Internet Governance Forum USA 2015

Thursday, July 16, 2015

Marvin Center Grand Ballroom
800 21st Street NW
Washington, DC 20052

The IGF-USA 2015 was a full-day conference that brought together thought leaders from across the Internet multi-stakeholder community to highlight and engage in discussions about key issues that will drive the future of the Internet.

Topics

  • Encryption, Backdoors, Security and Privacy
  • The Politics of Innovation: Can the Internet Spur Too Much Disruption?
  • Truth and Trolls: Dealing with Toxic Speech while Protecting Free Speech Online
  • The state of digital rights and Free Expression Online
  • Critical Internet Resources: An update on progress and challenges remaining for the transition of IANA stewardship and enhancing ICANN accountability.
  • Enhancing Multistakeholder Cooperation
  • Internet of Things
  • The Digital Trade Imbalance: There is an imbalance in trade strategies between the US and many of its trade partners
  • Connecting the Next Billion

Confirmed keynotes

  • Catherine A. Novelli – Under Secretary of State & Senior Coordinator for International Information Technology Diplomacy
  • Ambassador Daniel A. Sepulveda – Deputy Assistant Secretary of State and U.S. Coordinator for International Communications and Information Policy
  • Lawrence E. Strickling – Assistant Secretary for Communications and Information and Administrator, National Telecommunications and Information Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce
  • Vint Cerf – Vice President and Chief Internet Evangelist, Google
  • Steve Crocker – Chairman of the Board of Directors, ICANN
  • Kathryn Brown – President and CEO, The Internet Society

For more information, please contact Kyle Renner at iiep@gwu.edu or 202-994-5320.

Co-Sponsored by:

ARIN
ICANN
Public Interest Registry
Microsoft
NetChoice
Software and Information Industry Association

Disney
The Internet Society
Verisign
Internet Infrastructure Coalition
Verizon
Wiley Rein

Videos from the Forum

Welcome Remarks

 

Keynote by Larry Strickling

Keynote Conversation with Vinton Cerf and Steve Crocker, moderated by Nancy Scola

Breakout Session – Critical Internet Resources: An update on progress and challenges remaining for the transition of IANA stewardship and enhancing ICANN accountability

Keynote remarks by Julie Zoller – Deputy Coordinator, International Communications and Information Policy, U.S. Department of State

Keynote remarks by Kathryn Brown – President and CEO, The Internet Society

Breakout Session – Maintaining Trust Online: Cybersecurity, Encryption, Backdoors, and Privacy

Keynote Session – “Connecting the World”

Plenary – Connecting the Next Billion

Closing Plenary – Breakout Summaries

Urbanization and Poverty Reduction Conference

Originally published on July 8, 2015

Each year, academics and development practitioners meet at the World Bank’s Headquarters to present their research and discuss the challenges of urbanization in developing countries. Check back in the coming months for updates regarding the 3rd Annual Urbanization and Poverty Reduction Research Conference on Monday, February 1st, 2016, which will again be co-hosted by IIEP, the Growth Dialogue, and the World Bank, and will discuss climate change, the environment, and their interaction with sustainable urbanization.

IGF-USA 2015

Originally published on June 24, 2015

The Internet Governance Forum USA is a full day, annual conference taking place at George Washington University in Washington, DC that brings together thought leaders from across the Internet multistakeholder community to engage in discussions about key issues that will drive the future of the Internet. Bringing together hundreds of leaders and academics, IGF-USA 2015 featured discussions on topics ranging from free speech online to the cooperation of multistakeholders. If you missed the conference, full Live Streams of each session can be found below.
Thank you to everyone who attended, volunteered, and helped to organize IGF-USA 2015!

 

IGF-USA 2015 sponsors included ARIN, Disney, ICANN, the Internet Society, the Public Interest Registry, Verisign, Microsoft, the Internet Infrastructure Coalition, NetChoice, Verizon, the Software and Information Industry Association, and Wiley Rein.

2017: Building or Rebuilding Cities for Growth

Originally published on June 13, 2017

This conference is hosted by the Institute for International Economic Policy, the World Bank, and the International Growth Centre Cities Program, bringing together academics and practitioners to discuss the sustainable urbanization of developing countries.

One of the great challenge of 21st century cities in developing countries is that they must fulfill the requirements of connectivity in production for businesses and address the negative externalities for consumers of density with extremely limited financial resources and public capacity. This raises the following questions: What national policies strengthen and weaken developing world cities, and what infrastructure investments deliver the largest growth benefits? In particular, the aim of this conference will be to reflect upon how cities in developing countries should focus their efforts on improving their land and housing sector (see Session 1: Land), their transportation networks (see Session 2: Transportation) or their sanitation infrastructure (see Session 3: Public Services). In other words, how can we build, or rebuild, cities in the future in order to promote economic growth and reduce poverty?

The Future of the Internet in the Wake of Charlie Hebdo and Increased Government Surveillance Online

Monday, May 18, 2015

Elliott School of International Affairs
1957 E Street NW
Washington, DC 20052

Governments have a special responsibility among stakeholders to make the Internet secure. However, the Snowden revelations revealed that many governments, including the US, use the Internet to monitor, spy on and attack other governments, organizations, individuals and businesses. In March, we also learned that that China is using the Great Cannon, a new malware tool to censor information. These revelations have stimulated a global backlash against pervasive Government data collection, Internet surveillance, and government use of malware. Netizens are increasingly worried about Internet stability and security.

Our panel will discuss how increasing surveillance and use of malware could impact the future of the Internet, including:

  • Increased pressure from law enforcement for backdoors to encryption;
  • Increased calls for data localization (as in France);
  • International pressure influencing the IANA transfer;
  • Less legal emphasis/protections on privacy at national levels;
  • Less trust in government policies and strategies to maintain Internet stability
  • The threat of Internet fragmentation.

Panelists:

Bruce Schneier, Security Technologist and Author. Bruce Schneier is an internationally renowned security technologist, called a “security guru” by The Economist. He is the author of 12 books – including his latest best-seller Liars and Outliers: Enabling the Trust Society Needs to Survive – as well as hundreds of articles and essays, and many more academic papers. His influential newsletter “Crypto-Gram,” and his blog “Schneier on Security,” are read by over 250,000 people. He has testified before Congress, is a frequent guest on television and radio, served on several government technical committees, and is regularly quoted in the press.

Chris Riley, Senior Policy Manager, Mozilla. M. Chris Riley is a Senior Policy Engineer at Mozilla, working to advance the open Internet and Web through public policy analysis and advocacy, strategic planning, coalition building, and community engagement. Prior to joining Mozilla, Chris worked as a program manager at the U.S. Department of State on Internet freedom, a policy counsel with the non-profit public interest organization Free Press, and an attorney-advisor at the Federal Communications Commission. Chris holds a Ph.D. in Computer Science from Johns Hopkins University and a J.D. from Yale Law School. He has published scholarship on topics including innovation policy, cognitive framing, graph drawing, and distributed load balancing.

Organizers:

This event is organized by Dr. Susan Aaronson and Kyle Renner of the Institute for International Economic Policy and David Vyorst of the Greater Washington DC Chapter of the Internet Society and is part of a larger seminar series. We are grateful to an anonymous donor for their support of these seminars, and would also like to thank our co-sponsors at the Cyber Security Policy and Research Institute.

The DC Chapter of the Internet Society (ISOC-DC) aims to build a better internet for the Washington, D.C., Maryland, and Virginia community. The chapter strives to promote open development, evolution, and use of the Internet for the benefit of people worldwide. ISOC-DC brings together individuals from within the DC area, as well as abroad, to engage in events, discussions, and information exchanges to advance these goals.

For more information, please contact Kyle Renner at iiep@gwu.edu or 202-994-5320.

Cosponsored by:

Working for All? New Ideas and Innovative Strategies to Enhance Economic and Social Benefits in Trade Agreements

Thursday, May 14, 2015

9:00am to 5:00pm

 

Elliott School of International Affairs
1957 E Street NW
Washington, DC 20052

How Can TTIP benefit workers and promote employment? Read Professor Susan Aaronson’s latest paper.

The US, Canada, and Mexico agreed to the first labor rights provisions in NAFTA, which went into force in 1993. Some 22 years later, the bulk of the world’s economies, from Albania to Zimbabwe, participate in a trade arrangement with labor rights provisions, whether through a free trade agreement, a preferential trade arrangement, or in an investment agreement. Since 2008, 41 out of 93 new trade agreements included labor provisions and over 60 per cent of the trade agreements concluded in 2013 and 2014 included labor provisions.

But there is a lot that we do not know about these agreements. Scholars, policymakers, labor rights activists, and the business community do not know if these provisions are effective in improving working conditions. Moreover, in instances where they have been effective it is unclear why and what has been the role of the different stakeholders?

How can trade agreements promote employment, enhance the link between economic and social benefits and achieve sustainable development? How can the interconnectedness between economic, social and environmental objectives be protected and promoted? Which complementary policies are key to inclusive growth and help in capitalizing opportunities from trade openness?

For more information, please contact Kyle Renner at iiep@gwu.edu or 202-994-5320.

 

Co-Sponsored by:

View the Schedule

Conference Agenda

8:30 – 9:00 – Registration and Breakfast

9:00 – 9:30 – Welcome and Opening Remarks

  • Dr. Jay Shambagh (Director Institute for International Economic Policy)
  • Nancy Donaldson (ILO Washington DC)
  • Carol Pier (Deputy Undersecretary, International Labor Affairs, U.S. Department of Labor)

9:30 – 11:00 – Session I: Decent work for all? How to bridge the gap between the social and economic dimensions of trade agreements?

  • Moderator: Marva Corley (ILO)
  • Rudi Delarue (European Commission)
  • Lance Compa (ILR, Cornell University)

11:00 – 11:15 – Coffee Break

11:15 – 12:45 – Session II: Roundtable: To ensure that trade agreements work for all, can we achieve coherence within and among trade agreements?

  • Moderator: Anil Verma (University of Toronto)
  • Pierre Bouchard (Bilateral and Regional Labor Affairs, Canada)
  • Silvia Formentini (Trade and Sustainable Development, EC)
  • Kevin Kolben (Rutgers University)
  • Pablo Lazo Grandi (Permanent Mission of Chile to UN in Geneva)

12:45 – 2:00 – Lunch

2:00 – 3:30 – Session III: What evidence do we have that trade agreements are working for all? How do we measure the effectiveness of labor provisions in FTAs?

  • Moderator: Jan Van Hove (University of Leuven)
  • Raymond Robertson (Macalester College)
  • Bill Gibson (University of Vermont)
  • Werner Raza (Austrian Foundation of Development Research)

3:30 – 3:45 – Coffee Break

3:45 – 5:15 – Session IV: Roundtable: What innovative ideas with regard to the promotion of labour rights and improvement of working conditions can be explored to ensure that trade agreements do work for all?

  • Moderator: Susan Aaronson (Elliott School of International Affairs, GWU)
  • Ms. Xiaoyan Qian (Chinese Embassy, Washington DC)
  • Tonia Novitz (University of Bristol)
  • Thomas Zielke (RGIT)
  • Ariel Meyerstein (USCIB)
  • Celeste Drake (AFL-CIO)

5:15 – 5:30 – Closing Remarks

IMF Africa Regional Economic Outlook Discussion

Thursday, May 7, 2015

8:45am to 12:30pm

Elliott School of International Affairs
1957 E Street NW
Washington, DC 20052

8:45 – 9:00 – Opening remarks

  • Jay Shambaugh (GWU), Céline Allard (IMF)

9:00 – 10:00 – Session I: Overview of Recent Economic Developments in Africa

10:00 – 10:15 – Coffee Break

10:15 – 11:15 – Session II: How Can Sub-Saharan Africa Harness the Demographic Dividend?

11:15 – 11:30 – Coffee Break

11:30 – 12:30 – Session III: Sub-Saharan’s Trade Integration in the Global Economy: Progress and Ways Forward

12:30 – Conclude

For more information, please contact Kyle Renner at iiep@gwu.edu or 202-994-5320.

Cosponsored by:

5th Annual Washington Area International Trade Symposium (WAITS) Conference

Thursday, April 30, 2015

Elliott School of International Affairs
Lindner Family Commons, 6th Floor
1957 E St. NW
Washington D.C. 20052

The Washington Area International Trade Symposium (WAITS) is a forum that highlights trade research at institutions in the Washington D.C. area. Its primary activity is sponsoring an annual research conference where scholars present their latest academic work. Researchers from George Washington University, American University, the Census Bureau, the Federal Reserve Board, Georgetown University, the Inter-American Development Bank, Johns Hopkins University (SAIS), the U.S. International Trade Commission, the University of Maryland, and the World Bank have all participated in the symposium.

Contact iiep@gwu.edu with any questions.

View the Schedule
8:00 AM: Continental Breakfast and Opening Comments
8:15 AM: Paulo Bastos (WB)
Session 1: “Overcoming the Tyranny of History: Evidence from Post-Apartheid South Africa”
Discussant: Remi Jedwab (GW)
9:00 AM: Anna Maria Mayda (GT)
Session 2: “The Impact of Skilled Foreign Workers on Firms: an Investigation of Publicly Traded U.S. Firms”
Discussant: Mine Senses (JHU)
9:45 AM: Coffee Break
10:00 AM: Ryan Monarch (FRB)
Session 3: “Learning and the Value of Relationships in International Trade”
Discussant: Olga Timoshenko (GWU)
10:45 AM: Christian Volpe (IDB)
Session 4: “The Border Labyrinth: Information Technologies and Trade in the Presence of Multiple Agencies”
Discussant: Justin Peirce (FRB)
11:30 AM: Lunch
12:30 PM: Maggie Chen (GWU)
Session 5: “Learning and Reputation in Trade”
Discussant: Serge Shikher (USITC)
1:15 PM: Heiwai Tang (JHU)
Session 6: “Trade-induced Quality Upgrading: Transaction-level Evidence from Portugal”
Discussant: Andrew McCallum (FRB)
2:00 PM: Overflow and Closing Remarks
2:30 PM: End

George Washington University’s Institute for International Economic Policy, housed at the Elliott School of International Affairs, is dedicated to producing and disseminating high-quality non-partisan academic and policy relevant research on international economic policy. Areas of focus include international trade, international finance, and development economics.

3rd Annual Conference Washington Area Development Economics Symposium (WADES)

Friday, April 24, 2015

This event is hosted by the Georgetown University Initiative on Innovation, Development and Evaluation (gui2de)

Rafik B. Hariri Building, Rom 240
Georgetown University
3700 O St. NW
Washington, D.C. 20057

 

The Washington Area Development Economics Symposium (WADES) is an annual research conference which highlights academic work from researchers at leading economics institutions in development economics in the Washington DC area. Researchers from George Washington University, University of Maryland, Georgetown University, Johns Hopkins University, University of Virginia, the World Bank, the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), American University, George Mason University, and the Center for Global Development are all participants in the symposium.

Contact iiep@gwu.edu with any questions.

View the Schedule

Download the conference schedule here.

George Washington University’s Institute for International Economic Policy, housed at the Elliott School of International Affairs, is dedicated to producing and disseminating high-quality non-partisan academic and policy relevant research on international economic policy. Areas of focus include international trade, international finance, and development economics.

Digital Payments/Currencies: Global Threat or Opportunity?

