March 2014

RIDGE
•••

In the roundtable held in Montevideo, the Uruguayan

Government and the IEA signed an agreement for the
creation of the Research Institute for Development, Growth
and Economics (RIDGE). RIDGE aims to favor the
development and the spread of high quality research in
economics, and to promote top postgraduate education, with
particular emphasis on economic development, international
economics and economic growth. It also aims to promote the
development of new views on economic thinking from the Joseph Stiglitz and Fernando Lorenzo signed
the agreement for the creation of the RIDGE
perspective of developing countries.

During 2014-2015, the objective is to create eight research groups of internationally reputed
researchers in economics. RIDGE fellows will be well-established senior and promising junior,
located mainly in the US and Europe, as well as local and regional researchers. Research
groups will be organized around a well-defined topic and will be led by a highly reputed senior,
the “research leader”. A few of the researchers in the group, including the research leader, are
expected to visit RIDGE jointly for a period of 3 to 4 weeks each year (the “invited fellows”).
Research groups are expected to organize a workshop each year and publish some research
papers in a newly created RIDGE WP Series. As a general rule, topics have to be relevant for
economic policy and/or have a critical social impact. Research groups aim to interact with
researchers in the region and increase the relation between academic research and economic
policy. Ideally, visits will be organized around March and November/December, most
workshops overlapping or taking place simultaneously to increase interaction. Some courses
could be organized in coordination with local and regional master programs or national, regional
and multinational institutions. Cooperation with universities, research centers and think tanks in
the region as well as research departments of national, regional and international institutions is
also expected.
Since RIDGE does not still have its own venue, during this period, some local institutions
(universities, research centers, including the research department of the central bank) will host
the research groups. A local fellow affiliated to each host institution will coordinate the activities
of the research group, acting as “local organizer.” During their visit to Montevideo, the invited
fellows will work on their own research, give a few seminars locally and in the region, participate
in the research group workshop and courses, and regularly interact with local researchers, in
the hope that it will generate join research projects.
The workshops organized by the RIDGE research groups will last for two days and include
academic sessions and policy debates, associating top researchers working on the frontier of
knowledge, local and regional researchers doing more applied research, and policy makers.
RIDGE workshops will be concentrated in December and March, to maximize interaction among
visitors. Since, in Latin America there exists some well-established field networks, RIDGE aims
to interact with them within the framework of the RIDGE research groups.
Some research groups, but not necessarily all, will teach courses. These courses will be
addressed to around twenty students registered in local and regional master programs or,
alternatively, to twenty economists working on local and regional institutions (as central banks,
for example). RIDGE courses will be intensive, one-week courses, taught by one or a few of the
invited fellows and they will cover topics that are at the frontier of knowledge in economics.
Participants to the course will receive a grant covering accommodation.

The research groups organized so far are the following:

1. CRIME and CONFLICT.

Visiting Fellows: Joan Esteban (IAE-CSIC and Barcelona GSE) and Debraj Ray (NYU).
Activities:
a) A workshop on “Social Conflict and Economic Development” to be held in December 2015.
b) A workshop on “Crime and Development“ to be held in March 2015 (in coordination with the Alcapone
Network, LACEA).

2. DEVELOPMENT and GROWTH from an ECONOMIC HISTORY PERSPECTIVE.

Visiting Fellows: James Robinson (Harvard) and Jeffrey Williamson (Harvard).
Activities: A workshop on “Exploring the Africa-Latin America comparison in global economic history and
development,” March 2015.

3. FINANCIAL REGULATION and FINANCIAL STABILITY.

Visiting Fellows: Jean-Charles Rochet (Zurich) and Rafael Repullo (CEMFI).
Activities: A workshop on “Short and long term challenges to financial stability and regulatory responses”
to be held in December 2014.
4. GROWTH and DEVELOPMENT from a MACRO PERSPECTIVE.
Visiting Fellows: Diego Restuccia (Toronto) and German Cubas (Houston).
Activities: A workshop on “Developments in Economic Growth: Perspectives for Latin America“ to be
held in December 2014.

5. INCOME DISTRIBUTION.
Visiting Fellows: To be confirmed.

6. INTERNATIONAL MACRO.
Visiting Fellows: Javier Bianchi (Wisconsin-Madison), Enrique Mendoza (Penn) and Ivan Werning (MIT).
Activities: A workshop on “Financial Crises: Conventional and Unconventional Policies” to be held in
December 2014.

