David Weinstein
David E. Weinstein is the Carl S. Shoup Professor of the Japanese Economy at Columbia University. He is also the director of the Center on Japanese Economy and Business (CJEB), co-director of Columbia’s APEC Study Center, co-director of the Japan Project at the National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER), and a member of the Center for Economic Policy Research (CEPR). He was appointed a global advisor to Global Financial City Tokyo by Yuriko Koike, the governor of the Tokyo Metropolitan Government.
Previously, Professor Weinstein served as chair of the Department of Economics and as a senior economist and consultant at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco, and the Federal Reserve Board of Governors. He also served on the Federal Economic Statistics Advisory Committee and the Council of Economic Advisors. Prior to joining the Columbia faculty, Professor Weinstein held professorships at the University of Michigan and Harvard University. In 2025, he was a Visiting Scholar in Harvard University's Department of Economics and a Distinguished Scholar at the Weatherhead Program on U.S.-Japan Relations at Harvard. In 2026, he was a Visiting Scholar in the Massachusetts Institute of Technology's Department of Economics. His teaching and research interests include international economics, corporate finance, and the Japanese economy. Professor Weinstein earned his PhD and MA in economics from the University of Michigan and his BA from Yale University.
He has received numerous grants and awards, including five National Science Foundation grants, an Institute for New Economic Thinking grant, a Bank of International Settlements Fellowship, and a Google Research Award. He is a recipient of the Order of the Rising Sun, Gold Rays with Neck Ribbon, one of the highest honors bestowed by the Japanese government on those who have rendered distinguished service to Japan, in recognition of his significant contributions to promoting academic exchange and mutual understanding between Japan and the United States. He was also honored with the Eagle on the World Award, presented by the Japanese Chamber of Commerce and Industry (JCCI) of New York at JCCI’s 40th Annual Dinner Gala, for exemplary leadership in enhancing U.S.-Japan relations and international affairs.