Regional Trainers Meet to Discuss Priorities for Asia-Pacific Countries

Regular training heads meeting aims to keep IMF regional courses relevant

Region’s evolving challenges put a premium on economic, financial expertise

Training institute allows institutions to share best practices across countries

But capacity development does not happen overnight—successful institution and skill building requires sustained commitment over the long term.

The IMF-Singapore Regional Training Institute’s (STI) Fourth Directors of Training Meeting—co-hosted by the Singapore government on February 1-2—brought together senior officials in charge of training at central banks and finance ministries in 33 countries across the Asia-Pacific. The meeting, held every three years, is part of the effort to maintain the quality and relevance of training provided to IMF member countries in the region.

“The Directors of Training Meeting is a useful platform for all heads of training institutions to discuss pertinent issues related to capacity building, and to review how the STI can better meet the demand for specialized economic and financial courses in the Asia-Pacific region,” said Heng Aik Yeow, Director-General of Singapore’s Technical Cooperation Directorate in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

More complex global environment

The STI is the flagship regional training center in the Asia-Pacific, serving 37 IMF member countries. It was established in 1998 to help the region build stronger institutions for more sustainable growth through training of their staff on the formulation and implementation of macroeconomic and financial policies.

The meeting featured panel discussions led by directors of training, presentations by IMF staff, and reflections by STI’s donors.

Participants debated a broad array of issues, including country experience with IMF capacity development, the IMF’s new training curriculum for member countries, how best to coordinate technical assistance and training, and the challenges of accurately evaluating the impact of training and technical assistance activities.

Ha Hai An, Deputy Director General in the State Bank of Vietnam’s Department of International Cooperation, pointed to the “essential and fundamental” character of STI training. He noted that when his staff return from training, they try to impart the knowledge gained to colleagues in order to maximize the value of the training to the institution.

Throughout the meeting, participants stressed the importance of keeping pace with the region’s evolving training...