Opening Session: "Official Statistics as a Pillar for Democracy"
Tracks
Auditorium
| Wednesday, June 5, 2024 |
| 9:00 - 10:30 |
Details
The first plenary session will be dedicated to the motto of the Conference, "the role of official statistics as a pillar for democracy."
It will also focus on the main challenges faced by official statistics in a context of constant societal change, across various dimensions. These challenges concern new developments in science and research, the implementation of innovative methods to ensure quality, and the development of new skills within the statistical community. Additionally, they address the professional independence of statistical systems and the trust of users in the public good of statistical information. Official statistics will be highlighted as an essential democratic foundation for informed decision-making.
Speaker
Mr. António Leitão Amaro
Portuguese Minister of the Presidency
OPENING ADDRESS
Mr. Francisco Lima
President of Statistics Portugal & Organiser and Co-Chair of the Q2024 Scientific Committee
SPEAKER
BIOGRAPHY
President of Statistics Portugal (INE) since 2018. Professor at Instituto Superior Técnico, Universidade de Lisboa and research fellow at CEG-IST (since 2003). Ph.D. in Economics, Universidade Nova de Lisboa (2001). Working with statistics and econometrics, his research focuses on applied microeconomics, labour economics, entrepreneurship, innovation, and policy evaluation. He has coordinated and participated in several national and European research projects and has published in international journals such as the Economic Journal, Research Policy, European Economic Review, Small Business Economics, and Labour Economics. He has been also member of the General Council of the National Agency for Qualification and Vocational Education and Training (2013-2017) and member of the Scientific Council for Employment and Training, Center for Labor Relations, Ministry of Labour, Solidarity and Social Security (2015-2017).
President of Statistics Portugal (INE) since 2018. Professor at Instituto Superior Técnico, Universidade de Lisboa and research fellow at CEG-IST (since 2003). Ph.D. in Economics, Universidade Nova de Lisboa (2001). Working with statistics and econometrics, his research focuses on applied microeconomics, labour economics, entrepreneurship, innovation, and policy evaluation. He has coordinated and participated in several national and European research projects and has published in international journals such as the Economic Journal, Research Policy, European Economic Review, Small Business Economics, and Labour Economics. He has been also member of the General Council of the National Agency for Qualification and Vocational Education and Training (2013-2017) and member of the Scientific Council for Employment and Training, Center for Labor Relations, Ministry of Labour, Solidarity and Social Security (2015-2017).
Ms. Mariana Kotzeva
Director General of Eurostat & Organiser and Co-Chair of the Q2024 Scientific Committee
SPEAKER
BIOGRAPHY
Mariana Kotzeva was appointed Director General of Eurostat by the European Commission on 1 March 2018. She is the first woman at the helm of Eurostat.
Ms Kotzeva joined Eurostat as an Adviser Hors Classe to the Director General in 2012. Two years later, in 2014, she was appointed Deputy Director-General.
Prior to joining the European Commission, Ms Kotzeva was the Head of Bulgaria’s National Statistical Institute. She also held a number of high-level consulting posts in the Bulgarian and foreign administrations, and led international projects for the United Nations and the World Bank.
Ms Kotzeva has a Master's degree in economics and a PhD in statistics and econometrics. She also has an Executive Education training at Harvard Kennedy School.
Ms Kotzeva is an Associate Professor of Statistics at the University of National and World Economy in Sofia, Bulgaria.
Mariana Kotzeva was appointed Director General of Eurostat by the European Commission on 1 March 2018. She is the first woman at the helm of Eurostat.
Ms Kotzeva joined Eurostat as an Adviser Hors Classe to the Director General in 2012. Two years later, in 2014, she was appointed Deputy Director-General.
Prior to joining the European Commission, Ms Kotzeva was the Head of Bulgaria’s National Statistical Institute. She also held a number of high-level consulting posts in the Bulgarian and foreign administrations, and led international projects for the United Nations and the World Bank.
Ms Kotzeva has a Master's degree in economics and a PhD in statistics and econometrics. She also has an Executive Education training at Harvard Kennedy School.
Ms Kotzeva is an Associate Professor of Statistics at the University of National and World Economy in Sofia, Bulgaria.
