International statistics conference highlights for Friday 8 April, Apr 2005

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MEDIA RELEASE

April 7, 2005
Embargoed 11:30am (AEST)
45/2005

International statistics conference highlights for Friday 8 April

The International Statistics Institute conference continues tomorrow at Sydney's Darling Harbour Convention Centre.

Friday 8 April - Finance Statistics Theme Day

0900-1115

Cost, quality and relevance of financial statistics (Harbourside Auditorium 2)
This session will include the following presentations: Future challenges for compiling balance of payment and international investment position; and Cost, quality and relevance of the BIS international financial services.

Statistics for life: what are the statistical ideas or skills that matter most and why? (Harbourside Auditorium 1)
This session will include a high-powered panel and floor discussion, including ISI President Stephen Stigler.

1130-1230

Keynote address: "The changing statistical needs of Central Banks" Glenn Stevens, Dep. Governor of the Reserve Bank of Australia (Harbourside Auditorium 2)

1300-1515

Educating the media on how best to report statistics
This session includes a paper by Jacob Ryten and a panel presentation and floor discussion with Ross Gittens of the Sydney Morning Herald and Tim Colebatch of The Age.

1530-1745

Using history to enhance the teaching of statistics (Harbourside Meeting Room 3)
This session will include the following presentations: Taking fear out of data analysis; Probability and statistics ideas in the classroom; and Teaching probability via its history.

Expanded detail on selected session(s):
Future challenges in compiling balance of payments and international investment position (Harbourside Auditorium 2; 0935-940)
Jorgen Ovi and Thomas Elkjar, from the Danmark Nationalbank Statistics (Denmark) will look at the recent experiences by the Danish Central Bank in radically reforming the collection of data for the Danish Balance of Payment and International Investment Position. They will discuss how the Bank improved quality and reduced costs for respondents, to improve data accuracy, timeliness, relevance and accessibility. They will also argue the case for compilers of statistics to adopt globally accepted standards.
The International Comparison Program (Skyline Room 1; 1535-1550)

Frederic Vogel from the World Bank will talk about the International Comparison Program (ICP). Statisticians from more than 100 countries started collecting prices of more than a thousand selected products in January this year which will be used to calculate the different purchasing power of national currencies. In lay terms, the ICP does for all expenditures what the Big Mac Index does for the hamburger.
Probing Philippine Poverty and Inequality (Harbourside Meeting Room 2; 1340-1400)

Jose Ramon Albert from the Statistical Research and Training Center in the Philippines, will discuss official poverty statistics for the Philippines. The latest measurement system involves breaking down the data by urban and rural areas, which shows that poverty in the Philippines is largely a rural phenomenon and that large-size families are more likely to be poor.


Media are invited to attend these events or any others that they may wish to cover throughout the Session. There are about 1,000 topics on all aspects of statistics from around the world. Many of them would have appeal to specialist reporters. Not since 1967, when the Session was last hosted in Australia, has there been a concentration of statisticians in Australia like this.

If you wish to come, please feel free to call me or send me an email. If you turn up unannounced at the conference please register at the reception desk on arrival.

TV and radio please note: There will be splitter boxes only in Harbourside Auditoriums 1 and 2.

Steve Dangaard
Director ABS Media and Public Affairs
PR Manager for ISI Conference. Tel: 0418 481 757
Email: steve.dangaard@abs.gov.au
Detailed program and media releases at http://www.tourhosts.com.au/isi2005/media.asp