Recently, Prof. Graham Bird from the University of Surrey, UK was invited to make an academic report entitled "The evolution of the international monetary system" for the teachers and students of the School of Economics at Shandong University. As a Mobile Post Distinguished Teacher of Shandong University, Prof. Bird explained the evolution of the international monetary system, the balance of global trade and the European debt crisis in his lecture.

Based on the international monetary system, Prof. Bird opened by explaining the operating mechanism of a country's economic adjustment, and talked about the constituent elements of the international monetary system and the current international monetary and financial organizations. In his report, the evolution of the international monetary system was analyzed through the explaining of the gold standard, historical background and economic principles. In addition, Prof. Bird also reviewed the advantages and disadvantages of different international monetary system. He noted the current problems of the international monetary system facing and its direction of reform. Referencing familiar examples in the report, Prof. Bird clarified financial principles in simple terms, in order to be easily understood by his audience.

Graham Bird, Professor of Economics at University of Surrey. He is currently a Visiting Professor of Claremont McKenna College, and Claremont Graduate University. Prof. Bird focused on research of international financial issues in developing countries, publishing more than 100 papers in international journals, most of which were used by well-known international journals.

Written by: He Yang, Jin Xichen

Photo by: An An

Edited by: Lawrence Phillips, Jing Zizhao

Source: Shool of Economics,www.view.sdu.edu.cn