, organizers checking out of the hotel a few days after the conference, after having paid all the suppliers, taken down all the banners and stands, and having shipped all the leftover stuff to La Paz.