Thursday, April 23, 2015

9:00am to 12:00pm

 

Elliott School of International Affairs
Lindner Commons, 6th floor
1957 E Street NW
Washington, DC 20052

The Institute for International Economic Policy and the Bretton Woods Committee will convene a seminar involving policymakers, regulators, and private and financial sector experts to evaluate the changes digital currencies and payment systems have brought to the market and the disruptive potential of a future in which they become more conventional

8:30-9:00 am – Registration and Light Breakfast

9:00-9:10 am – Welcome and Introduction

  • Welcome Remarks: Jay Shambaugh (IIEP, GWU) and Randy S. Rodgers (Bretton Woods)

9:10-10:25 am – Panel 1: What is the Value Proposition (Benefits and Risks?)

  • Edan Yago (CEO, Epiphyte)
  • Eric Piscini (Principal, Deloitte)
  • Ian Greenstreet (Chairman, Infinity Capital Partners)
  • Mark T. Williams (Professor, Boston University)
  • and Jerry Brito (Executive Director, Coin Center)
  • Moderator: Paul Vigna (Wall Street Journal and co-author, The Age of Cryptocurrency)

10:25 – 10:40 am – Coffee Break

10:40-12:00 pm – Panel 2: Rules of the Road – Regulatory Implications

  • Jennifer Shasky-Calvery (Director, Financial Crimes Enforcement Network, U.S. Treasury)
  • John Beccia (General Counsel and CCO, Circle Internet Financial)
  • Jason Weinstein (Partner, Steptoe & Johnson)
  • Carol Van Cleef (Partner, Mannat, Phelps & Phillips)
  • David C. Mills (Assistant Director, Reserve Bank Operations and Payment Systems Division, U.S. Federal Reserve Board)
  • Moderator: Michael Casey (Wall Street Journal and co-author, The Age of Cryptocurrency)

For more information, please contact Kyle Renner at iiep@gwu.edu or 202-994-5320.

Cosponsored by:

Trade and Development Workshop: “Information Frictions and the Law of One Price: When the States and the Kingdom became United”

Claudia Steinwender

 IES Fellow at the International Economics Section at Princeton University

Tuesday, April 21, 2015

12:30 to 2:00pm

 

Monroe Hall of Government
2115 G Street NW, Room 321
Washington, DC 20052

With the establishment of the transatlantic telegraph, information sharing in relation to international trade experienced dramatic changes and heavily impacted global markets. Looking at historical data, we can see how exporters began to respond to information about demand.

During next week’s Trade and Development Workshop, Claudia Steinwender will present her paper, Information Frictions and the Law of One Price: “When the States and the Kingdom became United”, which examines the extent to which information friction affects international trade distortion. Dr. Steinwender will explain how she built a model of international trade that is consistent with empirical evidence in which exporters use the latest news about a foreign market to forecast expected selling prices when their exports arrive.

Claudia Steinwender is an IES Fellow at the International Economics Section at Princeton University and completed her PhD in Economics at the London School of Economics. This summer, July 2015, she will be joining the Harvard Business School as an assistant professor.

Inaugural Conference on India’s Economy

Monday, April 13, 2015

8:15am to 5:00pm

Elliott School of International Affairs
Lindner Commons, 6th floor
1957 E Street NW
Washington, DC 20052

The Indian economy is showing signs of revival after several years of slowdown. A new growth oriented government has just presented a budget to boost recovery, inflation is on the decline and India looks poised for faster growth. Yet challenges remain as India must reduce poverty, create jobs for a young and rapidly urbanizing population while increasing its resilience to global headwinds as it continues to open up to the international economy. How can India revive growth with limited fiscal space? What reforms are needed in factor markets: land, labor and finance to ramp up private investment both domestic and foreign? What additional policies and programs are needed to address poverty? How can India become more competitive in global markets, and participate in global and regional trade partnerships? How can the promise of U.S.-India partnership be taken forward concretely? The Institute for International Economic Policy at the Elliott School of International Affairs, George Washington University, invites you to a conversation with top academic researchers, officials from the IMF, World bank, OECD, and the UN, and current and former high level policy makers in the U.S. and Indian governments.

9:00-10:30 am – Session One: Economic Outlook and Macro Economic Policies

11:00 am-12:30 pm – Session Two: Finance, Urbanization, and Growth

12:30-2:00 pm – Lunch and Keynote Speaker

  • Arun Kumar, Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Global Markets and Director General of the U.S. and Foreign Commercial Service “India-U.S. Economic Relations: Prospects and Promise”

2:00-3:30 pm – Session Three: Poverty Eradication and Participation

  • James Foster & Sabina Alkire (GWU, OPHI): Multi Dimensional Poverty Indicators for India
  • Vijayendra Rao (World Bank): The Anatomy of Failure: An Ethnography of A Randomized Trial to Deepen Democracy in Rural India
  • Chair: Stephen Smith (GWU)
  • Discussants: Thangavel Palanivel (UNDP) and Yue Li (World Bank)

3:45-5:00 pm – Closing Session

  • Piritta Sorsa (OECD): Stronger and Better Growth in India
  • Discussants: Swami Nathan Aiyar (Economic Times and Cato Institute), Rakesh Mohan (IMF, RBI), and Ajay Chhibber (IIEP, India) on challenges facing India today

For more information, please contact Kyle Renner at iiep@gwu.edu or 202-994-5320.

Cosponsored by:


View the videos from the sessions here

12:30-2:00 pm – Lunch and Keynote Speake

 

2:00-3:30 pm – Session Three: Poverty Eradication and Participation

 

 

The I Theory of Money

Markus Brunnermeier

Princeton University

Thursday, April 9, 2015

3:00 to 4:30pm

Elliott School of International Affairs
Room 505
1957 E Street NW
Washington, DC 20052

Markus Brunnermeier is the Professor of Economics at Princeton University and Director of the Bendheim Center for Finance, also serving on several advisory groups including the IMF, the New York Federal Reserve, and the European Systemic Risk Board. He will join us to discuss “The I Theory of Money“: a project assessing the efficacy of an accommodative monetary policy on Fisher deflations and downturns for financial intermediaries. In particular, it can mitigate destabilizing adverse effects. Professor Brunnermeier will also focus on interest rate cuts and the moral hazard they can create. More generally, Brunnermeier researches financial markets, bubbles, liquidity, and monetary price stability, using models to incorporate friction and behavioral elements of global markets.

Trade and Development Workshop: “Forecasting When it Matters: Evidence from Semi-Arid India”

Xavier Gine

The World Bank

Tuesday, March 17, 2015

12:30 to 2:00pm

John W. Kendrick Seminar Room
Room 321 at 2115 G Street NW
Washington, DC 20052

Next week’s Trade and Development Workshop will feature Xavier Gine, a Lead Economist for the World Bank’s Development Research Group. Gine joined the World Bank in 2002, where his research has focused on access to financial services and rural financial markets. In addition to working for the World Bank, Gine is a BREAD affiliate and Associate Editor for the Journal of Development Economics. His recent research has centered on the economic effects of a borrower bailout in India and forecasting. Please join us as Xavier Gine discusses the relationship between weather, forecasting, and income gains in semi-arid India – a region where an accurate prediction of monsoons can be crucial in agricultural success.

USAID and GW Discuss Ending Extreme Poverty

Tuesday, January 27, 2015

3:00 to 5:00pm

Elliott School of International Affairs
1957 E Street NW
Washington, DC 20052

As the world achieved the Millennium Development Goal of halving poverty by 2015, developed and developing countries have focused more sharply on the tougher challenge of eliminating “extreme poverty.” In 2013, USAID initiated a dialogue within the development community about how to achieve this goal. The Trachtenberg and Elliott schools welcomed USAID to provide an update on progress and approaches to the problem of ending extreme poverty and encouraging continued discussion on Tuesday, January 27.

Alex Thier, Assistant to the Administrator for the Policy, Planning, and Learning Bureau at USAID, shared an engaging presentation about USAID’s mission to end extreme poverty. Following the presentation, GW Economics Professor Stephen C. Smith offered remarks on the ways GW is engaging this topic (view his slides here). The presentation, remarks and audience discussion were followed with a short networking reception for attendees.

 

For more information, please contact Kyle Renner at iiep@gwu.edu or 202-994-5320

 

Cosponsored by:

Governments and Internet Governance: A Panel Discussion

Monday, January 26, 2015

12:30 to 2:00pm

 

Elliott School of International Affairs
Lindner Commons, 6th floor
1957 E Street NW
Washington, DC 20052

Overview:
Despite their long experience in global and domestic governance, policymakers from many nations struggle to find their way in Internet governance. On one hand, only governments can join international organizations such as the UN or WTO that directly or indirectly regulate the Internet. However, the same governments do not have a privileged role in other Internet governance bodies such as the Internet Governance Forum (IGF); the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN); or the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF), where governments are one of many actors. Meanwhile, many other stakeholders are increasingly concerned about increased participation by governments in the technical infrastructure and governance bodies that underpin the Internet. In this event, we will examine several different governmental perspectives on Internet governance in these different venues.

Speakers:
Amr Aljowaily, Minister Plenipotentiary, Permanent Mission of Egypt to the United Nations in NY
Sally Wentworth, Vice President of Global Policy Development, The Internet Society
Veni Markovski, ICANN VP for UN Engagement, Bulgaria
Dr. Marc Daumas, Scientific Attache, Embassy of France
Carolina de Cresce El Debs, Embassy of Brazil
David Satola, The World Bank

Moderator:
Nancy Scola, Technology Journalist

Organizers:
Dr. Susan Ariel Aaronson and Kyle Renner of IIEP and David Vyorst of ISOC-DC organized this event as part of an ongoing seminar series supported by an anonymous donor.

The Institute for International Economic Policy (IIEP), which is located within the Elliott School of International Affairs, GWU, serves as a catalyst for high quality, multi-disciplinary, and non-partisan research on policy issues surrounding economic globalization. The Institute’s research program helps develop effective policy options and academic analysis in a time of growing controversies about global economic integration. The institute’s work encompasses policy responses for those who face continued poverty and financial crises despite worldwide economic growth.

The DC Chapter of the Internet Society (ISOC-DC) aims to build a better internet for the Washington, D.C., Maryland, and Virginia community. The chapter strives to promote open development, evolution, and use of the Internet for the benefit of people worldwide. ISOC-DC brings together individuals from within the DC area, as well as abroad, to engage in events, discussions, and information exchanges to advance these goals.

The Future of the Global Internet for Business and Entrepreneurs

Tuesday, December 2, 2014

4:00 to 6:00pm

 

601 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW (North Building, Suite 900)
Note: The entrance to the building is on Indiana Avenue, next to Fiola restaurant.

 

Please join the Global Innovation Forum, on December 2 for a discussion about the future of the global Internet in partnership with Cisco, the Institute for International Economic Policy at George Washington University and Tech Cocktail. The forum will feature a conversation with:

Shawn Chang, Former Democratic Chief Counsel, Communications and Technology, House Energy and Commerce Committee
Gordon Goldstein, Managing Director and Head of External Affairs, SilverLake
Christopher Mondini, Vice President, ICANN Global Stakeholder Engagement for North America and Global Business
Robert Pepper, Vice President, Technology Policy, Cisco
John Williams, General Counsel, U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation

Discussants will address —

  • The impact of the global Internet on businesses and startups
  • How the Internet governance debate can affect access to the global marketplace
  • The role of ICANN in Internet governance
  • The conversation about  the open Internet and Internet governance issues in Congress

An informal networking reception will follow the discussion.

7th Annual Conference on U.S.-China Economic Relations and China’s Economic Development

G2 at GW 2014

Friday, November 21, 2014, 8:45 am

Lindner Commons, Suite 602
Elliott School of International Affairs
1957 E St. NW, Washington, D.C. 20052

The U.S.-China relationship is now second to none in importance for international economic relations and policy and accordingly is a major focus of IIEP. The centerpiece of this initiative is our annual Conference on China’s Economic Development and U.S.-China Economic and Political Relations (or the “G2 at GW”), which as become one of the premier events of its type.  For information on previous conferences, see our signature initiatives page.

Schedule of Events

November 21, 2014

8:50 – 9:00AM Welcome and Overview of the Conference

9:00 – 10:30AM Session 1: Economic Issues in China

This session will examine economics of China’s domestic economy and linkages to the international economy via trade and investment.

  • Eswar Prasad, Cornell, “The International Role of the RMB”
  • Derek Scissors, American Enterprise Institute, “Two China Development Scenarios for Investment in the US”
  • Scott Kennedy, Indiana U., “Multinationals Surviving and Thriving in China”

View video

10:30 – 11:00AM Coffee Break

11:00 – 12:30PM Session 2: China’s Changing Political Landscape

This session will examine the new political environment in China as the new leadership attempts to maintain legitimacy in the midst of a slowing economy and the advance of new social media technologies.

  • Bruce Dickson, GWU, “Economic Growth and Political Trust”
  • Jessica Teets, Middlebury, “Civil Society and Consultative Authoritarianism in China”
  • Steve Balla, GWU, “The Internet, Governance, and Political Participation in China”

12:30 – 2:00PM Lunch and Keynote

  • Jianhai Lin, Secretary of the International Monetary Fund, “Changing Global Economic Landscape: a Renewed Need for Multilateralism.”

View video

2:00 – 2:20PM Coffee Break

2:20 – 3:50PM Session 3: Environmental Outcomes in China with Global Implications

 

An archive of all previous Annual Conferences on China’s Economic Development and U.S.-China Economic Relations is available here.

For more information, please contact Kyle Renner at iiep@gwu.edu or 202-994-5320.

Co-sponsored by:

Human Rights, Accountability, and Internet Governance: A Panel Discussion

Read the event summary here

Monday, November 17, 2014

12:30 to 7:00pm – Reception to Follow

 

Elliott School of International Affairs
Lindner Commons, 6th floor
1957 E Street NW
Washington, DC 20052

Change is coming to Internet governance. But change is scary. It involves compromises, and may yield a less accountable approach. Moreover, the US Government wants any changes to protect human rights, Internet openness and stability, and the multistakeholder model. This free luncheon seminar considers how recent proposed changes in Internet governance will affect human rights online and how Internet governance institutions and processes might be made more accountable to netizens.

2nd Urbanization and Poverty Reduction Research Conference

Wednesday, November 12, 2014

8:30am to 8:00pm

 

World Bank Headquarters, Washington, D.C

This conference hosted by the World Bank, George Washington University (Institute for International Economic Policy), and the Growth Dialogue brings together academics and development practitioners to present and discuss the challenges of urbanization in developing countries.

For more information about this conference, click here.

USAID BASIS AMA CRSP/I4 Index Insurance Innovation Initiative 2014 Technical Committee Meeting

Cosponsored with University of California – Davis

Thursday and Friday, November 6-7, 2014

12:00 to 5:15pm

 

George Washington University, Washington DC

This event was a gathering of researchers and stakeholders involved with the Index Insurance Innovation Initiative (I4) at UC Davis. Presentations at this event came in three primary types:

  1. New Project Presentations
  2. Project Updates
  3. Research Paper Presentations.

These different presentations reflect the different stages these projects are at in implementation, and are meant to keep stakeholders apprised of current project status and recent developments, as appropriate.

