University of Economics and Business at the Vietnam National University (VNU-UEB) was established in 1974 with the mission of providing highly qualified and specialized oriented human resources in policy analysis, economic management and business administration to meet the demands of qualified, efficient and stable development of Vietnam. 

ARTNeT secretariat welcomes VNU-UEB as the 72nd ARTNeT institutional member and is confident that VNU-UEB will be an excellent addition to the ARTNeT community. Having another member institutions from a dynamic Vietnamese economy can help create further opportunities for productive networking with other ARTNeT institutional members. The VNU-UEB has already participated in ARTNeT activities by deputing speakers in relevant events and has demonstrated commitments to be a proactive institutional member The UEB focal point to ARTNeT will be Associate Professor Nguyen AnhThu.

This paper replicates the study of Topalova (2010), performs a robustness check, and extends the findings by applying the estimation technique to the economy of Thailand. Topalova (2010) found that trade liberalization in India has heterogenous effects on poverty and household consumption. More specifically, districts in which production sectors are more exposed to trade openness, experienced less poverty reduction and slower consumption growth. The effects of trade reform on poverty have been extended to a squared poverty gap, and the results are robust to other poverty measures. We then apply the methods to Thailand by examining the relative effects of accession to the WTO in 1995, and find that poverty reduced more in provinces with a greater exposure to trade reforms. Labour mobility is a potential channel underpinning this effect. Furthermore, these impacts are more pronounced on the poorer samples and urban areas.

For the full paper please visit here. 

The number of composite indices that are constructed and used internationally is growing very fast; but whilst the complexity of quantitative techniques has increased dramatically, the education and training in this area has been dragging and lagging behind. As a consequence, these simple numbers, expected to synthesize quite complex issues, are often presented to the public and used in the political debate without proper emphasis on their intrinsic limitations and correct interpretations. In this course on global statistics, offered by the University of Geneva jointly with the ETH Zürich KOF, you will learn the general approach of constructing composite indices and some of resulting problems. The course will discuss the technical properties, the internal structure (like aggregation, weighting, stability of time series), the primary data used and the variable selection methods. These concepts will be illustrated using a sample of the most popular composite indices. The course will try to address not only statistical questions but also focus on the distinction between policy-, media- and paradigm-driven indicators.

The course is free and you can access it here. 

ARTNeT secretariat was invited by our partner International Centre for Trade and Sustainable Development (ICTSD) to join ICTSD-IDB RTA Exchange Dialogue: Constructing better agreements for sustainable development on 11-13 June. There were more than 70 experts gathering to discuss and share on the topics of Trade facilitation 2.0 in regional trade agreements (RTAs) and ongoing evolution of investment policymaking in RTAs. ARTNeT secretariat contributing by providing Asian perspectives on Trade facilitation in RTAs and on sustainability relevant investment provisions in RTAs and international investment agreements as well as drawing links to ongoing work of ARTNeT, UNNExT and ESCAP.

For more information of this dialogue please visit here. 

ARTNeT secretariat attended Global forum on inclusive trade for LDCs, organised by Enhanced Integrated Framework (EIF) in Geneva on 13 and14 June. The forum was set to explore the progress made in trade development in LDCs over the last decade, and determine what more is needed. It mobilized bold new commitments by LDC leaders to use trade to meet the Sustainable Development Goals. Focusing on trade facilitation and on how to scale up LDC trade integration in Asia-Pacific, ARTNeT secretariat explained the role of knowledge communities and the role of ESCAP in supporting regional arrangements such as Framework Agreement on Facilitation of Cross-border Paperless Trade is enabling LDCs to utilize trade effectively for sustainable development.

For more information of this forum please visit here. 

Our member SAWTEE is organising 11th South Asian Training Programme on CGE Modelling in Pokhara, Nepal on 9-13 August 2018. The aims of the training are imparting knowledge on theory and applications of computable general equilibrium (CGE) models, enhancing policy research capacity, and expanding network among researchers and institutions for enhanced collaboration. Applicants should have at least a Master’s degree in economics or a related subject and a good knowledge of applied micro- and macro-economics. 

For more information please visit here. 

"Urban innovation challenge: Citypreneurs" consists of two main components: a startup competition that works in close collaboration with city governments to solve urban problems as defined and measured by the United Nation's Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs), and an inclusive policy interface that brings together academia, the public and private sectors, civil society and international organizations to partake in policy discussions and set up an alliance of youth empowerment enablers.

For more information please visit here. ​

The Asia-Pacific Case Competition, co-organised by our partner APRU challenges students to critically evaluate the fast-evolving landscape of artificial intelligence. How we can harness the full potential of this promising technology? How do we effectively mitigate the risks? The competition is open to university students in the Asia-Pacific region and the winner will have their work recognized and published in The New York Times International Edition.

For more information please visit here. 

The Centre of Policy Studies (CoPS), a group of CGE modellers now based in Victoria University, Melbourne, is offering CGE courses in Beijing, Melbourne, Ho Chi Minh City, Sydney, Kent and Shanghai.

