Rubenstein Lecture | Gita Gopinath, Harvard Economics Professor, former IMF

What does it take to steer the global economy through turbulence, and to lead at the highest levels of international policy? Gita Gopinath, Professor of Economics at Harvard University, and David Rubenstein, Co-Founder and Co-Chairman of the Carlyle Group take on the defining topics of 2026: the anxiety of rising tariffs, rapid changes in international trade policy, the uncertainty of a shifting global economic order, and the policies that will shape the path toward sustainable growth globally. Learn more about Gopinath’s remarkable journey from academia to the IMF and the global policymaking stage. She shares lessons from managing crises on the world stage and offers her perspective on the future of women in economics and public service. This session provides sharp analysis and rare insight into what it means to lead with clarity in uncertain times. This lecture is part of the David M. Rubenstein Distinguished Lecture Series. David M. Rubenstein is a Duke alumnus and former chair of Duke’s Board of Trustees. The David M. Rubenstein Distinguished Lecture brings high-profile thought leaders and policymakers to campus each year. More about the Rubenstein lecture series: https://sanford.duke.edu/news-events/distinguished-lecture-series/rubenstein-lecture/ More about the Duke Sanford School of Public Policy: https://sanford.duke.edu/