President Lee C. Bollinger of Columbia University welcomed students, faculty members and global business leaders to the 20th-anniversary conference of the School’s Center on Japanese Economy and Business (CJEB) last week. The October 26 conference, which had as its theme “Japan’s Economic Future: Policy, Politics, and Producers,” included panels on developing political and financial trends in Japan and innovative Japanese business styles. Timothy F. Geithner, president and CEO of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, delivered the first keynote address. “In today’s rapidly evolving global economy, monetary policymakers cannot ignore the international dimension,” said Geithner. “As economies become more open, external developments inevitably affect price and output dynamics.” Geithner said that the central bank must remain committed to containing inflation in a world made more challenging by increasing financial and economic integration. Dean Glenn Hubbard delivered a second keynote address in the afternoon. “For 20 years, the center has played an integral role in promoting knowledge and understanding of Japanese business and economics in an international context,” said Hubbard. “It is a prime example of Columbia Business School’s dedication to leading a worldwide information exchange between business leaders and the academic community linking the academic thought leadership of the School and the marketplace.” Panelists at the conference included Shulong Chu, a visiting fellow at the Brookings Institute; Ernest Higa ’76, president and CEO of Higa Industries; Takatoshi Ito, professor of economics at the University of Tokyo; Paul Sheard, global chief economist at Lehman Brothers; Joseph Stiglitz, University Professor; and David Weinstein, the Carl Sumner Shoup Professor of the Japanese Economy. Founded in 1986, the CJEB promotes knowledge and understanding of Japanese and Asia-Pacific economies, supporting research, workshops, conferences, training and curricular development programs as well as scholarly and professional exchanges.