7. POLITICAL ECONOMY.
Visiting Fellows: Tim Besley (LSE and IEA).
Activities:
a) A workshop on “Political accountability” to be held in December 2014.
b) A two-day workshop on “State Capacity” to be held in March 2015.
8. TRADE and FIRM DYNAMICS.
Visiting Fellows: Hugo Hopenhayn (UCLA), Lorenzo Caliendo (Yale, NBER), Omar Licandro (Barcelona
GSE and IEA) and Timothy Kehoe (Minnesota).
NEW ROUNDTABLES
Activities: A workshop on “New Developments in Trade and Firm Dynamics” to be held in March 2015.
•••
The RIDGE Steering Committee is formed by:
Mr. Enrique Iglesias, RIDGE Honorary President.
Professor Joseph Stiglitz, Columbia University, USA, Nobel Laureate and President of the IEA, RIDGE
Chairman.
Professor Andreu Mas-Colell, Barcelona GSE and President Elect of the IEA.
Mr. Mario Bergara, Ministry of Economics and Finance, Uruguay.
Professor Aloisio Araujo, IMPA, Brazil.
Professor Vittorio Corbo, former President of the Banco Central de Chile.
Professor Juan Pablo Nicolini, Universidad Torcuato di Tella, Argentina.
Professor Omar Licandro, IAE-CISC and Barcelona GSE, Secretary General of the IEA and RIDGE
Executive Secretary.

PAST ROUNDTABLES
•••

Capital Flows, Capital Controls and Monetary Policy

December 7-8, 2013
Montevideo, Uruguay

The IEA and the Central Bank of Uruguay organized a roundtable on "Capital Flows, Capital
Controls and Monetary Policy", in Montevideo on December 7-8, 2013. The roundtable
was co-chaired by Joseph Stiglitz, Javier Bianchi and Omar Licandro and gathered
academics and policy makers. The topics covered included global financial architecture,
gross capital flows, monetary and fiscal policy, capital controls and macro prudential policies,
exchange rate regimes, sudden stops in capital flows, sovereign default, balance sheet
effects, and international contagion. The interaction between policy makers and academics
from a wide range of background. resulted in very lively and interesting discussions.

Andreu Mas-colell, Joseph Stiglitz, Mario Bergara, Fernando Lorenzo and Jonathan Ostry
 IEA 17th WORLD CONGRESS

The International Economic Association (IEA) is the association of the economic associations
from around the world, and is the unique international organization that brings together
economists from developed and developing countries across a broad range of fields.

The Event - Scientific Program

The World Congress is held once every three years. More than 500 economists are expected
to attend. And over 400 papers will be presented in parallel academic sessions. In addition,
there will be a number of policy sessions and keynote lectures. Confirmed speakers include
Philippe Aghion, Kaushik Basu, François Bourguignon, Paul Collier, Martine Durand, Jim
Heckman, Karla Hoff, Ravi Kanbur, Huruhiko Kuroda, Eliana La Ferrara, Justin Yifu Lin,
Célestin Monga, Mthuli Ncube, José Antonio Ocampo, Rohini Somanathan, Nick Stern,
Joseph Stiglitz (who will also deliver the IEA Presidential Address) and Adair Turner. A number
of sessions have been arranged in collaboration with organizations such as INET, CIGI, IDRC,
the Fung Global Institute, the World Bank, UNDESA, the African Innovation Foundation,
African Bank for Development, ASERC, EPS, ECINEQ, Herbert Simon Society, IPD, ICG,
OECD and WIDER. Moreover, a number of IEA member associations are also organizing
sessions.

Full details of the program are available on the relative pages at the IEA website.

The Program Committee

The scientific program of the 17th World Congress is chaired by Professor Timothy Besley
(London School of Economics), who is being assisted by an international program committee
composed of:

Shigeyuki Abe Simon Gaechter Eliana La Ferrara Nancy Qian Mariano Tomassi
Bassem Itzhak Gilboa Jong-Wha Lee Marta Reynal Querol Thierry Verdier
Awadallah Sergei Guriev Domenico Ricardo Reis Leonard
Marianne Dean Karlan Lombardi Eytan Sheshinski Watchekon
Bertrand Henrik Kleven Nathan Nunn Rohini Somanathan Martin Wittenberg
Lisa Cameron Anton Korinek Daniel Paravisini Silvana Tenreyro Chenggang Xu
Bruce Chapman Thomas Piketty Muhamet Yildiz
Ishac Diwan
Claudio Ferraz
Venue

The Seventeenth World Congress will be held at the King Hussein Bin Talal Convention
Center (KHBTCC), on the Dead Sea, Jordan. The Center nestles on the eastern shores of the
Dead Sea at the heart of the Jordan Rift Valley. The Dead Sea is the lowest body of water on
earth, the lowest point on earth, and the world's richest source of natural salts. One of the most
spectacular natural and spiritual landscapes in the world; the Jordanian east coast of the Dead
Sea has evolved into a major hub of both religious, health and wellness tourism in the region.

The Dead Sea is 45 minutes away from Amman, the capital city of Jordan and is close to
historical tourist attractions such as Petra (one of the Seven Wonders of the World), the
Roman ruins in the city of Jerash, and the Baptism Site, to name a few. It is a good idea to
stay for an extra few days after the Congress to unwind in this most beautiful place
All details on registration can be found on the IEA website at http://www.iea-
world.org/JordanCongress_Registration.php

General Information on IEA World Congress

Full details on the scientific program and logistics, including accommodation (some of which
have been designated “family friendly”) and how to book rooms, are available at the congress
website http://www.iea- world.org/JordanCongress_Welcome.php. Please take time to look at
the website and contact congress2014@iea-world.org for ANY information.

