Economist Joseph Stiglitz was invited to Costa Rica by the Center for Cooperative Studies and Training (Cenecoop), the University of Costa Rica and the College of Economic Sciences for two conferences. Around 2,000 people participated in the events – ‘Cooperatives and the social economy: keys for economic balance’ and ‘The future and challenges of economic development in Costa Rica’ and the region on April 26.
Dr Stiglitz, aprofessor at Columbia University and 2001 winner of the Nobel Prize for Economics. highlighted the role of cooperatives in solving social problems. "When people come together, they have to deal with problems together," he said.
Cooperatives have played an important role in sectors where where the private businesses had failed, he added, giving the example of rural electric cooperatives.
The University of Costa Rica gave Dr Stiglitz its highest recognition: the honoris causa, while the government of Costa Rica declared his visit of public interest.
Read the interview conducted by the Semanario Universidad here