Presentations:

State Capitalism: Its Evolution and Contribution to Industrialization and Development

The seminar, organized by the Growth Dialogue at George Washington University School of Business,  discussed the evolving role of state capitalism in major economies and measures introduced to enhance the efficiency of state enterprises.

State capitalism exists in most countries; however, it is particularly important in the BRICS. The seminar featured three distinguished speakers who  examined the roles of state enterprises and the state more broadly in the development strategies of Brazil, China and India. We  heard how the state balances its economic objectives with the realities of the market, how it seeks to influence the direction of the economy via SOEs, and how successful these efforts have been. The Seminar featured the following guest speakers:
Aldo MUSACCHIO, Professor of Business Administration, Harvard Business School

Pieter BOTTELIER, Senior Adjunct Professor, School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS), John Hopkins University

Ajay CHHIBBER,   Former Director General, Independent Evaluation, India and     Assistant Secretary General, United Nations for Asia Pacific

Moderator: Danny Leipziger, Professor of International Business and International Affairs, George Washington School of Business; Managing Director, The Growth Dialogue.

Friday, October 31, 2014

 

George Washington University
Washington, DC 20052

 

Hosted by: Our Collaborators at the Growth Dialogue
Event Inquiry: info@growthdialogue.org

Sizing Up the Digital Economy: A Panel Discussing the Digital Economy and International Trade

Monday, April 23, 2018

5:30 to 7:00pm – Reception to Follow

 

Elliott School of International Affairs
Lindner Commons, 6th floor
1957 E Street NW
Washington, DC 20052
The Institute for International Economic Policy at the George Washington University and the Greater Washington DC Chapter of the Internet Society invite you to a panel analyzing the new report of the US International Trade Commission (ITC) on the “digital economy.” The Senate Finance Committee requested that ITC analyze the economic impact of the digital economy. They also requested that ITC examine digital protectionism around the world.

The ITC found that “digital trade, through the combined effects of the Internet in enhancing productivity and lowering international trade costs in certain digitally intensive industries, has resulted in increase in U.S. gross domestic product of some four percent.”

James Stamps, Project Leader, will discuss the ITC Report. He will be followed by a panel of four commentators:

• Michael Mandel, Chief Economic Strategist of the Progressive Policy Institute ,will provide an economic assessment of the report.

• Jacquelynn Ruff, Vice President, International, of Verizon will provide a view from a leading Internet Service Provider (ISP).

• Linda Kinney, Senior Vice President, Motion Picture Association of America, will provide perspective from an association representing content providers.

• Usman Ahmed, Policy Counsel of eBay, will provide analysis from an e-commerce company’s viewpoint.

This event is a brown bag lunch. Light refreshments will be provided by the Progressive Policy Institute.

Internet Governance Forum USA 2014

Cosponsored by ISOC-DC

Wednesday, July 16, 2014

8:30am to 7:00pm – Reception to Follow

Marvin Center, 800 21st Street NW
Grand Ballroom, 3rd Floor
Washington, DC 20052

The IGF-USA provides a domestic forum in the US for civil society, government, technologists, research scientists, the media, industry and academia, and other interested communities to engage in dialogue about development of best practices for multistakeholder governance and help move Internet policy forward.

IGF-USA 2014 seeks to help establish creative partnerships and to build a US based coalition to generate momentum around priority Internet governance issues and practices under consideration.

Scenarios for the Future of Internet Governance

Wednesday, April 30, 2014

9:30am to 2:00pm

Elliott School of International Affairs
Institute for International Economic Policy
1957 E Street NW
Washington, DC 20052

Seminar on Human Rights and Internet Governance

Scenarios for the Future of Internet Governance

April 30, 2013

Agenda and Bios available here.

Panel 1: What is the IANA Function? What led to the US decision to reduce its role in IANA? What are the risks and opportunities associated with this fundamental change?

  • Fiona Alexander – Office of International Affairs, NTIA, US Department of Commerce
  • Pat Kane – Senior Vice President, Naming and Directory Services, Verisign
  • Richard Jimmerson – Chief Information Officer, ARIN
  • Steve DelBianco – Executive Director, NetChoice
  • Milton Mueller – Professor at Syracuse University School of Information Studies
  • Moderator – Tim Lordan – Executive Director, Internet Education Foundation

 

Panel 2: Possible scenarios for the future of the IANA functions – what are the implications for Internet governance?

  • Christopher Mondini – VP, Stakeholder Engagement North America & Global Business Engagement, ICANN
  • Raquel Gatto – Chapter Development Manager, the Americas, ISOC
  • Beatrice Covassi – First Counsellor, Digital Economy, EU Delegation to the United States
  • Derrick Cogburn – Associate Professor of International Relations at the School of International Service at American University
  • Becky Burr – Deputy General Counsel and Chief Privacy Officer at NeuStar, Inc.
  • Moderator – Roger Cochetti – Principal at RJC Associates

2nd Annual Conference Washington Area Development Economics Symposium (WADES)

Friday, April 26, 2014

This year’s conference is hosted by the Department of Economics and the Center for Economics and Policy at the University of Maryland.

1400 16th St. NW
Washington, D.C. 20036

 

The Washington Area Development Economics Symposium (WADES) is an annual research conference which highlights academic work from researchers at leading economics institutions in development economics in the Washington DC area. Researchers from George Washington University, University of Maryland, Georgetown University, Johns Hopkins University, University of Virginia, the World Bank, the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), American University, George Mason University, and the Center for Global Development are all participants in the symposium.

Contact iiep@gwu.edu with any questions.

George Washington University’s Institute for International Economic Policy, housed at the Elliott School of International Affairs, is dedicated to producing and disseminating high-quality non-partisan academic and policy relevant research on international economic policy. Areas of focus include international trade, international finance, and development economics.

4th Annual Washington Area International Trade Symposium (WAITS) Conference

Thursday, April 25, 2014

Elliott School of International Affairs
Lindner Family Commons, 6th Floor
1957 E St. NW
Washington D.C. 20052

The Washington Area International Trade Symposium (WAITS) is a forum that highlights trade research at institutions in the Washington D.C. area. Its primary activity is sponsoring an annual research conference where scholars present their latest academic work. Researchers from George Washington University, American University, the Census Bureau, the Federal Reserve Board, Georgetown University, the Inter-American Development Bank, Johns Hopkins University (SAIS), the U.S. International Trade Commission, the University of Maryland, and the World Bank have all participated in the symposium.

Contact iiep@gwu.edu with any questions.

View the Schedule

Download the conference schedule here.

 

8:30 – 8:55: Continental breakfast
8:55 – 9:00: Opening Comments — Michael Moore, GWU
9:00 – 9:45: Christian Volpe (IDB)
Session 1: “Customs: What are the Effects on International Trade”(Paper)
Discussant: Nick Zolas (Census)
9:45 – 10:30: Serge Shikher (USITC)
Session 2: “Comparative Advantages of Rich and Poor Countries”(Paper)
Discussant: Kara Reynolds (American)
10:30 – 10:45: Coffee break
10:45 – 11:30: Maggie Chen (GWU)
Session 3: “Foreign Rivals are Coming to Town: Responding to the Threat of Foreign Multinational Entry” (Paper)
Discussant: Bill Lincoln (JHU-SAIS)
11:30 – 12:15: Dan Bernhofen (American)
Session 4: “Estimating the Effects of the Container Revolution on World Trade” (Paper)
Discussant: Gisela Rua (Federal Reserve Board)
12:15 – 1:30: Lunch
1:30 – 2:15: Russell Hillberry (World Bank)
Session 5: “Import Dynamics and Demands for Protection” (Paper)
Discussant: Lindsay Oldenski (Georgetown)
2:15 – 3:00: Andrew McCallum (Federal Reserve Board)
Session 6: “The Structure of Export Entry Costs”
Discussant: Wenjie Chen (GWU)
3:00 – 3:15: Coffee break
3:15 – 4:00: Fariha Kamal (U.S. Census Bureau)
Session 7: “Buyer-Seller Relationships in International Trade: Do your Neighbors Matter?” (Paper)
Discussant: Olga Timoshenko (GWU)
4:00: Closing Comments — Christopher Kurz, Federal Reserve Board

George Washington University’s Institute for International Economic Policy, housed at the Elliott School of International Affairs, is dedicated to producing and disseminating high-quality non-partisan academic and policy relevant research on international economic policy. Areas of focus include international trade, international finance, and development economics.

“Known-Knowns and Unknowns about the Internet: Measuring the Economic, Social, and Governance Impact of the Web”

Download the conference schedule here

Thursday and Friday, November 14 – 15, 2013

 9:30am to 6:00pm (Thursday), 9:30am to 4:00pm (Friday)

 

The Elliott School of International Affairs
1957 E St. NW
Washington, DC 20052

Policymakers and netizens alike make broad claims about the effects of the internet upon economic growth, business, democracy, governance, and human rights. In recent years, economists have made significant progress in estimating the impact of the internet on areas such as economic growth, trade, fiscal policy, and education. But the progress made by economists has not been matched by scholars, activists, executives, and policymakers who seek to understand the internet’s effects on governance, cyber security, and on human rights. We don’t know if the Internet has stimulated development or whether the internet has led to measurable governance improvements. Moreover, scholars and activists don’t yet know how to effectively measure Internet openness. We will also weigh the evidence that the Internet is splintering. With this conference, we hope to encourage greater understanding of metrics to assess our new digital age.

6th Annual Conference on U.S.-China Economic Relations and China’s Economic Development

G2 at GW 2013

Friday, November 8, 2013

Lindner Commons, Suite 602
Elliott School of International Affairs
1957 E St. NW, Washington, D.C. 20052

Click here to watch videos

The U.S.-China relationship is now second to none in importance for international economic relations and policy and accordingly is a major focus of IIEP. The centerpiece of this initiative is our annual Conference on China’s Economic Development and U.S.-China Economic and Political Relations (or the “G2 at GW”), which as become one of the premier events of its type.

Schedule of Events

November 8, 2013

8:50 – 9:00AM Welcome and Overview of the Conference

9:00 – 10:30AM Session 1: U.S. – China Trade: Jobs and Competition

Moderated by Michael Moore

  • Ann Harrison (University of Pennsylvania): Industrial Policy and Competition
  • Mary Lovely (Syracuse University): Trade Liberalization and Labor Shares in China
  • Peter Schott (Yale University): The Surprisingly Swift Decline of U.S. Manufacturing Employment

10:30 – 11:00AM Coffee Break

11:00 – 12:00PM Session 2: Multinational firms in the U.S. and China

12:00 – 1:30PM Lunch and Keynote

  • Steve Barnett (Division Chief-China, IMF) “China’s Economic Development: Past, Present, and Future”)

1:30-3:00PM Session 3: China’s Growth and Financial Liberalization

Moderated by Jay Shambaugh

3:00-3:30PM Coffee Break
 
3:30-4:30PM Session 4: China’s Economic and Political Development

Moderated by Stephen Smith

  • James Kung (HKUST): Do Land Revenue Windfalls Reduce the Career Incentives of County Leaders? Evidence from China
  • Yan Wang (GWU, Peking University, and former World Bank): China’s Role in International Development Financing: Past, Present, and Prospect.
    Dr. Yang published a joint paper in 2014 based on the ideas presented in this presentation; download the paper here.

An archive of all previous Annual Conferences on China’s Economic Development and U.S.-China Economic Relations is available here.

For more information, please contact Kyle Renner at iiep@gwu.edu or 202-994-5320.

Co-sponsored by: 

The World Bank Group Strategy: A Path to End Poverty

Jim Yong Kim

President, The World Bank

Access a transcript of the prepared remarks here.

Watch the event here.

Tuesday, October 1, 2013

11:00am to 12:00pm

The George Washington University
Washington, DC 20052

Just days before the start of the annual meetings of the World Bank Group and the International Monetary Fund, Dr. Jim Yong Kim, President of the World Bank Group, will speak about the state of poverty around the world and the World Bank Group’s efforts to lift millions of the world’s poorest and most vulnerable people to higher incomes and opportunities. Six months ago, President Kim unveiled global goals to end extreme poverty by 2030 and boost incomes for the poorest 40% of the world’s people. In his address, he will discuss the World Bank Group’s new strategy to reach these ambitious goals and how each of us can be a part of this historic quest to end poverty and create shared prosperity in our lifetime.

A physician and anthropologist, Dr. Kim has dedicated himself to international development for more than two decades, helping to improve the lives of under-served populations worldwide. Dr. Kim previously served as president of Dartmouth College and is a co-founder of Partners in Health (PIH) as well as a former director of the HIV/AIDS Department at the World Health Organization (WHO).

Poverty to Power: How Active Citizens and Effective States can Change the World

Dr. Duncan Green

Senior Strategic Adviser at Oxfam GB, honorary Professor of International Development at Cardiff University, Visiting Fellow at the Institute for Development Studies

His book:
From Poverty to Power: How Active Citizens and Effective States can Change the World

 

 

Thursday May 9, 2013

5:30 to 7:00pm

Elliott School of International Affairs
1957 E Street NW
Washington, DC 20052

 

Dr. Duncan Green is Senior Strategic Adviser at Oxfam GB, honorary Professor of International Development at Cardiff University and a Visiting Fellow at the Institute for Development Studies. He is author of From Poverty to Power: How Active Citizens and Effective States can Change the World,/ (Oxfam International, June 2008, second edition October 2012). His daily development blog can be found on http://www.oxfamblogs.org/fp2p/.

He was previously Oxfam’s Head of Research, a Visiting Fellow at Notre Dame University, a Senior Policy Adviser on Trade and Development at the Department for International Development (DFID), a Policy Analyst on trade and globalization at CAFOD, the Catholic aid agency for England and Wales and Head of Research and Engagement at the Just Pensions project on socially responsible investment.

He is the author of several books on Latin America including Silent Revolution: The Rise and Crisis of Market Economics in Latin America (2003, 2nd edition), Faces of Latin America (2012, 4th edition) and Hidden Lives: Voices of Children in Latin America and the Caribbean (1998).

He can be contacted on dgreen@oxfam.org.uk.

 

1st Annual Conference Washington Area Development Economics Symposium (WADES)

Friday, April 20, 2013

Elliott School of International Affairs
Room 212
1957 E St. NW
Washington D.C. 20052

The Washington Area Development Economics Symposium (WADES) is an annual research conference which highlights academic work from researchers at leading economics institutions in development economics in the Washington DC area. Researchers from George Washington University, University of Maryland, Georgetown University, Johns Hopkins University, University of Virginia, the World Bank, the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), American University, George Mason University, and the Center for Global Development are all participants in the symposium.

Contact iiep@gwu.edu with any questions.

View the Schedule

Download the conference schedule here.

 

 

George Washington University’s Institute for International Economic Policy, housed at the Elliott School of International Affairs, is dedicated to producing and disseminating high-quality non-partisan academic and policy relevant research on international economic policy. Areas of focus include international trade, international finance, and development economics.

3rd Annual Washington Area International Trade Symposium (WAITS) Conference

Friday, April 12, 2013

Elliott School of International Affairs
Lindner Family Commons, 6th Floor
1957 E St. NW
Washington D.C. 20052

The Washington Area International Trade Symposium (WAITS) is a forum that highlights trade research at institutions in the Washington D.C. area. Its primary activity is sponsoring an annual research conference where scholars present their latest academic work. Researchers from George Washington University, American University, the Census Bureau, the Federal Reserve Board, Georgetown University, the Inter-American Development Bank, Johns Hopkins University (SAIS), the U.S. International Trade Commission, the University of Maryland, and the World Bank have all participated in the symposium.