We do hope to see you at the IEA World Congress!

UPCOMING ROUNDTABLES
•••

Shared Prosperity
Jordan, 10-11 June 2014

Organizers: Kaushik Basu (World Bank) and Joseph Stiglitz (Columbia University)
Chair: Kaushik Basu (World Bank)
Speakers: Jonathan Ostry (International Monetary Fund), Nora Lustig (Tulane University, TBC),
Gabriel Palma (Cambridge University)
Discussants: Joseph Stiglitz (Columbia University), Francois Bourguignon (Paris School of
Economics, TBC), Celestin Monga (World Bank, TBC)

The issues of inequality and shared prosperity have increasingly gained attention in the
development policy agenda of international organizations like the OECD, IMF and the World
Bank. Similarly, countries, regardless of their development levels, are trying to better understand
the linkages between inequality and growth. Inequality has come into the mainstream of
economic policy discourse in a major way and this opens up scope for exciting new research,
analysis and policy. This session will address questions from measurements of income
distribution, trends within and across regions of the world, and the linkages/tradeoffs between
inequality and growth.
IPD/JICA Task Force on Transformation, Industrialization and Industrial
Policies
Jordan, 5-6 June 2014

Organizers: Akbar Noman (Columbia University), Jose Antonio Ocampo (Columbia University) and
Joseph Stiglitz (Columbia University)
Chair: Joseph Stiglitz (Columbia University)
Speakers: Some 15-20 invited participants

This is to be the first meeting of a task force jointly established by the Initiative for Policy Dialogue (IPD)
at Columbia University and the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA). After a prolonged
neglect, there has been of late a revival of interest in the nexus of issues of economic transformation,
industrialization and industrial policies. The Task Force aims to build on and foster this revival.
Whilst industrial policies are highly relevant to industrialization, the focus is not confined to industry. The
term is used in a broader sense to refer to policies that promote economic transformation and learning,
including in modern services and agriculture. It would be more accurate to refer to them as learning,
industrial and technology (LIT) policies (but given the familiarity with the term, industrial policies, the two
may be used interchangeably).

WELCOME TO OUR NEW ASSOCIATE MEMBERS

•••

Union of Economists of Turkmenistan Cyprus Turkish Economic Association

49/3 Turkmenbashi Avenue Şehit Pilot Yüzbaşı Güntekin Şengör Street,
Ashgabat, Turkmenistan 744000 No:5, 3rd Floor, Kumsal,
Tel: +99312 224547; +99312 224567 Nicosia,
Mr. Yuriy Aronskiy via Mersin 10,
President North Cyprus
Email: yurii.aronskii@gmail.com Email: vyorucu@hotmail.com
Webpage: www.ctea-nc.com

NEWS FROM OUR NEW MEMBERS

•••

EEA-ESEM Annual Congress 2014

Toulouse, August 25-29

Registration is now open for the annual EEA-ESEM congress.

Please find more information here: http://www.eea-esem-congresses.org/

 Economics Association of Malawi
August, 29-31

The Economics Association of Malawi (ECAMA) will be holding an academic symposium in

Lilongwe, Malawi from 8 - 10 October followed by an annual economic conference from 16 - 18
October, 2014 at the shores of our beautiful Lake Malawi well known for fresh waters and its
flavored Chambo fish. People interested in attending the symposium or the conference, please
contact Nelson Mkandaŵire, Executive Director of ECAMA, at the following email address:
nmkandawire1@gmail.com.

EARIE Milan 2014

August, 29-31

The European Association for Research in Industrial Economics is pleased to announce that the
2014 Annual Conference will take place at Università Bocconi, Milan, Italy, from Friday August
29 to Sunday August 31.

Please find more information here: www.earie2014.org

INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC ASSOCIATION

(N.G.O. UNESCO O.N.G.)

President: Professor Joseph STIGLITZ

President-elect: Professor Andreu MAS-COLELL Preceding President: Professor Masahiko AOKI
Treasurer: Professor Lawrence LAU Vice-President: Professor Timothy BESLEY
Secretary General: Professor Omar LICANDRO

President’s address : Uris Hall, room 814, Columbia University, 3022 Broadway, New York, NY 10027
Telephone : +1 (212) 854 1481 – Fax : +1 (212) 662 8474 – Email: jes322@columbia.edu

Secretary General address : Institut d’Anàlisi Económica CSIC, campus UAB, ES 08193 Bellaterra, Spain
Telephone : +34 935 806 612 – Fax : +34 935 801 452 – Email: omar.licandro@iea-world.org

Secretariat: Institut d’Anàlisi Económica CSIC, campus UAB, ES 08193 Bellaterra, Spain
Telephone : +34 935 806 612 – Fax : +34 935 801 452 - Email: iea@iea-world.org – http: //www.iea-world.org