Mr. Aurel Shubert
Statistics Austria
SPEAKER
BIOGRAPHY
Aurel Schubert is currently Honorary Professor and lecturer at the Vienna University of Economics and Business, and at the Vienna School of International Studies. He was also Chairman of the European Statistical Governance Advisory Board (ESGAB) until January 2024. He was Director-General of the European Central Bank’s Statistics Department between 2010 and 2018, Chairman of the Statistics Committee of the European System of Central Banks and of the Contact Group on Data of the European Systemic Risk Board, Co-Chair of the European Statistical Forum, and Vice Chairman of the Irving Fisher Committee on Central Bank Statistics. Previously, Mr Schubert worked for 25 years at the Oesterreichische Nationalbank, 13 years as Director of Statistics. He has been member of several Austrian, European and international statistical bodies. He holds a Ph.D. in Economics from the University of South Carolina (USA) and a Master’s degree from the Vienna University of Economics and Business. He holds several Austrian and international advisory functions. He is the author of "The Credit-Anstalt Crisis of 1931”, and of more than 50 articles on central banking, statistics and monetary history.
Aurel Schubert is currently Honorary Professor and lecturer at the Vienna University of Economics and Business, and at the Vienna School of International Studies. He was also Chairman of the European Statistical Governance Advisory Board (ESGAB) until January 2024. He was Director-General of the European Central Bank’s Statistics Department between 2010 and 2018, Chairman of the Statistics Committee of the European System of Central Banks and of the Contact Group on Data of the European Systemic Risk Board, Co-Chair of the European Statistical Forum, and Vice Chairman of the Irving Fisher Committee on Central Bank Statistics. Previously, Mr Schubert worked for 25 years at the Oesterreichische Nationalbank, 13 years as Director of Statistics. He has been member of several Austrian, European and international statistical bodies. He holds a Ph.D. in Economics from the University of South Carolina (USA) and a Master’s degree from the Vienna University of Economics and Business. He holds several Austrian and international advisory functions. He is the author of "The Credit-Anstalt Crisis of 1931”, and of more than 50 articles on central banking, statistics and monetary history.
Mr Tobias Thomas
Statistics Austria
SPEAKER
BIOGRAPHY
Please note that this talk will be delivered by Mr Thomas Burg (Deputy Director General of Statistics Austria and Member of the Q2024 Programme Committee), on behalf of Mr Tobias Thomas.
Tobias Thomas is the Director General of Statistics Austria, Vice Chair of the Austrian Productivity Council (PROD) and professor of economics at the Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf. At an international level, Thomas represents Austria in the Committee for the European Statistical System (ESSC), at the United Nations Statistical Commission (UNSC), the United Nations Conference of European Statisticians (UNCES) and the OECD Committee on Statistics and Statistical Policy (CSSP). In addition, Thomas is member of the UNCES Task Force on the Changing Role of National Statistical Offices in Data Ecosystems.
After studying economics at the Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität Bonn and the Technical University of Berlin, Thomas received his doctorate summa cum laude at the Helmut-Schmidt-Universität Hamburg, where he later completed his habilitation. Thomas was a visiting scholar at, among others, Columbia University in New York at the invitation of Nobel Prize winners Joseph E. Stiglitz and Anya Schiffrin and to the Max Planck Institute for Tax Law and Public Finance in Munich at the invitation of Kai A. Konrad. Thomas regularly presents his research results at expert conferences and in scientific journals. He is regularly present in national and international media. In 2023 he was quoted 1 788 times by Austrian media (2022: 1 601, 2021: 1 413).
Please note that this talk will be delivered by Mr Thomas Burg (Deputy Director General of Statistics Austria and Member of the Q2024 Programme Committee), on behalf of Mr Tobias Thomas.
Tobias Thomas is the Director General of Statistics Austria, Vice Chair of the Austrian Productivity Council (PROD) and professor of economics at the Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf. At an international level, Thomas represents Austria in the Committee for the European Statistical System (ESSC), at the United Nations Statistical Commission (UNSC), the United Nations Conference of European Statisticians (UNCES) and the OECD Committee on Statistics and Statistical Policy (CSSP). In addition, Thomas is member of the UNCES Task Force on the Changing Role of National Statistical Offices in Data Ecosystems.
After studying economics at the Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität Bonn and the Technical University of Berlin, Thomas received his doctorate summa cum laude at the Helmut-Schmidt-Universität Hamburg, where he later completed his habilitation. Thomas was a visiting scholar at, among others, Columbia University in New York at the invitation of Nobel Prize winners Joseph E. Stiglitz and Anya Schiffrin and to the Max Planck Institute for Tax Law and Public Finance in Munich at the invitation of Kai A. Konrad. Thomas regularly presents his research results at expert conferences and in scientific journals. He is regularly present in national and international media. In 2023 he was quoted 1 788 times by Austrian media (2022: 1 601, 2021: 1 413).
