The Global Economic Volunteers

"By bringing together major players in the international community - policy makers, business leaders and academics - the GES is well on the way to establishing itself as a key forum for global dialogue. I am sure the symposium will go from strength to strength and make a valuable contribution to answering the pressing questions facing our global economy."

Joaquín Almunia - Commissioner for Economic and Monetary Affairs, European Commission

"GES demonstrated that citizens of the world from all walks of life do not only follow developments in the world that are shaping and defining our future but are ready to discuss and act to turn around the fortunes of the world to make it a better place for everyone."

Francis Appiah - Executive Secretary, Ghana National APRM Governing Council

"After attending dozens of conferences over the years, I learned that I get the most out of meetings that are small, intimate, and where the participants are very different from each other. For me, the Global Economic Symposium provided the ideal atmosphere for an intellectually challenging exchange."

Daniel Ariely - Professor of Behavioral Economics, Duke University; Visiting Professor, MIT Media Lab

"For an initial outing, the 2008 GES can only be called a spectacular success. The scope was breathtaking, the quality was high, and the person-to-person interactions were invaluable."

Alan S. Blinder - Professor of Economics and Public Affairs, Princeton University

"Great minds in a great setting working on the great questions that confront us all."

Edward Carr - Business Affairs Editor, The Economist

"The world desperately needs bold initiatives of this sort at present and this is one of the most interesting."

Sean Cleary - Chairman, Strategic Concepts

“I have rarely been to such a well organised event. The discussions were timely and the participants of a very high calibre. “

Evan Davis - Presenter, BBC’s Radio 4’s Today Programme

"The content and format to focus on policy implications with the input of most important experts and stakeholders was excellent. This is one of the rare occasions where attendants and panelists really take home new insights."

Aart De Geus - Deputy Secretary-General, OECD

“GES 2008 was a great success both from the substantive and the organizational points of view. It attracted some of the best minds in many fields. The level of interaction was particularly high and everyone went home with a feeling of having done something really useful. After such a great start in 2008, GES will no doubt become a preeminent locus for interaction among global players in the years to come.”

Luis Felipe De Seixas Correa - Brazilian Ambassador to Germany

Richard R. Ernst - Nobel Laureate; Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich

"I very much enjoyed the spirit and the interaction - the panels that I was able to attend were interesting and stimulating."

Richard Evans - CEO, Rio Tinto Alcan

"The conference reaped incredible dividends."

Raymond Fisman - Professor of Economics, Columbia University

"It was a tremendous achievement as well a real organisational success. The quality of debate was high, and from where I sit, to get so much high level information in such an intensive period was invaluable."

David Frost - Director General, British Chamber of Commerce

“Take Germany’s most renowned economics institute, add one of the country’s most beautiful spots, Lake Ploen, and you get the Global Economic Symposium, a gathering of first-rate minds that will soon become a global household term.”

Josef Joffe - Publisher-Editor, DIE ZEIT

"The Global Economic Symposium of 2008 was superbly designed and flawlessly conducted. The event is one of those infrequent occasions when decision-makers from business and government, and thought-leaders from academia, can exchange ideas and seek solutions to the globe's pressing problems. In 2008, the conversations were lively and provocative, the setting was wonderful and the staff was plentiful, cordial and attentive."

Edward E. Leamer - Professor of Management, Economics, and Statistics, and Director of the UCLA/Anderson Business Forecast Project

“The participants were first class, the organization excellent, and the discussions stimulating and serious yet relaxed. I can see a bright future for GES.”

Danny Leipziger - Vice President, Poverty Reduction and Economic Management Network, The World Bank

"The Global Economic Symposium 2008 provided an excellent platform in bringing together policy makers, thinkers and economists for addressing the most important economic issues facing the world today. For emerging economies like India, the Symposium was immensely relevant.”

Meera Shankar - Indian Ambassador to Germany

"I enjoyed the Symposium very much as I am sure others did and felt that for a first outing it went very well. Lots of interesting people. Very interesting and focussed discussion of important issues."

Michael Spence - Nobel Laureate; Professor Emeritus of Management, Stanford University