Contact iiep@gwu.edu with any questions.

View the Schedule

Download the conference schedule here.

George Washington University’s Institute for International Economic Policy, housed at the Elliott School of International Affairs, is dedicated to producing and disseminating high-quality non-partisan academic and policy relevant research on international economic policy. Areas of focus include international trade, international finance, and development economics.

Who is Bashing Whom? China, Cyber-attack, Democracy, and Retaliation

Moderator: Dr. Susan Ariel Aaronson

A luncheon forum: March 22, GWU, 12-2
Elliott School Commons, 6th fl, 1957 E Street, NW
Visit the conference website here.

 

Elliott School of International Affairs
Lindner Commons, 6th floor
1957 E Street NW
Washington, DC 20052

About the Event

On January 31, The New York Times, America’s paper of record, made front page news. Several months after it published several articles delineating the financial holdings of the families of Chinese leaders, the Times reported that the Chinese military had hacked into its computers, inserted malware and stolen its employees’ e-mail account passwords. Soon thereafter, The Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, Bloomberg, Voice of America and other media outlets publicly claimed their computers were also allegedly hacked by Chinese citizens.

Many Americans were outraged and expressed concerns about the importance of cyber-security for the fourth estate, which must protect the privacy of sources, ensure freedom of the press, and play such an important role in American democracy. But the incidents also raised questions of governance. How should the US respond to such cyber-attacks when it too is attacking? Congressman Mike Rodgers, Chair of the House Intelligence Committee, called for retaliation. However, retaliation is unlikely to build greater support for shared international cyber norms.

The event, organized by the Trade and Internet Governance Project of GWU, and the Minerva Initiative of the Department of Defense, examined the hacking from several different perspectives: cyber-security, economics, trade, human rights, and global governance.

Speakers:

Ellen Nakashima, The Washington Post
Dr. Irving Lachow, Director, Technology and Security, Center for a New American Security
Delphine Halgand, Washington Office Director, Reporters without Borders
Grady Summers, Vice President of Mandiant Security
Michael Nelson, Bloomberg Government

The Global Food Challenge

Monday, April 23, 2018

5:30 to 7:00pm – Reception to Follow

 

Elliott School of International Affairs
Lindner Commons, 6th floor
1957 E Street NW
Washington, DC 20052

Dr. Shenggen Fan

Director General, IFPRI

RSVP now

Dr. Shenggen Fan

This forum will be based on the global food challenge:

  • How can we feed 9 billion people while reducing agriculture’s environmental footprint?
  • What will it take to finally eradicate hunger?
  • What are the most urgent research priorities on this subject?

Sustainable Development is emerging as the defining challenge of our generation, and it will critically require a new kind of interaction between policy and research. The Sustainable Development Forum, a series of talks by leaders in academia and in policy, will attempt to map the research agenda for sustainable development following the Rio +20 conference. What will sustainable development entail? What are the most crucial questions we need to be asking? How should academia go about searching for answers that will actually inform real action and policy changes?

The State of the World Economy

Olivier Blanchard

Chief Economist of the International Monetary Fund

Co-sponsored by the George Washington University Department of Economics

View the presentation in pdf here.

 

Thursday, March 7, 2013

6:30 to 8:00pm – Reception to Follow

 

Harry Harding Auditorium
1957 E St., NW, Room 213
Elliott School of International Affairs
George Washington University
Washington, DC

The Institute for International Economic Policy and the George Washington University Department of Economics are proud to present Olivier Blanchard, Chief Economist of the International Monetary Fund, to present a policy address regarding current issues in international financial policy. Dr. Blanchard is also a professor of economics at his alma mater, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He is a macroeconomist who has worked on a wide variety of issues including, the role of monetary policy, the nature of speculative bubbles, the nature of the labor market and the determinants of unemployment, and transition in former communist countries. He is a fellow and Council member of the Econometric Society, a past vice president of the American Economic Association, and a member of the American Academy of the Sciences.

Olivier Blanchard

The Surprisingly Swift Decline of U.S. Manufacturing Employment

Justin R. Pierce

Economist, Federal Reserve Board

Tuesday, February 12, 2013

12:30 to 2:00pm

 

John W. Kendrick Seminar Room
Room 321 at 2115 G Street NW
Washington, DC 20052

We examine the link between the sharp drop in U.S. manufacturing employment after 2001 and the elimination of trade policy uncertainty resulting from the U.S. granting of permanent normal trade relations to China in late 2000. We find that industries where the threat of tariff hikes declines the most experience greater employment loss due to suppressed job creation, exaggerated job destruction and a substitution away from low-skill workers. We show that these policy-related employment losses coincide with a relative acceleration of U.S. imports from China, the number of U.S. firms importing form China, the number of Chinese firms exporting to the U.S. and the number of U.S.-China importer-exporter pairs.

 

The paper can be found here.

“Can Trade Policies and Agreements Advance Internet Freedom?”

Hosuk Lee-Makiyama (Director, ECIPE); Susan Aaronson (George Washington University); and others

 

Co-sponsors:
Institute for International Economic Policy, National War College, MacArthur Foundation, Computer and Communications Industry Association, Heinrich Boell Stiftung, GW-Center for International Business Education and Research and the Software and Information Industry Association

For more information, please visit the blog of the Project on Trade Agreements and Internet governance at tradeandinternet.wordpress.com

Thursday, December 6, 2012

8:15am – 3:30pm

 

Elliott School of International Affairs
Lindner Commons, 6th floor
1957 E Street NW
Washington, DC 20052

TAIG hosted this free conference, providing a wide range of insight into the potential and pitfalls of trade policy to regulate the Internet. Panels included: views from the US, EU, and Canada; a discussion of privacy, intellectual property rights, and Internet freedom; and new ideas to promote trade and Internet freedom. Lee Hibbard from the Council of Europe offered “A Human Rights Perspective”, and Andrew McLaughlin of betaworks gave the luncheon keynote address on “The Future of Internet Freedom”. The full agenda is here. The conference benefited from the support of the John and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, the Heinrich Böll Foundation, the Computer and Communications Industry Association, the Software and Information Industry Association, the Center for International Business Education and Research (CIBER) at GWU, the National War College and the Minvera Initiative.

Our policy brief, “Can Trade Policy Set Information Free? Trade Agreements, Internet Governance, and Internet Freedom” is here.

Click here to view Dr. Aaronson’s slides (requires Flash)

 

5th Annual Conference on China’s Economic Development and the U.S.-China Relationship

G2 at GW 2012

Friday, October 12, 2012

Lindner Commons, Suite 602
Elliott School of International Affairs
1957 E St. NW, Washington, D.C. 20052

Videos

The US – China relationship is now second to none in importance for international economic relations and policy and accordingly is a major focus of IIEP. The centerpiece of this initiative is our annual Conference on China’s Economic Development and U.S.-China Economic Relations (or the “G2 at GW”), which has become one of the premier events of its type. For the last three conferences (2009, 2010, 2011) we created a follow-up online “virtual conference volume”. For information on previous conferences, see our signature initiatives page.

Schedule of Events

October 12, 2012

8:15-8:45 AM Continental Breakfast

8:50-9:00 AM Welcome and Overview of the Conference

9:00-10:15 AM Session 1

10:15-10:30 AM Coffee Break

10:30 AM – 12:00 PM Session 2

12:00-1:00 PM Lunch Break

1:00-2:15 PM Session 3

2:15-2:30 PM Coffee Break

2:30-3:45 PM Session 4

An archive of all previous Annual Conferences on China’s Economic Development and U.S.-China Economic Relations is available here.

For more information, please contact Kyle Renner at iiep@gwu.edu or 202-994-5320.

Co-sponsored by:

Can Trade Agreements Facilitate the Free Flow of Information? The Trans-Pacific Partnership as a Case Study

Organized by
The Institute for International Economic Policy

In partnership with:
The Computer Communications Industry Association
The Heinrich Boell Foundation
and The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation

Friday, September 21, 2012

12:00 to 1:30pm – Beverages will be provided

 

Elliott School of International Affairs
Lindner Commons, 6th floor
1957 E Street NW
Washington, DC 20052

Jonathan McHale, Deputy Assistant United States Trade Representative for Telecommunications and Electronic Commerce Policy, Office of the United States Trade Representative
Jayme White, Staff Director, Subcommittee on International Trade, Customs and Global Competitiveness, United States Senate
Usman Ahmed, Policy Counsel, eBay, Inc.
Rashni Rangnath, Director, Global Knowledge Initiative at Public Knowledge

 

President Obama has described the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) as the first 21st century trade agreement. These negotiations are particularly important to advocates of an open Internet. The U.S. wants its TPP negotiating partners to accept language designed to protect intellectual property online, to encourage regulatory transparency for Internet governance, and to ensure open access to digital goods, applications, consumers, devices, networks, and information. Other governments have a different vision. Currently, although several non-profit U.S. bodies oversee technical specifications and the domain name system, international multi-stakeholder groups collaborate to maintain the free flow of information on the web. However, Russia, China and several other nations want to use “the monitoring and supervisory capabilities of the International Telecommunication Union,” a U.N. agency, to regulate the Internet. They believe the current system is too ad hoc, U.S.-centric, and does not allow national policymakers to restrict the free flow of information when such officials deem it appropriate. This discussion will examine what the U.S. is proposing. Representatives from the private sector, the Internet advocacy community, and the Senate Finance Committee will present their views on the implications of these provisions for the future of the Internet.

The George Washington University School of Public Health and Health Services and Office of Sustainability Innovation Dialogue PanelT

Climate Impact and Food Security

Co-sponsors:
SPHHS and Office of Sustainability Innovation

Picture ID/GWID Required

Wednesday, April 25, 2012

1:00 to 3:00pm

 

Ross Hall
Room 117
2300 I St, NW
Washington, DC 20052

Panelists:


Biotechnology and Food Security: Promises and Perils
 – Lynn Goldman, MD, MPH, Dean, GW School of Public Health and Health Services

 

The Future of Agricultural Production – Siwa Msangi, PhD, MSa, Senior Research Fellow, IFPRI

 

Outlook on the Future of Agricultural Pesticide Use – Melissa Perry, ScD, MHS, Chair, Department of Environment and Occupational Health, GW School of Public Health

 

Emerging Infectious Diseases in a Changing Climate – Jessica Leibler, PhD, MS, Research Scientist, Dept. of Environmental and Occupational Health, GW School of Public Health

2nd Annual Washington Area International Trade Symposium (WAITS) Conference

Friday, April 6, 2012

Elliott School of International Affairs
1957 E St. NW
Washington D.C. 20052

The Washington Area International Trade Symposium (WAITS) is a forum that highlights trade research at institutions in the Washington D.C. area. Its primary activity is sponsoring an annual research conference where scholars present their latest academic work. Researchers from George Washington University, American University, the Census Bureau, the Federal Reserve Board, Georgetown University, the Inter-American Development Bank, Johns Hopkins University (SAIS), the U.S. International Trade Commission, the University of Maryland, and the World Bank have all participated in the symposium.

Contact iiep@gwu.edu with any questions.

View the Schedule

    • Session 2: 9:20-10:10
    • Mine Senses “Globalization, Labor Markets and the Role of Human Capital” Johns Hopkins University-SAIS (with Pravin Krishna and Guru Sethupathy)Presentation

      Teresa Fort as discussant – Comments


    • Coffee Break 

    • Session 3: 10:30-11:20
    • Anna Maria Mayda “Protection for Free? The Political Economy of U.S. Tariff Suspensions” Georgetown University (with Rod Ludema and Prachi Mishra)Presentation

      Michael Moore as discussant – Comments



    • Lunch



    • Coffee Break 

    • Session 7: 3:20-4:10
    • Chris Kurz “Trade and Volatility at the Firm and Plant Level” Federal Reserve Board (with Mine Senses)Presentation

      Logan Lewis as discussant – Comments


George Washington University’s Institute for International Economic Policy, housed at the Elliott School of International Affairs, is dedicated to producing and disseminating high-quality non-partisan academic and policy relevant research on international economic policy. Areas of focus include international trade, international finance, and development economics.

International Symposium on “The Economics of Ultra-poverty: Causes and Remedies

Visit the ultra-poverty initiative page here.

Thursday, March 22, 2012

9:00am to 5:00pm – Reception to Follow

 

Elliott School of International Affairs
1957 E Street NW
Washington, DC 20052
Schedule

Day 1: Thursday March 22

Ultra-poverty Research Workshop: Finding, Measuring, and Modeling the Ultra-poor

Ultra-Poverty Research in Progress, Morning Session (7th Floor, City View Room)

9:00-9:30 James Foster, GWU, Introduction and Overview

9:30-10:15 Sabina Alkire, Oxford, and Suman Seth, Oxford, Severe Poverty and Sub-national Disparities

10:15-11:00 Oded Stark, Bonn, Relative Poverty: Concept, Measurement, and Social Welfare Repercussions

 

11:00-11:15 – Coffee Break

 

11:15-12:00 Michael Carter, UC Davis, Poverty Traps

 

Lunch 12:00-1:00 (7th Floor, City View Room)

 

Ultra-Poverty Research in Progress, Afternoon Session I (7th Floor, City View Room)

1:00-1:45 David Stifel, Lafayette and IFPRI Addis, Poverty Mapping Techniques to Track Poverty over Time

1:45-2:30 Nora Lustig, Tulane, Fiscal Redistribution and Fiscal Mobility: A New Concept to Assess the Impact of Benefits and Taxes on the Poor

 

Coffee Break 2:30-2:45

2:45-3:30 Jose Manuel Roche, Oxford, and Mauricio Apablaza, Oxford, Multidimensional Poverty Dynamics

 

Coffee Break 3:30-3:45 (7th Floor Lobby)

 

Ultra-Poverty Research in Progress, Afternoon Session II (7th Floor, State Room)

3:45-4:30 Andy McKay, Sussex, Extreme, Multidimensional, and Chronic Poverty

4:30-5:15 Patrick Vinck, Harvard, Data on Violence, Conflict and Ultra-Poverty

 

Day 2 Friday March 23

Policy and Program Conference: Ultra-poverty Causes and Remedies

Four Aspects of Ultra-poverty 9:00-11:15 (7th Floor, City View Room)

Stephen Smith, GWU, Overview

James Foster, GWU, Depth and Severity

Sabina Alkire, Oxford, Multiple Deprivations

Andy McKay, Sussex, Multiple Periods

Pete Lanjouw, World Bank, Spatial Concentration

General Discussion

 

Coffee Break 11:15-11:30

 

Ultra-poverty: Evidence, Programs and Policy (7th Floor, City View Room)

Session 11:30-12:45 Donor and Civil Society Perspectives

Luis Felipe Lopez-Calva, World Bank, Overview

Steven Radelet, Chief Economist, USAID, A Perspective from USAID

Munshi Sulaiman, BRAC, BRAC’s Ultra-poverty Work in Bangladesh and Africa

 

Lunch 12:45-1:15 (7th Floor, City View Room)

 

Evidence, Programs and Policy, continued (7th Floor, City View Room)

