In the midst of the biggest economic turmoil raging across
virtually all the world’s financial markets, Consul
General Krzysztof W. Kasprzyk, The Republic of Poland in
New York offered a unique opportunity to hear Professor
Leszak Balcerowicz’s insightful analysis of the impact of the
current crisis on the  emerging economies, how their crises
differed and what impact this crisis was having in the U.S.
Prof. Balcerowicz shared his opinions with some of America’s
most influential economic scholars, business people and
diplomats.  Professor  Balcerowicz, currently with the
Warsaw School of Economics, former Deputy Prime
Minister and Mister of Finance and President of the National Bank
of Poland was the architect of Poland’s economic reforms initiated
in 1989  at the time of the collapse of Communism.

No surprise that the audience was filled with American
businessmen and women from AIG, UBS, Goldman Sachs,
Moody’s and more. Among those participating in the lively and
informative Q & A session that followed were Asaf Buchner (UBS), Ashwini Gupta (American Express), Helmut Kratky (UniCredit), Karren Morris
(AIG), Jonathan Schiffer (Moody’s), William Timothy Love
(Omnicom Group, Inc.); Barbara Katz (CUNY), Hugo Kaufman
(CUNY). They were all literally hanging on every word from
the financial guru.

Certainly none were more attentive than the group from St. John’s
University of which Professor Balcerowicz is an alumnus.
Applauding their famed former graduate were John P. Clarke,
Chairman of the Department of Law; professors of economics:
Ivan Abel, Young Back Choi,   Joyce Furfero, Igor M. Tomic
and Gary Andreassen another St.John’s alum.