Distinguished personalities presented guest lectures and led lively discussions with students and the public at CERGE-El (Center for Economic Research and Graduate Education - Economics Institute) during May and June. Alan Krueger. Chairman of the White House Council of Economic Advisors and the Bendheim Professor of Economics and Public Affairs at Princeton University lectured on Reasons for Confidence in the U.S. Economy. Christopher Sims, the 2011 Nobel Prize Laureate in Economics (together with Thomas Sargant) gave a lecture on Current Macroeconomics and Reality, in which they discussed the current economic crisis and its impact on academic economy. Harvard Professor Philippe Alto discussed two of his recent papers, Cyclical Fiscal Policy, Credit Constraints and Industry Growth and Monetary Policy Liquidity and Growth. and Jan Straka.