1:15-1:45 Ethiopia: Ultra-Poverty Problems and Opportunities

David Stifel, Lafayette and IFPRI-Addis, Infrastructure, Agricultural Productivity, and Poverty

Stephen Smith, GWU, Multidimensional Poverty Traps? Evidence from Ethiopia

1:45-2:15 Bangladesh: Multidimensional Poverty, Targeting, Programs, and Evaluation

Virginia Robano, GWU, Targeting and Assessment with Multidimensional Poverty

Islam Tonmoy, Kentucky, Program Evaluation with Multidimensional Measures

2:15-3:00 Chile and Peru: Poverty in a Middle Income, High Inequality Environment

Veronica Silva, World Bank, Chile

Renos Vakis, World Bank, “The right medicine: TB, agency and productive safety nets – early lessons from the slums of Lima”

Mauricio Apablaza, Oxford, Chronic Multidimensional Poverty in Chile

 

Coffee Break 3:00-3:15 (6th Floor, Lindner Commons)

 

Missing Dimensions, Hidden Poverty 3:15-5:30 (6th Floor, Lindner Commons)

Sabina Alkire, Oxford, Overview

Oded Stark, Bonn, Degrading Work

Hans Hoogeveen, World Bank, Disabilities

Elizabeth Kneebone, Brookings, Neighborhood effects

 

5-minute pause while refreshments and snacks are served on-site

 

Tony Castleman, GWU, Human Recognition

Jeni Klugman, World Bank, Women and Empowerment

James Foster, GWU, and Sabina Alkire, Oxford, Constructing the Women’s Empowerment in Agriculture Index

5:30-6:00 – Wrap up (6th Floor, Lindner Commons)

11th OxMetrics User Conference: Conference Programme

International Conference on “The Economics of Ultra-Poverty: Causes and Remedies”

March 15 & 16, 2012

 

The Elliott School of International Affairs
1957 E St. NW
Washington, DC 20052
Schedule

Conference Schedule

Day 1: Thursday March 15

8:30-9:00am Registration and coffee/tea/pastries   9:00-10:30am Session 1: Finance Models and Jumps Chairperson: Vincenzo L. Maini Welcome: Barry R. Chiswick (Chair, Department of Economics, GWU) Announcements: Neil R. Ericsson and Frederick L. Joutz (co-chairs) Sebastien Laurent* (Maastricht University), Christelle Lecourt and Franz C. Palm present “Testing for jumps in GARCH models, a robust approach” Eric Jondeau, Jerome Lahaye* (University of Lausanne) and Michael Rockinger present “High-Frequency Jump Filtering in a Microstructure Model” Vincenzo L. Maini* (Cass Business School) and Giovanni Urga* (Cass Business School) present “The Liquidity to Price Trasmission Mechanism: A Combination of Nonparametric Tests for Jumps”   10:30-11:00am Coffee/Tea Break   11:00-12:00pm Session 2: Gets Modelling I Chairperson: Neil R. Ericsson Jurgen A. Doornik* (University of Oxford) and David F. Hendry present “Automatic Selection of Multivariate Dynamic Econometric Models” Neil R. Ericsson* (Federal Reserve Board and George Washington University) presents “Justifying Empirical Macro-econometric Evidence in Practice”   12:00-1:30pm Lunch and Poster Session (posters listed below) Nicoletta Batini* (International Monetary Fund) and Joshua Felman present “Why Are U.S. Firms Hoarding Money? Deniz Erdemlioglu* (CeReFiM-FundP and K.U. Leuven) presents “Intraday Periodicity and Intraday Levy-type Jump Detection” Marwan Izzeldin and Peiran Shi* (Lancaster University) present “The Impact of Jumps on the Stylised Facts of Returns and Volatility: Do Jumps Matter?” Christian Muller and Eva Koberl (presented by Boriss Silverstovs*, KOF Swiss Economic Institute) present “Catching a Floating Treasure: A Genuine ex-ante Forecasting Experiment in Real Time” Anjan Panday* (American University) presents “Impact of Monetary Policy on Exchange Market Pressure: The Case of Nepal” Issouf Samake* (International Monetary Fund) and Frederick L. Joutz present “Fiscal and Political Instability and the Growth Nexus in Developing Countries: An Application to Nigeria” George B. Tawadros* (RMIT University) presents “The Cyclicality of the Demand for Crude Oil: Evidence from the OECD” Shuangyuan Wei* (George Washington University) presents “An Analysis of U.S. Gasoline Demand Elasticities”   1:30-3:00pm Session 3: Interest Rates and Term Structure Chairperson: Jaime Marquez Daniel Beltran* (Federal Reserve Board), Maxwell Kretchmer, Jaime Marquez and Charles Thomas present “Foreign Holdings of U.S. Treasuries and U.S. Treasury Yields” Wachindra Bandara* (George Washington University) and Richard Munclinger present“A Feasible Regime-Switching Model of the Term Structure” Jaime Marquez* (Federal Reserve Board), Ari Morse and Bernd Schlusche present“Overnight Interest Rates and Reserve Balances: Econometric Modeling of Exit Strategies”   3:00-3:30pm Coffee/Tea Break   3:30-4:30pm Session 4: Round Table with OxMetrics Developers Chairpersons: Frederick L. Joutz, Jurgen A. Doornik (University of Oxford), Siem Jan Koopman (Tinbergen Institute) and Sebastien Laurent (Maastricht University).   5:00-6:30pm Reception and Conference Dinner at Aroma Restaurant   7:00pm-app. 9:30pm Concert at the Kennedy Center Concert Hall

Day 2: Friday March 16

8:30-9:00am Coffee/tea/pastries   9:00-10:00am Session 5: Volatility Modeling Chairperson: Grayham E. Mizon Dobrislav Dobrev* (Federal Reserve Board) and Pawel Szerszen (Federal Reserve Board) present “The Information Content of High-Frequency Data for Estimating Equity Return Models and Forecasting Risk” Siem Jan Koopman* (VU University Amsterdam and Tinbergen Institute) and Marcel Scharth present “The Analysis of Stochastic Volatility in the Presence of Daily Realised Measures”   10:00-10:30am Coffee/Tea Break   10:30am-12:00pm Session 6: Gets Modelling II Chairperson: Felix Pretis J. James Reade* (University of Birmingham) and Ulrich Volz present “From the General to the Specific: Modelling Inflation in China” Poonpat Leesombatpiboon and Frederick L. Joutz* (George Washington University) present “A Multivariate Cointegration Analysis of the Role of Oil in the Thai Macroeconomy” David F. Hendry and Felix Pretis* (University of Oxford) present “Anthropogenic Influences on Atmospheric CO2”   12:00-1:30pm Lunch and Poster Session (posters listed below) Alexie Ciprian Alupoaiei, Ana Maria Sandica* (Academy of Economic Studies, Bucharest) and Monica Dudian present “The Analysis of Exchange Rate Dependence in Central and Eastern Europe Countries” John B. Guerard, Jr.* (McKinley Capital Management, LLC) presents “Mergers, the Leading Economic Indicators, and Stock Prices: Additional Evidence” Fakhri Hasanov* (George Washington University) presents “Forecasting Inflation in Azerbaijan” Navneet Kaur* (Chandragupt Institute of Management Patna) and A. Kanagaraj present “Application of Multi Factor Risk Model for Estimating Value-at- Risk in Indian Stock Market” Tidiane Kinda* (International Monetary Fund) presents “Modelling Inflation in Chad” Tucker S. McElroy* (U.S. Census Bureau) presents “When Are Direct Multi-Step and Iterative Forecasts Identical?” Subramanian S. Sriam* (International Monetary Fund) presents “The Gambia: Demand for Broad Money and Implications for Monetary Policy Conduct” Thomas M. Trimbur* (Federal Reserve Board) and Tucker S. McElroy present “Signal Extraction for Nonstationary Multivariate Time Series with an Illustration for Trend Inflation” 1:30-2:30pm Session 7: Ana Timberlake Memorial Lecture Chairperson: Giovanni Urga Introduction: Giovanni Urga, Frederick L. Joutz and Neil R. Ericsson David F. Hendry and Grayham E. Mizon* (University of Southampton and University of Oxford) present“Expectations and Economic Policy in the Presence of Unanticipated Changes”   2:30-3:00pm Coffee/Tea Break   3:00-4:00pm Session 8: Unobserved Variables Chairperson: Boriss Silverstovs Yueqing Jia* (George Washington University) presents “A New Look at China’s Output Fluctuations: Quarterly GDP Estimation with an Unobserved Components Approach” Boriss Silverstovs* (KOF Swiss Economic Institute) presents “Are GDP Revisions Predictable? Evidence for Switzerland”   4:00-4:30pm Coffee/Tea Break   4:30-5:30pm Session 9: Forecasts and Forecasting Chairperson: Jennifer L. Castle Andrew B. Martinez* (George Washington University) presents “Comparing Government Forecasts of the United States’ Gross Federal Debt” Jennifer L. Castle* (University of Oxford), Michael P. Clements and David F. Hendry present “Forecasting by Factors, by Variables, by Both, or Neither?” Closing Remarks: Teresa Timberlake and others 7:00pm-onwards Conference Farewell Dinner (light buffet)

Getting Rights…Right: How Companies are Implementing the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights

In partnership with:
U.S. Institute for Peace
U.N. Global Compact U.S. Network
Ford Motor Company
Heinrich Böll Stiftung North America
GW-CIBER

 

For a policy brief created from the conference outcomes, click here.
Download the full document here.

 

To mark International Human Rights Day 2011, George Washington University, the UN Global Compact US Network, and the US Institute of Peace hosted a 1 day conference on the Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights. These principles, approved by the UN Human Rights Council in June, are designed to help business monitor its human rights impact. These guidelines clarified both the human rights responsibilities of states and firms and made them clear and actionable. Our speakers, representing business, civil society, the US Government, and academia, focused on practical approaches to implementing the Guiding Principles (the GPs).

Thursday, December 8, 2011

9:00am to 4:30pm

 

Grand Ballroom, 3rd Floor
Marvin Center
800 21st Street, NW
Schedule

Thursday, December 8, 2011
9:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.

Grand Ballroom, 3rd Floor
Marvin Center
800 21st Street, NW

 

9:00-9:10 – Welcoming Remarks

  1. Stephen C. Smith (GWU)
    Dave Berdish (Ford Motor Company)

9:10-9:45 – David Arkless President and CEO, Global Corporate and Government Affairs, Manpower, “Why Firms Should Advance Human Rights: Manpower’s approach”

 

9:45-11:15 – Panel 1 – Addressing the Problems of Slavery and Human Trafficking

Moderator: Pamela Passman, President and CEO, Center for Responsible Enterprise And Trade (CREATe)

  1. Brenda Schultz, Manager, Responsible Business, Carlson Hotels Worldwide
  2. Samir Goswami, Director of Corporate Responsibility, Rule of Law, Lexis Nexis
  3. Jean Baderscheider, Vice President, Global Procurement, Exxon Mobil
  4. Jean Baderscheider – Exxon Mobil
  5. Karen Stauss, Director of Programs, Free the Slaves

11:15-11:30 – Coffee Break

 

11:30-12:00 – General Discussion: What should policymakers do to encourage adoption of the GPs?

led by Susan Aaronson

  1. Procurement set asides?
  2. Education?
  3. Corporate governance rules?

12:00-1:00 – Under Secretary of State for Democracy and Global Affairs, Maria Otero

  1. The Department of State’s Approach to the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights

1:00-2:00 – Luncheon Keynote

  1. Ursula Wynhoven (General Counsel, UN Global Compact) “The Case for Supporting Human Rights”
  2. Ursula Wynhoven – United Nations
  3. Gerald Pachoud, Senior Advisor to the Assistant Secretary General, UN and former Senior Advisor, Special Representative on Business and Human Rights) “Business and Human Rights… and States”

 

2:05-3:35 – Panel 2 – How Business Should Operate in Conflict Zones

Moderator: Raymond Gilpin, Director, Center for Sustainable Economies, U.S. Institute of Peace

  1. Bennett Freeman, Senior Vice President for Social research and Policy, Calvert Group
  2. Bennett Freeman – GE Audio
  3. Charlotte Wolff, Corporate Responsibility Manager, Arcellor Mittal
  4. Charlotte Wolff – Arcellor Mittal Audio
  5. Olav Ljosne, Regional Director of Communications, Africa, Shell Corporation
  6. Olav Ljosne – Shell Corporation Audio
  7. Jenny Vaughan, Program Officer, Conflict Management, Mercy Corps
  8. Jenny Vaughan – Mercy Corps
  9. Jenny Vaughan – Mercy Corps Audio
  10. Panel 2 – Entire Audio
  11. Panel 2 – Discussion Audio

3:35-3:50 – Coffee Break

 

3:50-5:20 – Panel 3: General Implementation of the Guiding Principles: Is it difficult to get buy in? Is it costly? What recommendations or roadblocks have you found?

Moderator: Susan Aaronson (GWU)

  1. Mark Nordstrom, Senior Labor & Employment Counsel, General Electric
  2. Mark Nordstrom – Fordham University
  3. Mark Nordstrom – Fordham University Audio
  4. Dave Berdish, Manager of Sustainable Business Development, Ford Motor Company
  5. Dave Berdish – Ford Motors
  6. Dave Berdish – Ford Motor Company Audio
  7. Motoko Aizawa, Sustainability Advisor, International Finance Corporation
  8. Meg Roggensack, Senior Advisor for Business and Human Rights, Human Rights First
  9. Panel 3 – Discussion Audio

5:20 – Conference End

 

Conference organized by:

 

  • Dr. Susan Aaronson and Kyle Renner, GWU
  • Dr. Raymond Gilpin and Amanda Mayoral, USIP
  • Thanks too to Ursula Wynhoven and the staff of the UN Global Compact for their help.

 

 

Ford Motor Company and the Heinrich Böll Foundation provided generous financial support to ensure a free conference.

Euro at the Crossroads?

Fred Joutz

Professor of Economics and Director of the Research Program on Forecasting, GWU

Desmond Lachman

Resident Fellow, American Enterprise Institute

Holger Wolf

Associate Professor, BMW Center for German and European Studies, Georgetown University

Audio of “Euro at the Crossroads?” can be found here.

Wednesday, November 9, 2011

12:00 to 1:30pm

 

Lindner Commons, 6th floor
1957 E Street, NW
Washington, DC 20052

Corruption and Conflict

Organized by
The Institute for International Economic Policy
and
Transparency International’s (UK) International Defence & Security Programme

To listen to the podcast, click here.
To view the PowerPoint, click here.

Wednesday October 26, 2011

12:30 to 2:00pm

Elliott School of International Affairs
Suite 505
1957 E Street NW
Washington, DC 20052

Mark Pyman (Head of Transparency International, the UK’s Defence & Security Programme)
Sir Stewart Eldon (Senior Adviser to TI-DSP and former UK Permanent Representative to NATO)

Corruption is both a symptom of and a cause of conflict. As example, many Afghans initially welcomed the Taliban because they promised to restore order and reduce corruption. Policymakers increasingly recognize that if they want to create clean and effective state institutions and sustain peace, they must also counter corruption. Without addressing corruption, officials may be unable to restore state authority and deliver services to war-ravaged communities. According to the UNDP, several factors shape the interaction of corruption and peace: how a peace agreement is formed; the legacy of wartime corruption; the circumstances and potential turmoil of transitional governments; and resource wealth and potential for exploitation. Transparency International UK’s Defense & Security Program, based in London, has been studying how to counter corruption in conflict and post-conflict environments to create a roadmap towards stability and a well-functioning state. Pyman and Eldon will discuss the Program’s emerging findings, examine case studies such as that of Afghanistan, and address questions.

