Lagarde is scheduled to speak Saturday; the lecture is free and open to the public.
View full sizeFrance's Finance and Economy Minister Christine Lagarde visits a Parisian supermarket and goods retailer in Paris Thursday May 19, 2011. Lagarde has emerged as a potential candidate to replace IMF chief, Frenchman Dominique Strauss-Kahn who resigned Wednesday, saying he wants to devote "all his energy" to fighting sexual assault charges in New York. (AP Photo/Jacques Brinon)AMHERST – The recent indictment and resignation of International Monetary Fund managing director Dominique Strauss-Kahn has left a void in the leadership of one of the world’s most powerful financial forces, and the woman many say is likely to take the helm will visit Amherst College this week.
French Minister of Economy, Finance and Industry Christine Lagarde will take part in Saturday’s “Conversations with Honored Guests,” a day-long, campus-wide program of lectures and question-and-answer sessions.
Lagarde is scheduled to speak at Stirn Auditorium at 3:15 p.m. The lecture, like all others throughout the day, is free and open to the public.
The IMF is an organization of 187 countries that work together to foster global economic stability and reduce poverty. It is a specialized agency of the United Nations.
She has the backing of Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi and Swedish Finance Minister Anders Borg for the IMF job, according to Reuters. In a Reuters poll, 32 of 56 economists said she was the most likely person to be appointed.
Gaining international acclaim through her handling of the euro crisis during the global financial downturn, some analysts, like those at the UK newspaper The Telegraph, say Lagarde is uniquely qualified for the job. She would be the first woman to hold it since the IMF was formed in 1945.
Acting managing director John Lipsky has also thrown his support behind her.
With Strauss-Kahn out of the picture, Europe is attempting to maintain control while other nations like Mexico, Singapore and India would like to see one of their own lead the global lender.
Lagarde will receive an honorary degree at the college’s 190th commencement on Sunday.
Honorary degree recipients are chosen for “a record of distinction” and “relevant and important” achievements, said Megan Morey, who oversees the alumni and development programs.
“It serves as a source of inspiration for the kinds of careers and pursuits our graduates might choose,” she said.
At 2 p.m., Paul Volcker, former chairman of the Federal Reserve and now chairman of the Economic Recovery Advisory Board, also will speak at the Stirn.
Amherst College alum Kimmie Weeks, who has founded several organizations that help young people affected by war and poverty, especially in West Africa, will speak at Pruyne Lecture Hall at Fayerweather Hall at 11:15 a.m.