The Bank of Canada on Friday announced the appointment of Professor John Helliwell to the visiting-economist position of special advisor during 2003 and 2004.

Helliwell, who will join the Bank in September, was professor of economics at the University of British Columbia from 1967 to 2002 and is currently Visiting Research Fellow at Merton College, Oxford.

From 1965 to 1980, he was a part-time research adviser with the Bank of Canada’s research department, where he was an active participant in the development of the Bank’s early macroeconometric models of Canada and of international economic linkages.

The position of special advisor was created to bring additional views to monetary policy discussions and to increase the number of university and private sector economists with first-hand knowledge of the institution. Helliwell, whose areas of special interest include Canada-U.S. trade relations, will provide the Bank with insights on issues such as productivity growth and labour mobility and will be available to advise and guide Bank staff on their research in these areas.

Helliwell holds a Doctorate of Philosophy in Economics from Oxford University. In 2001, he was Christensen Visiting Fellow of St. Catherine’s College, Oxford and, from 1991 to 1994, he held the Mackenzie King Visiting Professorship of Canadian Studies at Harvard University. Helliwell has written several books on trade-related issues, including How Much Do National Borders Matter?, and Globalization and Well-Being?, for which he was awarded the Donner Prize this spring. His background in these areas will be a particular asset in fulfilling his role as visiting economist.