Why Cooperate Over Water? Water Has No Borders

Join the World Affairs Council-Washington, DC for an evening with Gidon Bromberg, Co-Director of Friends of the Earth Middle East (FoEME)

To RSVP for the conference please fill out our form at www.worldaffairsdc.org or (202) 293-1051

Dr. Bromberg’s PowerPoint can be viewed here.

Monday, October 3rd, 2011

6:30 to 8:30pm

Elliott School of International Affairs
Linder Commons, Suite 602
1957 E Street NW
Washington, DC 20052

Avidan Meyerstein, Founder of the Alliance for Middle East Peace, Mr. Meyerstein currently works as an attorney in the Washington, D.C. area. ALLMEP is a group of organizations who promote peaceful coexistence of Arabs, Jews, Israelis and Palestinians on a personal level.

Najeeba Syeed-Miller, Ms. Syeed-Miller is the founder and assistant professor of Interreligious Education at Claremont School of Theology. She has 15 years of experience in conflict resolution and has also developed a method of mediation from a Muslim perspective.

Gabe Ross, As Associate Director of Partners for a New Beginning within The Aspen Institute, Mr. Ross is part of an organization that facilitates presidential goals of broadening and deepening the U.S.’s relationship with Muslim communities around the world, based on mutual respect.

Jim Doumas, As Executive Vice-President of Sister Cities International, Mr. Doumas participates in strengthening the relationship between the U.S. and international communities. SCI is an organization dedicated to development and volunteer actions to further beneficial communication.

Food Price Increases: Causes, Impacts and Responses

Keynote Speaker Alain de Janvry (UC Berkeley)

Conference videos to be uploaded soon.

Friday September 30, 2011

Elliott School of International Affairs
Linder Family Commons Suite 602
1957 E Street NW
Washington, DC 20052

 

8:30-9:00 a.m. – Breakfast

9:00-9:15 a.m. – Opening Remarks
Stephen Smith (GWU-IIEP)
 – Forum on Food Price Increases

9:15-10:45 p.m. – Panel 1 – Causes: Long and Short Term Forces Underlying Food Price Spikes and Trends

Speakers:
9:15-9:45 – Nora Lustig (Tulane University), “Survey of Long and Short Run Factors” – Thought for Food Revisited: Causes, Consequences and Policy Dilemmas
9:45-10:15 – Keith O. Fuglie (Economic Research Service, US Department of Agriculture) – “Global and Regional Food Productivity and Output Trends” – Productivity Growth

10:15-10:45 a.m. – Panel 1 Discussion

10:45-11:15 a.m. – Coffee Break

11:15 a.m. – 12:45 p.m. – Panel 2 – Impacts: Poverty, Nutrition and Welfare Impacts of Food Price Increases

Speakers:
11:15 a.m. – 11:45 p.m. – Francisco Ferreira (World Bank) – “Rising Food Prices and Household Welfare: Evidence from Brazil” – Background Paper
11:45-12:15 p.m. – James Foster (George Washington University) – “Measurement Issues in Assessing Poverty Impacts of Food Price Spikes” – PPT

12:15-12:45 p.m. – Panel 2 Discussion

12:45-2:00 p.m. – Lunch

1:15-2:00 p.m. – Luncheon Keynote: Alain de Janvry (UC Berkeley) – PPT

2:00-4:00 p.m. – Panel 3 – Responses: Policy and Program Responses to Food Price Spikes 

Speakers:
2:00-2:30 p.m. – Carlos B Martins-Filho (IFPRI and University of Colorado, Boulder) – “Excessive Food Price Volatility Early Warning System” – PPT and “Maize Excessive Food Price Variability Early Warning System” and “Maize Prices and Returns”
2:30-3:00 p.m. – Maximo Torero (IFPRI) – “Price Volatility in Food and Agricultural Markets: Policy Responses” – PPT
3:00-3:30 pm. – Uma Lele (Author and Development Consultant) – “Policy Responses to Food Price Spikes” – Challenges Facing the Global Architecture for Food and Agriculture Going Forward

3:30-4:00 p.m. – Panel 3 Discussion

 

4th Annual Conference on China’s Economic Development and the U.S.-China Relationship

G2 at GW 2011

Friday, September 23, 2011

Made possible by a generous gift from an anonymous donor

Lindner Commons, Suite 602
Elliott School of International Affairs
1957 E St. NW, Washington, D.C. 20052

The US – China relationship is now second to none in importance for international economic relations and policy and accordingly is a major focus of IIEP. The centerpiece of this initiative is our annual Conference on China’s Economic Development and U.S.-China Economic Relations (or the G2 at GW), which has become one of the premier events of its type. For the last three conferences (2009, 2010, and 2011) we created a follow-up online “virtual conference volume”.

Speakers at the first four conferences include Hongbin Li (Tsinghua University, Beijing), Shang-Jin Wei (Columbia Univ.), Lu Ming (Fudan Univ., Shanghai), ZhongXiang Zhang (East-West Center), Peter Yu (Drake), Huang Yasheng (MIT), Li Xuan (FAO), C. Fred Bergsten (Peterson), Loren Brandt (Toronto), Kenneth Lieberthal (Brookings), Zhang Xiaobo (IFPRI), Feng Tian (Chinese Academy for Social Sciences), Meng Lingsheng (Tsinghua), Gao Fei (China Foreign Affairs University (CFAU)), Harry Harding (Virginia), Lixin Colin Xu (World Bank), Zhu Caihua (CFAU), Warwick McKibbin (Australian National Univ., and Eswar Prasad (Brookings).

Next year’s G2 at GW conference will take place on 10-12-2012. The research and policy analysis presented at the first five G2 at GW conferences together form the basis of a planned IIEP volume, to be edited by Professors Michael Moore and Stephen C. Smith.

Schedule of Events

September 23, 2011

Continental breakfast at 8:00 AM

9-9:10 AM Welcome and Overview of the Conference

9:15-10:30 AM Economic Transformation in China

Panelists

10:30-10:45 AM Coffee Break

10:45 AM – 12:15 PM Climate Change, Multilateral Trade, and International Financial Rules

Panelists

12:15-1:15 PM Lunch Break

1:15-2:30 PM US and Chinese Policies Towards Intellectual Property Rights

Panelists

2:30-2:45 PM Coffee Break

2:45-4:00 PM Macro topics: Exchange Rates, Economic Growth, and Imbalances

Panelists

An archive of all previous Annual Conferences on China’s Economic Development and U.S.-China Economic Relations is available here.

For more information, please contact Kyle Renner at iiep@gwu.edu or 202-994-5320.

Co-sponsored by: 

Volatility in Commodity Markets – Causes and Impacts on the Poor

Joachim von Braun

Director of the Center for Development Research (ZEF) and Professor for Economic and Technological Change at University of Bonn, Germany and former Director General of the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI)

Dr. von Braun’s PowerPoint slides can be viewed here.

Thursday, September 22, 2011

12:30 to 2:00pm

 

Lindner Commons, 6th Floor
1957 E St NW
Washington, DC 20052

Can Trade Agreements Facilitate the Free Flow of Information: The Trans-Pacific Partnership as a Case Study

Organized by
The Institute for International Economic Policy

In partnership with:
The Computer Communications Industry Association
The Heinrich Boell Foundation
and The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation

Wednesday, September 21, 2011

12:00 to 1:30pm

Elliott School of International Affairs
Lindner Commons, 6th Floor
1957 E Street NW
Washington, DC 20052

Jonathan McHale, Deputy Assistant United States Trade Representative for Telecommunications and Electronic Commerce Policy, Office of the United States Trade Representative
Jayme White, Staff Director, Subcommittee on International Trade, Customs and Global Competitiveness, United States Senate
Usman Ahmed, Policy Counsel, eBay, Inc.
Rashni Rangnath, Director, Global Knowledge Initiative at Public Knowledge

 

President Obama has described the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) as the first 21st century trade agreement. These negotiations are particularly important to advocates of an open Internet. The U.S. wants its TPP negotiating partners to accept language designed to protect intellectual property online, to encourage regulatory transparency for Internet governance, and to ensure open access to digital goods, applications, consumers, devices, networks, and information. Other governments have a different vision. Currently, although several non-profit U.S. bodies oversee technical specifications and the domain name system, international multi-stakeholder groups collaborate to maintain the free flow of information on the web. However, Russia, China and several other nations want to use “the monitoring and supervisory capabilities of the International Telecommunication Union,” a U.N. agency, to regulate the Internet. They believe the current system is too ad hoc, U.S.-centric, and does not allow national policymakers to restrict the free flow of information when such officials deem it appropriate. This discussion will examine what the U.S. is proposing. Representatives from the private sector, the Internet advocacy community, and the Senate Finance Committee will present their views on the implications of these provisions for the future of the Internet.

Beverages will be provided.

Advances in Behavioral Finance

Organized by
The Institute for International Economic Policy
and
The International Monetary Fund Institute

This will be an all day conference

Keynote speaker: Prof. George Akerlof (UC-Berkeley and IMF)

Thursday, May 26, 2011

Elliott School of International Affairs
City View Room 7th Floor
1957 E Street NW
Washington, DC 20052

8:15 a.m.-8:45 a.m. Breakfast

8:45 a.m.-9:00 a.m. Opening Remarks IIEP Director Stephen C. Smith and IMF Institute Deputy Director Eric Clifton

9:00 a.m.-10:30 a.m. Session 1
Prof. William Goetzmann (Yale University)“The First Stock Market Bubble (and Crash!)”
Prof. Robert Stambaugh (University of Pennsylvania): “The Short of It: Investor Sentiment and Anomalies”

10:30 a.m.-10:50 a.m. Coffee Break

10:50 a.m.-12:20 p.m. Session 2
Prof. Avanidhar Subrahmanyam (UCLA): “Funding Constraints and Market Efficiency”
Prof. Russ Wermers (University of Maryland)“Seasonal Asset Allocation: Evidence from Mutual Fund Flows”

12:20 p.m.-1:30 p.m. Lunch Break

1:30 p.m.-3:00 p.m. Session 3
Prof. Robert Bloomfield (Cornell University)“The Synthetic Economy Research Environment (SERE): A Platform for Experiments in Policy and Practice”
Prof. Bill Zame (UCLA): “Ambiguity and Asset Pricing: Learning from the Knowledge of Others” – Paper 1 and Paper 2

3:00 p.m.-3:20 p.m. Coffee Break

3:20 p.m.-4:50 p.m. Session 4
Prof. Valery Polkovnichenko (University of Texas at Dallas): “Probability Weighting Functions Implied in Options Prices”
Prof. Jeffrey Wurgler (NYU)“Dividends as Reference Points: A Behavioral Signaling Model”

4:50 p.m.-5:00 p.m. Coffee Break

5:00 p.m.-6:00 p.m. Keynote Address and Open Floor Discussion:
Prof. George Akerlof (UC-Berkeley and IMF): “Blind Faith: Misplaced Trust and Economic Crisis”

 

Organizing Commmittee:

Marco Cipriani, International Monetary Fund

Ana Fostel, George Washington University

Jorge Roldos, International Monetary Fund

Anna Scherbina, UC Davis and International Monetary Fund

Stephen C. Smith, George Washington University

Economics of Adaptation to Climate Change in Low-Income Countries

Hosted by the Institute of International Economic Policy

See more about the Institute’s Adaptation to Climate Change initiative here.

In partnership with the World Bank, the UN Development Programme, the Center for International Science and Technology Policy, and the GWU Department of Economics

Wednesday, May 18 – Thursday, May 19, 2011

 

City View Room, 7th Floor 1957 E St NW Washington, DC 20052

Human Rights, Development and Economic Growth – Metrics, New Ways of Thinking, and New Strategies

April 7 12:30-7:00 & April 8 8:00-5:00

 

The George Washington University
Washington, DC 20052

Since the members of the UN negotiated the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in 1948, the world has made great human rights progress. But that progress is not easy to measure. The Universal Declaration has over 30 distinct human rights. Moreover, as Albert Einstein once warned “not everything that counts can be counted.” Policymakers, activists, and scholars do not agree on how to count -e.g. whether they should measure progress (as evidenced by new laws) or outcomes (as in educational outcomes).

But in recent years, three developments have helped increase our understanding of the relationship between human rights and development. First, Nobel prize winning economist Amartya Sen established a scholarly bridge between economics and human rights. He taught us that poverty, hunger, and a lack of education are conditions that restrict freedom and therefore respect for human rights provides a platform for economic growth (Vizard: 2005). Influenced by Sen, the UNDP produced the Human Development Index which focuses on state performance on capabilities. Second, in 2000, officials from 181 nations agreed to collaborate to cut global poverty in half by 2015. They also agreed to set targets and measure their progress towards achieving global human rights and development goals. Thus, the Millennium Development Goals made the question of how to measure progress more visible. Building on these insights, scholars and activists began to develop new metrics. Some designers focused not only on human rights but also on measures of governance and economic growth. For example, the Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI), published for the first time in the 2010 Report, redefined poverty as not simply the absence of money, but the variety of deprivations with which poor households typically contend. It can be deconstructed by region, ethnicity and other groupings as well as by dimension (living standards, education and health). The Human Opportunity Index (HOI) is a measure of society’s progress in equitably providing opportunities for all children. HOI takes into account how the personal “circumstances” for which a child cannot be held accountable, like location or parental wealth, affect his/her probability of accessing basic services that are necessary to succeed in life, like timely education, vaccination, safe water or electricity. The index was first applied in the World Bank publication “Measuring Inequality of Opportunities in Latin America and the Caribbean” in 2009 and has since been used in a number of countries.

This conference, organized by Dr. Susan Aaronson, will examine these new metrics and how scholars, business leaders, and government officials are using them to devise cost-effective approaches to stimulating economic growth while advancing human rights.

Schedule

April 7, 2011

Location: Lindner Family Commons
1959 E St NW Suite 602


12:30-1:00 – Lunch


1:00-1:15 p.m. – Opening Remarks and Overview
Opening Remarks – Stephen Smith (GWU-IIEP)
Overview of conference objectives – Susan Ariel Aaronson (GWU-IIEP)
Presentation


1:15-2:35 p.m. – Panel 1 – Multidimensional Poverty Measurement: Uses for a new understanding of the meaning of poverty and deprivation.

