Advancing to High Income Status:
Europe–Asia Dialogue on Policy Lessons and Strategies to Break Out of the Middle-Income Trap
Friday, October 16, 2026, 14:15–15:55
Venue: Valia Hotel, 95,370 Sukhumvit Soi 24, Klongton, Klongtoey, Bangkok 10110
Venue: Valia Hotel, 95,370 Sukhumvit Soi 24, Klongton, Klongtoey, Bangkok 10110
Program
14:15–14:25 | Opening Remarks
Marc Uzan — Executive Director and Founder, Reinventing Bretton Woods Committee
Byungsik Jung — Deputy Dean, Asian Development Bank Institute
14:25–14:55 | Panel: Where Do Asia and the Pacific Stand Today?
Moderator: Byungsik Jung, Deputy Dean, ADBI
Danny Quah, Professor, National University of Singapore
Kairat Kelimbetov, Former Governor, National Bank of Kazakhstan
14:55–15:15 | Keynote Presentation: Strategies to Overcome the Middle-Income Trap – The European Experience
Moritz Schularick — President, Kiel Institute for the World Economy
15:15–15:30 | Panel Discussion: Policy Priorities for Sustained Growth and Advancing to High Income
Moderator: Marc Uzan, Executive Director, Reinventing Bretton Woods Committee
Debora Revoltella, Senior Fellow, Bruegel
Voraprapa Nakavachara, Associate Professor of Economics, Chulalongkorn University
Martin Reiner, Executive Director, National Bank of Slovakia
15:30–15:40 | Wrap-up and Closing Remarks
Marc Uzan, Executive Director, Reinventing Bretton Woods Committee
Bambang Brodjonegoro, Dean and CEO, Asian Development Bank Institute
Note: The agenda and speaker participation are subject to change.
More Session Details
Overview and Concept
Seventy-three percent of the world’s population lives in middle-income countries. Yet, since the 1990s, only 34 middle-income countries have successfully transitioned to high-income status, while 108 have remained at the middle-income level. Europe stands out, with 14 of the 34 economies that achieved high-income status being European economies. Asia and the Pacific have also experienced significant economic transformation, including successful transitions in economies such as the Republic of Korea and Singapore, while many middle-income economies continue to face challenges in sustaining productivity growth and structural transformation.
The Europe–Asia Dialogue, held during the 2026 IMF–World Bank Annual Meetings in Bangkok, will bring together policymakers, experts from think tanks and universities, and representatives of international and regional organizations. It will examine the diverse development trajectories of economies in Europe and Asia and the Pacific, with a focus on common policy lessons as well as strategies that need to be adapted to different historical, institutional, and economic circumstances.
The discussion will focus on productivity growth, demographic change, innovation and inequality, as well as innovation and R&D, industrial diversification and upgrading in global value chains, human capital and higher education, and regional cooperation. It will consider how economies can sustain growth as they move toward higher levels of income and productivity, and how experiences from Europe and Asia and the Pacific can provide insights for other economies.
Guiding Questions
- What factors have shaped differences in economic performance across economies in Europe and Asia and the Pacific?
- How can economies sustain productivity growth and structural transformation as they move toward higher income levels?
- What lessons can be drawn from European and Asian economies that have successfully transitioned to high-income status?
- What roles do innovation and R&D, industrial diversification, value-chain upgrading, human capital, and higher education play in advancing to high income?
- Which policy lessons can be applied across regions, and which need to be adapted to specific national circumstances?
- How can regional cooperation and international and regional institutions support economies seeking to sustain growth and advance to high-income status?