Central Banking in Times of Crisis: Lessons from Ukraine

How do central banks respond when crisis becomes the new normal? Join the Institute of Politics and the Harvard Kennedy School Ukrainian Caucus for a morning conversation with Andriy Pyshnyy, Governor of the National Bank of Ukraine, on the challenges of managing monetary policy and financial stability during a time of unprecedented disruption. Drawing on recent experience, the discussion will explore how central banks respond to severe economic shocks, maintain confidence in the financial system, and navigate long-term uncertainty. 

The conversation will also touch on cooperation with international partners such as the IMF, the role of financial sanctions, and broader global economic trends. This event offers a unique opportunity to gain real-time insights into economic leadership and institutional resilience under extraordinary conditions.

Andriy Pyshnyy was honored with two prestigious international awards in the field of central banking for his outstanding achievements:

• Central Banker of the Year 2024 in the Global and Europe category by the esteemed British financial publication, The Banker; 
• Governor of the Year from Central Banking Awards 2024, an annual recognition presented by the British specialized magazine Central Banking.

Note: This event will take place in English and Ukrainian.

*Breakfast will be served

Please register with a valid Harvard email address to attend in-person.

OFF-THE-RECORD: In keeping with our long tradition at the IOP to ensure honest and candid discussions of politics, this event is off-the-record.

About Andriy Pyshnyy

Andriy Pyshnyy has served as Governor of the National Bank of Ukraine since October 2022, overseeing monetary policy and financial stability during the country’s full-scale war with Russia. With decades of experience in banking and public policy, including previously serving as Chairman of Oschadbank, Ukraine’s largest state-owned bank, he has played a central role in maintaining the functioning of Ukraine’s financial system under extraordinary conditions. His work involves coordinating closely with international partners such as the IMF, the World Bank, and European institutions while navigating the complex challenges of inflation control, financial sector resilience, and wartime economic management.

About Jason Furman

Jason Furman is the Aetna Professor of the Practice of Economic Policy jointly at Harvard Kennedy School (HKS) and the Department of Economics at Harvard University. He is also nonresident senior fellow at the Peterson Institute for International Economics. Furman engages in public policy through research, writing and teaching in a wide range of areas including U.S. and international macroeconomics, fiscal policy, labor markets and competition policy. He co-teaches Ec10 “Principles of Economics,” the largest course at Harvard University.

Previously Furman served eight years as a top economic adviser to President Obama, including serving as the 28th Chairman of the Council of Economic Advisers from August 2013 to January 2017, acting as both President Obama’s chief economist and a member of the cabinet. During this time Furman played a major role in most of the major economic policies of the Obama Administration. Furman also served under President Clinton.

Furman is a member of numerous organizations including the Council on Foreign Relations, the Group of Thirty and the Economic Strategy Group. He also serves as a Trustee of the Russell Sage Foundation and on the advisory boards for the Brookings Papers on Economic Activity, the Bund Summit, the Hamilton Project and the Washington Center for Equitable Growth.

In addition to articles in scholarly journals and periodicals, Furman is a regular contributor to the New York Times and Project Syndicate and the editor of two books on economic policy. Furman holds a Ph.D. in economics from Harvard University.