Speakers:
Jeni Klugman (UNDP), “UNDP’s Multidimensional Poverty Metric”
Shabana Singh (Vanderbilt University) – “Towards a Multinational Measure of governance” Presentation
Ricardo Aparicio (Director for Policy Analysis at Coneval, Mexico) – ” Multidimensional poverty measurement: a human rights based approach. The case of Mexico” Presentation
Discussant: Ambar Narayan (World Bank)
Comments


2:35-3:45 p.m. – Panel 2 – Measuring Inequality of Opportunities Among Children: the Human Opportunity Index

Speakers:
Jaime Saavedra-Chanduvi (Acting Director, Poverty Reduction and Equity, World Bank) – “Equality of Opportunity: Analytical Challenges and Policy Implications” Presentation
Javier Escobal (GRADE, Peru) – “Is the Playing Field Leveling in Peru? The Evolution of Children’s Opportunities” Presentation
Discussant: Dena Ringold (Senior Economist, Human Development Sector, Europe and Central Asia, World Bank)
Comments


3:45-4:00 – Coffee Break


4:00-5:30 p.m. – Panel 3 – New Metrics for Assessing Human Rights and How These Metrics Relate to Development and Governance

Speakers:
David Cingranelli (Professor of Political Science, SUNY – Binghamton) – “CIRI Human Rights Data Set” Presentation
Sabine Donner (Senior Project Manager, Bertelsmann Foundation) – “Transformation Index” Presentation
Nathaniel Heller (Managing Director, Global Integrity Index)
Moderator: Siobhan McInerny-Lankford (Senior Policy Officer, Nordic Trust Fund, OPCS, World Bank)
Comments


5:50-6:00p.m. – Coffee Break and Schmoozing
(Please note change of Conference Location to Harry Harding Auditorium, 2nd Floor)


6:00-7:00 p.m. – Evening Keynote – “Human Rights Within a Governance Empirical Framework: Some Unorthodox Observations from a Non-Expert”
Daniel Kaufmann (Senior Fellow, Global Economy and Development, Brookings Institute)
Comments


April 8th

Please note change of Conference Location to 805 21st Street, NW, B07

8:00-9:00 a.m. – Continental Breakfast


9:00-10:20 a.m. – Panel 4 – Caveats on Metrics

Speakers:
Hans-Otto Sano (Senior Policy Officer, Nordic Trust Fund, OPCS, World Bank)“Human Rights Compliance and Performance Indicators”
Siobhan McInerny-Lankford (Senior Policy Officer, Nordic Trust Fund, OPCS, World Bank)
Elizabeth Eagen (Program Officer, Human Rights Data Initiative, Open Society Foundations) Presentation
ModeratorCharles Kenny (Senior Fellow, Center for Global Development)
Comments


10:20-12:00 p.m. – Panel 5 – Using Datasets to Examine Human Rights and Economic Change

Speakers:
Robert and Shannon Blanton (Professors of Political Science, University of Memphis) – “Rights, Institutions, and FDI” Presentation
Rod Abouharb (Lecturer in International Relations, University College, London) – “Can the WTO Help Nations Clean Up and Improve Human Rights?” Presentation
Jean-Pierre Chauffour (Lead Economist, International Trade and Development Group, World Bank) – “On the Relevance of Positive and Negative Rights in Economic Development – New empirical evidence (1975-2007)” Presentation
Daniel Meija (Associate Professor of Economics, Universidad de los Andes, Colombia) – “Is Violence Against Union Members in Colombia Systematic and Targeted?”
Moderator: Emmanuel Teitelbaum (Assistant Professor of Political Science and International Affairs, GWU)
Comments


12:00-1:30 p.m. – Lunch and Lunch Keynote
Introduction: Sabine Donner (Senior Project Manager, Bertelsmann Foundation)
Keynote Presenter: James Foster (Professor of Economics and International Affairs, GWU-IIEP) – “Finding Meaningful Numbers”
Comments


1:30-3:05 p.m. – Panel 6 – NGO and Business Perspectives on Metrics to Assess Human Rights

Gerard Pachoud (Special Advisor, UN Special Representative on Business and Human Rights) – “The Ruggie Guidelines and Use of Metrics to Assess Business Human Rights Performance”
Panelists will discuss how business can and does use metrics to assess human rights
Speakers:
Bennett Freeman (Senior Vice President, Sustainability Research and Policy, Calvert Investments)
Chris Jochnick (Director, Private Sector Department, Oxfam America)
Faris Natour (Director of Research, Business for Social Responsibility)
Olav Ljosne (Senior Manager, International Operations, Shell Oil Company)
ModeratorHans J. Hogrefe (Senior Policy Officer, Physicians for Human Rights)
Comments


3:05-3:15 p.m. – Coffee Break


3:15-4:45 p.m. – Panel 7 – New Governmental Strategies That Use Metrics and Link Economic Growth and Human Rights

Speakers:
Ginny Bauman (Director of Partnerships, Free the Slaves) and Jane Sigmon (Senior Coordinator, International Programs, Department of State, Trafficking in Persons Office) – “Metrics to Assess Progress in Reducing Trafficking” Presentation
Raymond Gilpin (Associate Vice President, USIP) and Mike Dzniec (Senior Program Officer, USIP) – “Measuring Progress with Reconstruction and Human Rights in Conflict Environments: A Metrics Framework” Presentation
Tom Kelly (Managing Director, Millenium Challenge Corporation, US Government) – “How the MCC uses Metrics”
Moderator: Michael Moore (Professor of Economics and International Affairs, GWU-IIEP)
Comments


4:30-5:30 p.m. – So, What do you think? Are these metrics useful? Can they be improved?
Moderator: Susan Aaronson (Associate Research Professor of International Affairs, GWU-IIEP)
Comments

1st Annual Washington Area International Trade Symposium (WAITS) Conference

Friday, March 11, 2011

Elliott School of International Affairs
1957 E St. NW
Washington D.C. 20052

The Washington Area International Trade Symposium (WAITS) is a forum that highlights trade research at institutions in the Washington D.C. area. Its primary activity is sponsoring an annual research conference where scholars present their latest academic work. Researchers from George Washington University, American University, the Census Bureau, the Federal Reserve Board, Georgetown University, the Inter-American Development Bank, Johns Hopkins University (SAIS), the U.S. International Trade Commission, the University of Maryland, and the World Bank have all participated in the symposium.

Contact iiep@gwu.edu with any questions.

View the Schedule

George Washington University’s Institute for International Economic Policy, housed at the Elliott School of International Affairs, is dedicated to producing and disseminating high-quality non-partisan academic and policy relevant research on international economic policy. Areas of focus include international trade, international finance, and development economics.

3rd Annual Conference on China’s Economic Development and the U.S. – China Relationship

Friday, October 8, 2010

Made possible by a generous gift from an anonymous donor

Continental breakfast at 8:00 AM

8:45 AM: Welcome and Overview of the Conference 
Stephen C. Smith (Director, Institute for International Economic Policy, and Professor of Economics and International Affairs, GWU)

9:00-9:45 AM: Kenneth Lieberthal, Brookings Institute, “Necessary Strategic Adaptation by U.S. Multinationals to Succeed in China’s Evolving Business Environment”

9:45-11:00 AM: Economic Development Patterns in China
Moderator: Steve Suranovic, Associate Professor of Economics and International Affairs, GWU
Panelists:

Lu Ming, Fudan University, “Sustainable Growth or Not? Hukou, Land and Rural-Urban Development in China
Zhang Xiaobo, IFPRI, “Analysis of Industrial Clusters in China
Feng Tian, Chinese Academy for Social Sciences, “Trade Linkages of BRICs in the World Economy

11:00-11:15 AM: Coffee Break

11:15-12:30 PM: Political Economy of Development in China
Moderator: Jiawen Yang, Professor of International Business and International Affairs, GWU
Panelists:

Maggie Xiaoyang Chen, GWU, “Firm Performance and Investment in Political Human Capital
Bruce Reynolds, UVA, “A Macro Framework for Understanding the Exchange Rate Debate
Meng Lingsheng, Tsinghua University, “Prenatal Sex Selection and Missing Girls in China: Evidence from the Diffusion of Diagnostic Ultrasound

12:30-1:45 PM: Luncheon and Keynote by Huang Yasheng, MIT, “Capitalism with Chinese Characteristics

1:45-3:00 PM: Aspects of U.S.-China Economic Relations
Moderator: Michael Moore, Professor of Economics and International Affairs, GWU
Panelists:

Doug Guthrie, Dean, GWU School of Business, “Economic Development & U.S.-China Relations
Gao Fei, China Foreign Affairs University, “Chinese View on Contemporary Sino-US Relations: Challenge and Opportunity
Bruce Dickson, GWU, “China’s Evolving Economic Model and Its Implications for the US”

3:00-4:15 PM: China-Africa Links
Moderator: Fred Joutz, Professor of Economics, GWU
Panelists:

Deborah Brautigam, African Union, “Chinese Aid and Investment in Africa: Think Again
Joshua Eisenman, American Foreign Policy Council and UCLA, “China’s Trade and Political Engagement in Africa
Ambassador David Shinn , GWU, “China’s Security and Diplomatic Relations with Africa”

An archive of all previous Annual Conferences on China’s Economic Development and U.S.-China Economic Relations is available here.

For more information, please contact Kyle Renner at iiep@gwu.edu or 202-994-5320.

Co-sponsored by:

Financial Regulation and Supervision: Lessons from the Crisis

The Institute for International Economic Policy, the National Center for Sustainable Development, and the Bertelsmann Foundation

International Monetary Fund

Conference videos coming soon.

Wednesday, May 26, 2010

8:15 a.m. – 5:30 p.m.

City View Room, 7th Floor
Elliott School of International Affairs
1957 E St., NW
Washington, D.C. 20052

Continental breakfast at 8:15 AM

8:45-9:00 AM: Welcome and Opening Remarks

Stephen C. Smith (Director, Institute for International Economic Policy, and Professor of Economics and International Affairs, GW)

9:00-10:00 AM: Session 1 – What Went Wrong: Market and Regulatory Failures

Prof. John Geanakoplos (Yale University)
Prof. Matthew Richardson (NYU)

10:00-10:15 AM: Coffee Break

10:15-11:15 PM: Session 1 (cont’d) – What Went Wrong: Market and Regulatory Failures

Prof. Ross Levine (Brown University)
Prof. Phillip Swagel (Georgetown University & former Assistant Secretary of the Treasury for Economic Policy

11:15-11:30 AM: Coffee Break

11:30AM-1:00 PM: Session 2 – The Regulation of Financial Institutions

Dr. Stijn Claessens (Research Department, IMF)
Prof. Douglas Gale (NYU)
Prof. Mark Flannery (University of Florida)

1:00-2:30 PM: Lunch Break

2:30-4:00 PM: Session 3 – The Regulation of Financial Markets

Dr. Laura Kodres (Research Department, IMF)
Prof. Neil Pearson (University of Illinois)
Prof. Erik Stafford (Harvard Business School)

4:00-4:15 PM: Coffee Break

4:15-5:00 PM: Keynote Address – The Regulatory Response to the Financial Crisis: An Early Assessment

Dr. Jeffrey Lacker – President, Federal Reserve Board of Richmond

5:00-5:30 PM: Open Floor Discussion

IIEP Climate and Energy Forum: Policy Comparisons and Business Perspectives: The Coal and Solar Sectors in China, U.S.A. and Germany

Co-sponsored by the National Center for Sustainable Development,
and the Bertelsmann Foundation

This event is part of the Institute for International Economic Policy’s Adaptation to Climate Change Initiative.

Friday, April 23, 2010

7:30 a.m. – 1:15 p.m.

City View Room, 7th Floor
1957 E St., NW
Elliott School of International Affairs
George Washington University
Washington, DC

7:30am: Registration and Breakfast

8:30am: Welcome Remarks (bilingual): Prof. Maggie Xiaoyang Chen – GWU

8:40am: Introduction to Roundtable Topics and Participants
Framing of the discussion topics, and Overview of the Forum
Prof. Stephen Smith – Director, Institute for International Economic Policy, GWU

9:00am: Introduction of the First Panel
The Public Sector Role in Setting the Rules of the Game for Economic and Environmental Balance

Moderator: Prof. Arun Malik – GWU

China Reps: Chen Huan – Deputy Director General, CDM Fund
Dr. Wen Gang – Ministry of Finance

U.S. Rep: Dr. Phyllis Yoshida – Deputy Assistant Secretary for International Energy Cooperation, Department of Energy

German Rep: Matthias Sonn – Minister for Economic Affairs, German Embassy – Washington, DC and Board Director, US-German Business Council

Questions to pose for Perspectives and Comparison

1. WHAT IS YOUR PERSPECTIVE ON THE PUBLIC ROLE IN THE ENERGY SECTOR, IN SEEKING ECONOMIC AND CLIMATE BALANCE?

2.  HOW DO YOU ENVISION THE WAY THE PUBLIC SECTOR WILL INTERACT WITH THE PRIVATE SECTOR?

2. WHAT ARE THE MAIN CONSTRAINTS ON IMPLEMENTING THE APPROPRIATE PUBLIC ROLE?

3. WHAT DO YOU VIEW AS UNIQUE TO YOUR COUNTRY FROM THE VIEWPOINT OF SPECIAL POLICY CHALLENGES AND SPECIAL COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGES?

10:00am: Audience Participation Questions – Questions collected from the audience during the primary panel discussion and posed by the moderator at this time.

10:30am: Coffee Break

11:00am: Introduction of Second Panel
The Private Sector Role in Promoting Viable Balanced Markets to achieve low carbon intensity sustainable development:

Moderator: Prof. Fred Joutz – GWU

China Reps: Chen Huan – Deputy Director General, CDM Fund
Dr. Wen Gang – Ministry of Finance

U.S. Rep: Tom Mackey – Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Clean Coal Project

German Rep: TBA

Questions to Pose for Implementation and Comparison

1. WHAT DOES THE PRIVATE SECTOR NEED FROM THE PUBLIC SECTOR?

2. WHAT SIGNIFICANT UNWARRANTED CONSTRAINTS COME FROM THE PUBLIC SECTOR?

3. WHAT DO YOU SEE AS THE BALANCED AND SUSTAINABLE FUTURE OF THE RESPECTIVE ENERGY SUBSECTORS?

4. WHAT FINANCING CONSTRAINTS ARE PRESENT?

12:00 noon: Audience Participation Questions – Questions collected from the audience during the second panel discussion will be posed by the moderator at this time.

12:30pm: Lunch

1:00pm: Keynote Speaker & Questions
1:15pm: Keynote Speaker introduction by Annette Heuser: Executive Director, Bertelsmann Foundation, Washington, DC

“Energy and Climate Policy: Practical Lessons from Germany”

Keynote Speaker: Dr. Klaus Scharioth – German Ambassador to the United States of America

2:00pm: Wrap up by: Mitchell F. Stanley, President & Trustee, National Center for Sustainable Development, Washington, DC

Is Fairer Trade Compatible with Freer Markets?

Cosponsored by the Government of the Netherlands,
the Heinrich Boell Foundation and the Financial Times

Conference Videos coming soon.

