By Jesse Kirsch and Eric Miller
EVANSTON–International Monetary Fund Managing Director Christine Lagarde spoke at Northwestern University Wednesday, calling cooperation among nations the key to economic growth.
Lagarde’s remarks focused on a community approach to the global economy. Specifically, she called the rising tide of trade restriction “economic malpractice” and shunned domestic-centric policies that she says threaten the global recovery.
Looking forward, Lagarde said that the global economy was a mixed bag for the foreseeable future, with growth being revised down for the United States but projecting modest economic gains for Russia and Brazil.
Lagarde also emphasized empowering women around the globe, a theme of her tenure at the IMF.
“It’s an economic game changer for the world, and I say, it’s an economic no-brainer.”
After her speech, Lagarde participated in an audience Q&A moderated by CNBC’s Sara Eisen, a Medill alum.
Lagarde’s second five-year term as IMF managing director began in July 2016. Before her time there, she served as France’s finance minister and earlier as the head of a Chicago-based law firm. While in the Windy City, she added a Kellogg diploma to her resume.
The event, hosted by the Kellogg School of Management, comes just over a week before the IMF’s annual meeting in Washington, D.C.
