Bank of Canada Announces Appointment of Special Adviser

The Bank of Canada today announced the appointment of Professor Christopher Ragan to the position of Special Adviser during the year 2004-2005. Dr. Ragan, who will join the Bank in September, is currently Associate Professor in the Department of Economics and Associate Dean of Arts at McGill University. He was an Assistant Professor at McGill University from 1989 to 1995. Dr. Ragan was also a visiting economist at the Bank of Canada from June 1994 to May 1995, and from August 1996 to March 1997.

The position of Special Adviser was created to bring additional views to monetary policy discussions and to increase the number of university and private sector economic and financial professionals with first-hand knowledge of the Bank of Canada. Professor Ragan, whose areas of interest include government debt, inflation, monetary policy, and exchange rates, will be available to advise Bank staff on their research in these areas.

Professor Ragan holds a PhD in Economics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and a master's degree in Economics from Queen's University. Dr. Ragan has recently edited a book with William Watson on government debt for the Institute for Research on Public Policy and written a number of academic articles. Dr. Ragan is the co-author, with Richard Lipsey (Simon Fraser University), of Economics, one of the leading introductory economics textbooks in Canada. Professor Ragan was also Editor-in-Chief of World Economic Affairs from its inception in 1996 until it ceased publication in 2000.

Attached is the list of individuals who have been appointed to the position of Special Adviser since its creation in 1998.