For more information about the course please visit here; For PhD opportunity please visit here. 

Our partner, United Nations University Institute on Comparative Regional Integration Studies (UNU-CRIS) cordially welcomes applications from outstanding (post)doctoral researchers looking to enhance their career development and prospects by working abroad. Applications focused on the role of the United Nations and other international institutions in the efforts to create and maintain peace and security are welcome. 

For more information please visit here. 

International conference on Empowering women: Fostering entrepreneurship, innovation & sustainability is jointly organised by NITI Aayog’s Women Entrepreneurship Platform, Government of India and our member Shri Ram College of Commerce’s Office of International Programmes, University of Delhi on 16-17 July 2018. The organisers invite you to contribute original research paper(s) on the theme of the Conference.

For more information about this call please visit here.

The Economics Department at Purdue University will host the 25th Annual Empirical Investigations in International Trade conference. At this conference, economists specializing in empirical international trade will present their current research. The goal of this conference is to promote the awareness of ongoing research in the area. There will be the graduate student competition once again this year.

For more information about the conference and submissions please visit here. 

The inaugural Trade Network Workshop is being organised by the European Central Bank and will be held in Frankfurt am Main, Germany, on 17 September 2018.

After years of low growth, global trade dynamics are gaining momentum again. At the same time, trade growth is likely to remain below pre-crisis averages. This gives rise to a number of questions, such as: What is the new steady state for global trade growth? What are the drivers of the cyclical developments? Which structural determinants will anchor trade growth going forward? To what extent are protectionist policies posing risks to world trade? The workshop will bring together central bankers, academics and market practitioners to discuss their views and empirical evidence on these topics. Contributions on topics are welcome. Please email your contributions to ECBTradeWorkshop@ecb.europa.eu by 31 July 2018.

In collaboration with the journal World Development, this international conference on Sustainability and Development seeks to bring together a diverse and interdisciplinary constituency to engage with the best approaches and means to implement the Sustainable Development Goals and assess progress towards them.

We welcome abstracts for oral presentations, lightning talks, panel sessions, posters, and workshops. Abstracts must address a conference theme and follow the abstract guidelines. The submission of full papers will be strongly encouraged, and the best 25 papers will be published as a special issue. We are also accepting applications for financial assistance for students and scholars from lower-income countries. Submissions are due July 15, 2018.

For more information please visit here. 

Providing a non-technical understanding of poor economic growth and performance of the public sector in Pakistan relative to that of peer countries, Vaqar Ahmed’s Pakistan’s Agenda for Economic Reforms serves as an interesting introduction to policy makers, journalists, and civil society organizations interested in carrying out research and advocacy work as part of their social accountability efforts and attempts to improve economic governance in the country. Delving one step ahead from recent literature on Pakistan’s economy, the author focuses on why reform of institutions dealing with economic policy regulation and management is imperative, while simultaneously speculating issues underlying the past decade, and identifying key areas of improvement and pending structural reforms that Pakistan’s economy could pursue for inclusive growth and social justice. Exploring the fragmented structure of energy governance, public expenditure management, trade, transit, and the labor market, this book serves as an important resource for readers wishing to have an understanding of economic challenges and reform options.

Vaqar Ahmed is Deputy Executive Director at the Sustainable Development Policy Institute (SDPI), an ARTNeT member. For more information about this book please visit here. 

Easy availability of chemical fertilizers, access to better quality seeds and cheaper equipment across the open border in Indian markets have contributed to a thriving informal trade of agricultural inputs in Nepali villages bordering India. Although the informal trade has made accessing these essential inputs seemingly convenient for farmers, this increasing dependency on such unreliable practices can be detrimental. 

For the full research brief from our member SAWTEE please visit here. 

The book from our partner WTO examines the SDGs from economic, social and environmental perspectives and outlines how trade is contributing to making progress in each of these areas, including through reducing poverty, improving health and supporting efforts to tackle environmental degradation. It also recommends a number of steps to help accelerate progress in achieving the SDGs.

For more information please visit here. 

Asia’s economic transformation is reshaping the global distribution of power, with profound implications for war and peace in the twenty-first century. The Lowy Institute Asia Power Index is an analytical tool for sharpening debate on power in the Asia-Pacific. The Index ranks 25 countries and territories in terms of their power, reaching as far west as Pakistan, as far north as Russia, and as far into the Pacific as Australia, New Zealand, and the United States. Explore state power across eight measures and 114 indicators. Plot the distribution of power in Asia on an interactive map. Compare variations in performance within and between countries. Adjust the principal weightings of the Index. And drill down into hundreds of unique country data points and findings.

For the interactive website please visit here, and for the report please visit here.

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The ARTNeT Secretariat welcomes submissions of policy briefs, working papers, book reports, research reports, and book reviews by ARTNeT members, partners and collaborators. For any submission to be considered, the editorial 'Guidelines for Submissions to the ARTNeT Working Papers Series' must be adhered to.

If you are an ARTNeT member, partner or collaborator and would like to publicise your publications, research or events in the next newsletter, please e-mail us at artnetontrade@un.org.