Thursday, March 4 and Friday, March 5, 2010

Lindner Commons, Suite 602
Elliott School of International Affairs
1957 E St., NW
Washington, D.C. 20052

March 4, 2010

6:00-7:30 PM – Evening Keynote
Michael Conroy, PhD (Chair of the Board, TransFair)
Fairer Trade and Freer Trade: The Evolution of Strategies That Work for the Poor

March 5, 2010

8:00-8:30 AM Continental breakfast

 

8:30 – 9:00 AM
Introductory Remarks: Steve Suranovic (GWU-IIEP)
“Defining Fairness in Trade”
A description of the conference and an overview of what we mean by fairness as applied in international trade discussions. Do we mean fairness of outcome? Do we mean fairness of process, or both? PPT

 

9:00 – 10:30 AM – Fairness in the Real World
There is a lot of talk about fair trade, but we really know little about what policymakers, academics, and consumers are concerned about when they think about fair trade. This panel will focus on perceptions of fair trade among these groups and how these perceptions play out in global and national markets.
Michael Hiscox (Harvard) PPT
Shareen Hertel (UConn) Paper and PPT
Doug Nelson (Tulane and Univ. of Nottingham) Paper and PPT
Sean Ehrlich (Florida State) Paper

 

10:40-11:00 AM Coffee Break

 

11:00 AM – 12:30 PM – Consumers and Fair Trade
Is there sufficient consumer demand for products carrying social/eco labels signaling they are fairly produced? Are fair trade strategies workable and sustainable? How do public policies channel or distort fairer trade?
Daniel Stokes (TransFair FLO) Paper
Kelly Johnston (Vice President – Government Affairs, Campbells Soup) Paper
Eric Biel (Managing Director, Corporate Responsibility, Burston Marsteller)
Kim Elliott (CGD)

 

12:30 – 2:00 PM – Luncheon Keynote – “Making Markets Work for the Poor”
Monika Weber-Fahr
 (Global Business Line Leader, IFC, World Bank) PPT
Moderated by: James Politi (The Financial Times)

 

2:00 – 3:30 PM – Producers and Fair Trade
How can market actors work to achieve fairer outcomes for workers? Do such strategies yield more productive workers? How do they affect market share and profits?
David Berdish (Ford Motor Company) Paper
Rene Van Hell (Deputy Director for Trade Politics and Globalization in the Ministry of Economic Affairs, Holland) Paper
Bama Athreya (International Labor Rights Forum)
Charita Castro (Division Chief for Operations, Office of Child Labor, Forced Labor, and Human Trafficking, Bureau of International Labor Affairs) PPT P D F icon

 

3:30 – 3:45 PM – Coffee Break

 

3:45 – 4:30 PM – So, What do you think? Are Freer Markets Compatible with Fairer Outcomes for the Poor?
Prof. Susan Aaronson (GWU) will ask audience questions focused on the Conference objective, “Are Free Markets Compatible with Fairer Outcomes for the poor?”
Will fair trade strategies yield fairer outcomes?
Will they distort trade?
Will consumers respond? If so, what are the best strategies to achieve fairer trade?

4:30 – 4:45 PM – Conclusions
Prof. Steve Suranovic (GWU) will summarize the conference findings: What do we think about these options? What is the future of fairer trade strategies?

2nd Annual Conference on China’s Economic Development and the U.S. China-Relationship

Friday, November 20, 2009

Continental breakfast at 8:00 AM

9:00 AM: Welcome and Overview of the Conference

Stephen C. Smith (Director, Institute for International Economic Policy, and Professor of Economics and International Affairs, GW) Trends in China’s Development and U.S.-China Trade

9:15-10:00 AM: Opening address and charge to the conference

Dr. Harry Harding (Dean, University of Virginia, former Elliott School Dean, and former University Professor at GW) The G-2 Chimera: Fusion or Illusion? – Paper

10:00-10:30 AM: Coffee Break

10:30 AM – 12:30 PM: Session 1: Transformations and Emerging Challenges in the Economy of China

Bruce Reynolds (Professor of Economics, University of Virginia) Macro Problems and Macro Policy in China and the United States: Lessons from the Economic Crisis – PPT

Loren Brandt (Professor of Economics, University of Toronto) – PPT

John Giles (Associate Professor of Economics, Michigan State University, and Senior Labor Economist, World Bank) The Current and Future Well Being of China’s Rural Elderly – Paper and PPT

Dr. Xiaobo Zhang (Senior Research Fellow, International Food Policy Research Institute) The Competitive Savings Motive: Evidence from Rising Sex Ratios and Savings Rates in China – Paper and PPT and Transcript

Dr. Lixin Colin Xu (Senior Economist, World Bank)

12:30-1:00 PM: Lunch

1:00-1:45 PM: Luncheon Keynote Speaker

Dr. Fred Bergsten (Founder and Director, Peterson Institute of International Economics) – “The United States-China Economic Relationship and the Strategic and Economic Dialogue“. Paper – Two’s Company (Letter to the Editor of Foriegn Affairs Magazine) – Paper

1:45-2:00 PM: Coffee Break

2:00-4:00 PM: Session 2: Crisis, Emergence of the G2 relationship, and Future Challenges

Zhu Caihua (Associate Professor of International Economics, China Foreign Affairs University) FDI Flows Between China and the US: Implications for Sino-US Economic Relations – Paper 

Dr. Philip Levy (Resident Scholar at the American Enterprise Institute, and former Senior Economist at the Council of Economic Advisers) The Sustainability of Chinese Economic Success: Implications for Future Sino-U.S. Relations

Margaret Pearson (Professor of Government and Politics, University of Maryland) China as a G2 Member: What are the Political Constraints? – Paper 

Bruce Dickson (Professor of Political Science and International Affairs, GW)

An archive of all previous Annual Conferences on China’s Economic Development and U.S.-China Economic Relations is available here.

For more information, please contact Kyle Renner at iiep@gwu.edu or 202-994-5320.

Co-sponsored by:

Climate Change and the World Trading System

Dr. Steve Charnovitz – GWU

Gary Clyde Hufbauer and Jisun Kim – Peterson Institute

View the paper here.

This event was made possible by a generous grant from an anonymous donor. It is a discussion of the book Climate Change and the World Trading System, co-authored with Cary Clyde and Jisun Kim (Peterson Institute).

Friday, September 18, 2009

12:00 to 2:00pm

 

Suite 601M
1957 E St NW
Washington, DC 20052

Antidumping Use Across the World

Implications for Developing Countries and U.S. Businesses

Thursday and Friday, April 9 & 10, 2009

8:00 – 3:00 PM (Thursday), 8:00 – 1:30 PM (Friday)

Lindner Commons, Suite 602
Elliott School of International Affairs
1957 E St., NW
Washington, D.C. 20052

Thursday, April 9, 2009

 

8:00 – 8:45 AM – Continental breakfast

 

8:45 – 9:45 AM – Tom Prusa (Rutgers and NBER) – Trade Liberalization, Tariff Overhang and Antidumping Filing in Developing Countries”
Discussant: Michael Moore (GWU-IIEP)

 

9:45 – 10:45 AM – Maurizio Zanardi (ULB-ECARES): “Trade Liberalization and Antidumping in Developing Countries: Is There a Substitution Effect?”
Discussant: Rod Ludema (Georgetown)

 

10:45 – 11:00 AM – Coffee Break

 

11:00 AM – 12:00 PM – Kara Reynolds (American): “Overcoming Free-Riding: A Cross-Country Analysis of Firm Participation in Antidumping Petitions” 
Discussant: Judith Dean (USITC)

 

12:00 – 1:00 PM – Lunch

 

1:00 – 2:00 PM – Chad Bown (Brandeis)
Discussant: Bob Feinberg (American)

 

2:00 – 3:00 PM – Justin Pierce (Georgetown): “Plant Level Responses to Antidumping Duties: Evidence from U.S. Manufacturers” 
Discussant: Maggie Chen (GWU-IIEP)

==============================================

Friday, April 10, 2009

 

“Expanding Use of Antidumping and Prospects for Reform”

 

8:00 – 9:00 AM – Continental breakfast

 

9:00 – 10:00 AM – Global Antidumping Use and Implications for Developing Countries
Chad Bown (Brandeis)
Maurizio Zanardi (ULB-ECARES)
Jorge Miranda (King and Spaulding)

 

10:00 – 11:00 AM – Basic Concepts of Antidumping
Tom Prusa (Rutgers and NBER) – Economists’ Views
Matt Nolan (Arent Fox) – Lawyers’ views
Stephen Claeys (former Dep. Asst. Sec. for Import Administration) – Administrators’ views

 

11:00 – 11:15 AM – Coffee Break

 

11:15 AM – 12:15 PM – Reforming Antidumping
Michael Moore (GWU-IIEP) – Economists’ views
Jim Durling (Winston and Strawn) – Respondent Lawyers’ views
Stephen Jones (King and Spaulding) – Petitioner Lawyers’ views

 

12:15 – 1:30 PM – Lunch and Keynote Address
Grant Aldonas (former Undersecretary of Commerce for International Trade)
“Trade Remedies’ Impact on U.S. Commercial Policy”

NAFTA at 15

Assessing the Past and Preparing for the Future

Friday, March 27, 2009

Lindner Commons, Suite 602
Elliott School of International Affairs
1957 E St., NW
Washington, D.C. 20052

8:30 – 9:20 AM Continental breakfast

 

9:20 – 9:30 AM
Introductory Remarks: Michael Moore (GWU-IIEP)

 

9:30 – 10:45 AM – NAFTA’s Origins and Impact on the U.S. and Canada
Moderator: Steve Suranovic (GWU-IIEP)
Sidney Weintraub (Center for Strategic and International Studies): Origins of North American Integration
Gary Hufbauer (Peterson Institute): NAFTA and the U.S.
Richard Harris (Simon Fraser University): NAFTA and Canada

 

10:45 AM – 12:00 PM – Impact on Mexico
Moderator: Cynthia McClintock (GWU-LAHSP)
Nora Lustig (GWU-IIEP): Growth, Inequality and Poverty in Post-NAFTA Mexico
Eric Verhoogen (Columbia University): Impact on Mexican Firms
Phil Martin (University of California – Davis): Immigration flows under NAFTA

 

12:00 – 12:45 PM – Remarks on “The Future of NAFTA” by Jaime Serra (former Mexican chief negotiator for NAFTA)

 

12:45 – 1:45 PM – Lunch

1:45 – 3:00 PM – What’s Next for North American Integration? Views from the Academy
Moderator: Nora Lustig (GWU-IIEP)
Robert Pastor (American University)
Gustavo Vega (El Colegio de Mexico) PowerPoint
John Curtis (Centre for International Governance Innovation)

 

3:00 – 3:15 PM – Coffee Break

 

3:15 – 4:30 PM – North American Governments’ Priorities
Moderator: Michael Moore (GWU-IIEP)
Grant Aldonas (former U.S. Undersecretary of Commerce for International Trade)
Beatriz Leycegui (Mexican Undersecretary of Economy for International Trade Negotiations) PowerPoint
Susan Harper (Economic Minister for the Embassy of Canada)

The U.S.-Peru Free Trade Agreement: Implementation and Impact

Alvaro Henzler (Economic Advisor to the Ambassador of Peru, professor at Georgetown University and Universidad del Pacifico)
Carlos Mateo Paz-Soldan (DTB Associates)
José Raul Perales (Senior Program Associate for Latin America at the Woodrow Wilson Center)

Joint with the Latin American and Hemispheric Studies Program

Thursday, October 30, 2008

12:00 pm – 1:45 pm

 

Duques Hall Suite 451
2201 G Street, NW
Washington, DC 20052

1st Annual Conference on China’s Economic Development and the U.S. China Relationship

Monday, October 20, 2008

 

Continental breakfast from 8:30 AM

9:30-10:45 AM: The U.S. and China in the World Economy 
This session will examine the global context of the relationship, including macroeconomic conditions and global energy markets.

Warwick McKibbin (Professor of Economics at Australian National University, Member of the Board of the Reserve Bank of Australia and Nonresident Fellow at the Brookings Institution)

David Pumphrey (Deputy Director and Senior Fellow of the Energy and National Security Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, former Deputy Assistant Secretary for International Energy Cooperation at the Department of Energy)

Jiawen Yang (Professor of International Business and International Affairs at the George Washington University, co-author of Case Studies of U.S. Economic Sanctions: The Chinese, Cuban and Iranian Experience)

10:45-11:00 AM: Coffee break

11:00 AM – 12:30 PM: U.S. and China Trade and Investment Issues

This session will explore current controversies surrounding U.S. economic relations.

Jim Mendenhall (Partner at Sidley Austin, LLP and former General Counsel at Office of the U.S. Trade Representative)

Patrick Mulloy (Member of the U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission and former Assistant Secretary of Commerce)

Eswar Prasad (Tolani Senior Professor of Trade Policy at Cornell University, Senior Fellow at The Brookings Institution, Research Associate at the National Bureau of Economic Research, and former Chief of the China Division at the International Monetary Fund).

12:30-1:45 PM: Lunch

2:00-3:15 PM: The Future of U.S.-China Relations

The final group of panelist will discuss the economic and political future of the two countries.

Albert Keidel (Senior Associate at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace and former Acting Director and Deputy Director for the Office of East Asian Nations at the U.S. Treasury Department)

Philip Levy (Resident Scholar at the American Enterprise Institute and former Senior Economist at the Council of Economic Advisers)

David Shambaugh (Professor of Political Science and International Affairs at The George Washington University, Director of the China Policy Program at the Elliott School of International Affairs, and Nonresident Senior Fellow at The Brookings Institution).

An archive of all previous Annual Conferences on China’s Economic Development and U.S.-China Economic Relations is available here.

For more information, please contact Kyle Renner at iiep@gwu.edu or 202-994-5320.

Trade and the Hill: What to Expect Post-Election

Eric Euland – The Duberstein Group; former chief of staff to Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist (R., Tennessee)
David Castagnetti – Mehlman Vogel Castagnetti, Inc.; former chief of staff to both Senator Max Baucus (D., Montana) and former Rep. Norman Mineta (D., California)
Jennifer Mulveny – Sandler, Travis and Rosenberg; former deputy assistant U.S. trade representative for congressional affairs under President George W. Bush, and Republican professional staff, House Ways and Means Committee
Steve Champlin – Vice President of the Duberstein Group, and former Executive Director of the House Democratic Caucus

Joint with the Consumers for World Trade Education Fund
This is a U.S. Foreign Policy Priorities

Tuesday, October 14, 2008

12:00 to 2:00pm

 

Lindner Commons, Suite 602
1957 E St., NW
Washington, DC 20052

A Research Symposium on New Directions for Research on Microfinance

Sponsored by the Institute for International Economic Policy, GWU Department of Economics,and GW-Center for International Business Education and Research

Friday, April 20, 2007

Alumni House
1925 F St., NW
Washington, D.C. 20052

9:30 AM: Welcome and Overview of the Conference

Stephen C. Smith (Professor of Economics and International Affairs, GW)

 

9:45-10:45 AM: Alain de Janvry and Elisabeth Sadoulet (University of California-Berkeley and World Bank), “The Supply and Demand Side of Credit Information,” (with Craig McIntosh, University of California-San Diego)

 

11:00 AM – 12:00 PM: Joe Kaboski, (OSU) “Testing a Structural Model of Credit Constraints Using a Large-Scale Quasi Experimental Microfinance Initiative,” (with Robert Townsend, University of Chicago)

 

12:00-1:00 PM: Lunch

 

1:00-2:00 PM: Jonathan Conning, (Hunter College/CUNY), “Foundations of Social Investment” (with Jonanthan Morduch, New York University)

 

2:15-3:15 PM Shahe Emran, (GWU), “Microfinance and Missing Markets” (with Joseph Stiglitz, Columbia University)

 

3:30-4:30 PM Dean Karlan, (Yale University), “Expanding Credit Access: Using Randomized Supply Decisions to Estimate the Impacts” (with Jonathan Zinman, Dartmouth University)

 

4:30 PM Closing Remarks