Moving on: Interview with Markus Eller, Departing Senior Economist at the JVI

Markus Eller has been with the JVI since 2022. He spoke with JVI Newsletter staff about his experience and views on the JVI, his achievements and new challenges.

Markus, can you give an overview of your role and key activities during your four years with the JVI? 

During my four years at the JVI (February 2022–January 2026), my role as Senior Economist combined teaching, course leadership, curriculum development, and institutional contributions. I contributed to more than 20 different courses, with close to 50 individual deliveries, reaching approximately 1,100 government officials from the JVI region. Over time, my responsibilities expanded – particularly in my role as course director – leading up to seven courses per year by 2025 across offerings by the IMF, the Austrian Federal Ministry of Finance, the Oesterreichische Nationalbank (OeNB), and the JVI.

My teaching focused primarily on macro-fiscal issues, including fiscal sustainability, fiscal policy analysis, fiscal institutions, taxation, inclusive growth, and nowcasting, complemented by workshops, group projects, and peer-learning formats. I was also closely involved in modernizing training delivery, including the introduction of blended and cohort formats, the development of new courses, and the organization of JVI webinars. I also contributed to corporate tasks, such as curriculum reviews, alumni and training director surveys, and internal knowledge sharing.

How would you describe your work experience at the JVI? What were your key achievements during this period?

My experience at the JVI was intense, intellectually rewarding, and strongly collaborative. I joined during the pandemic, which required rapid adaptation to virtual delivery and, later, to new training modalities. Navigating this transition was possible thanks to the strong team spirit at the JVI and the openness of colleagues to exchange ideas. Equally as important, I would highlight the supportive and balanced approach of the management, which encouraged innovation while allowing for a gradual transition. Contributing to this post-pandemic transformation and the modernization of JVI training was a particularly rewarding professional experience.

Key achievements include the modernization of several flagship fiscal courses (such as Future of Taxation and Sound Fiscal Institutions), the development of new teaching modules (notably in Fiscal Sustainability), and the introduction of AI-related content into the curriculum. I am particularly proud of the new peer-to-peer workshop on AI Applications for Revenue Mobilization and my contributions to cohort training, including the CCAMTAC/JVI Cohort Training on Macroeconomic Analysis and Management and the first-time delivery of the IMF Cohort Training on Fiscal Policy Analysis and Sustainability.

Was there a specific highlight for you during this period? Any anecdote you would like to share? 

A specific highlight for me was the opportunity to teach a course in the JVI region. In particular, the first leg of the joint CCAMTAC/JVI cohort training was delivered in Almaty, Kazakhstan. This marked my first visit to Central Asia and allowed me to gain a much better sense of the backgrounds and policy challenges faced by an important share of JVI course participants. Beyond the professional experience, I also greatly enjoyed the regional cuisine and the warm hospitality, which made the visit particularly memorable.

What are you looking forward to after the JVI? 

I am pleased to be returning to the OeNB’s CESEE Division as a Senior Economist, bringing with me a much richer perspective on capacity development, regional policy challenges, and applied macro-fiscal work. My time at the JVI has deepened my appreciation for translating analytical work into practical policy discussions and for the value of peer learning across countries.

At the same time, I hope to maintain close ties with the JVI and the IMF – whether through teaching, research collaboration, or joint initiatives – building on the strong professional relationships developed over these four years. I also very much hope to stay in touch with former course participants, many of whom I am sure I will meet again – either at OeNB conferences or in the region through regional collaboration platforms.

Rilind Kabashi, Senior Economist, Joint Vienna Institute