Lucked out of World Bank

For Chief Economic Advisor Kaushik Basu, the World Bank’s rejection of his job application soon after he completed his PhD was a stroke of good luck. Or so he says in a candid interview published in the latest edition of the Bengali cultural periodical Desh. Basu recalls getting as far as the final interview with World Bank bosses in Paris. Though he did not get the job, he said he has no regrets because he was able to focus on what he likes best — research and teaching. And that’s what he will be going back to soon at Cornell, once he completes his tenure in the finance ministry next month.