Research Seminar: Globalization and the Ladder of Development: Pushed to the Top or Held at the Bottom?

Title: Globalization and the Ladder of Development: Pushed to the Top or Held at the Bottom?

Please register in advance. Contact Chuck McKenney with any questions.

Abstract: We study the relationship between international trade and development in a model where countries differ in their capability, goods differ in their complexity, and capability growth is a function of a country’s pattern of specialization. Theoretically, we show that it is possible for international trade to increase capability growth in all countries and, in turn, to push all countries up the development ladder. This occurs because: (i) the average complexity of a country’s industry mix raises its capability growth, and (ii) foreign competition is tougher in less complex sectors for all countries. Empirically, we provide causal evidence consistent with (i) using the entry of countries into the World Trade Organization as an instrumental variable for other countries’ patterns of specialization. The opposite of (ii), however, appears to hold in the data. Through the lens of our model, these two empirical observations imply dynamic welfare losses from trade that are small for the median country, but pervasive and large among a number of African countries.

Bio: Arnaud Costinot is Professor of Economics at MIT. He received his B.S. from Ecole Polytechnique in 2000, his M.A. from Ecole des Hautes Etudes en Sciences Sociales in 2001, and his Ph.D. from Princeton University in 2005. Professor Costinot has received numerous awards including the Prix Edmond Malinvaud, the Kiel Excellence Award in Global Economic Affairs, and an Alfred P. Sloan Research fellowship. He is a Fellow of the Econometric Society, a Faculty Research Associate for the National Bureau of Economic Research and a Research Fellow for the Center for Economic Policy Research. He also serves on the editorial boards of the American Economic Review and the Journal of International Economics. Specializing in international trade, he has published the American Economic Review, Econometrica, the Journal of Political Economy, the Quarterly Journal of Economics, and the Review of Economic Studies. His current research focuses on trade policy and the measurement of the welfare gains from trade.

Seminar: Macroeconomic Policy in South Africa

On 30 November the Southern Africa – Towards Inclusive Economic Development (SA-TIED) programme will host an online seminar on macroeconomic policy in South Africa. This presentation is based on the report Macroeconomic Risks after a Decade of Microeconomic Turbulence, South Africa (2007–2021) by Ricardo Hausmann, Federico Sturzenegger, Patricio Goldstein, Frank Muci, and Douglas Barrios.

Federico Sturzenegger will present the report, which analyzes the performance of macroeconomic policy in South Africa from 2007 to 2020 and outlines challenges for policy in the coming decade. After remarkable economic growth in 1997–2007, South Africa’s progress slowed dramatically in 2009 with the global financial crisis (GFC). Real GDP growth decelerated more than in other emerging markets and mineral exporting peers and never recovered pre-crisis levels. In addition, the budget deficit that provided counter-cyclical support to the economy was never reigned in, leading to a rapidly rising public debt load.

The authors of the report assess three accounts of South Africa’s post-GFC growth and fiscal slump: 1) an external story; 2) a macro story; and 3) a microeconomic story. They find evidence of strong linkages between micro- and political developments and growth performance.

The seminar will also include a policy discussion featuring Thabi Leoka and moderated by Nikiwe Bikitsha.

Register for the seminar here.

About the speaker: Federico Sturzenegger is Full Professor of Economics and Business at Universidad de San Andrés in Buenos Aires and Honoris Causa Professor at HEC, Paris. He is also Visiting Professor of Public Policy at Harvard´s Kennedy School of Government. Between 2015 and 2018, he was the Governor of the Central Bank of Argentina. He has also held several positions in public service, including Secretary of Economic Policy, Member of Parliament in the Chamber of Representatives, and President of Banco Ciudad. He holds a PhD in Economics from MIT.

Research Seminar: Anthropogenic Material Cycles and Sustainable Development

The Growth Lab Research Seminar series is a weekly seminar that brings together researchers from across the academic spectrum who share an interest in growth and development.

Anthropogenic Material Cycles and Sustainable Development

Abstract: Modern society relies on the use of more diverse materials and the growing amount of each material, and results in several relevant sustainability challenges including exhaustion of natural resources, over-generation and emissions of solid wastes, and carbon emissions from materials industries. In this talk, I will use some cases to demonstrate how human activities, from urbanization, industrialization, trade, to the pursue for carbon-neutral society, rely on the use of materials and drive the cycles of materials in the anthroposphere. I argue that our sustainable future will heavily rely on the close-loop cycles of materials, and more attentions should be paid to the challenges in sustainability of physical materials and resources.

Dr. Wei-Qiang Chen is a professor of Resources and Urban Sustainability at the Institute of Urban Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS). He obtained his bachelor and PhD degrees in Environmental Science and Engineering from the School of Environment at Tsinghua University, Beijing, and worked at the Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies during 2010-2015. His research focuses on material-energy nexus, sustainable management of materials and urban sustainability. His studies have appeared in PNAS, Nature Communications, Environmental science and Technology, and other first-level journals. He served in the board of the International Society for Industrial Ecology during 2018/01-2020/21, and was the founding president of the Chinese Society for Industrial Ecology built in 2015. He is now serving as associate editor for the journals Resources, Conservation, and Recycling and Journal of Industrial Ecology.

Please register in advance. 

Un México posible: Lecciones aprendidas en desarrollo económico y bienestar desde Querétaro

**This seminar will be in Spanish only**

Este evento esta auspiciado por la Asociación de Estudiantes Mexicanos de la Universidad de Harvard, y el Grupo de Estudiantes Mexicanos del Harvard Kennedy School.

Francisco Domínguez Servién es un político mexicano. Ocupó el cargo de Gobernador del Estado de Querétaro desde 2015 hasta 2021. Desde 2019 al 2020, se desempeñó como Presidente de la Conferencia Nacional de Gobernadores. Previamente, fue Presidente de la Unión Ganadera (2002-2009), Diputado Federal (2006-2009), Alcalde de la ciudad capital de Querétaro (2009-2012), y Senador de la República (2012-2015). Es Médico Vererinario Zootecnista por la Universidad Autónoma de Querétaro y empresario ganadero en el sector porcicultor.

Moderador: Patricio Goldstein, Gerente de investigación, Growth Lab

Por favor regístrese con anticipación. Comuníquese con Chuck McKenney si tiene alguna pregunta.

POSTPONED: Development Talks: Confronting Post-COVID Macroeconomic Challenges in Namibia

*This event has been postponed until the Spring 2022 semester. More information to follow. 

The Growth Lab’s “Development Talks” is a series of conversations with policymakers and academics working in international development. The seminar provides a platform for practitioners and researchers to discuss both the practice of development and analytical work centered on policy.

Speaker: Ipumbu W. Shiimi, Minister of Finance, Namibia

Moderator: Miguel Angel Santos, Director of Applied Research, Growth Lab

Please register in advance to attend this webinar. Contact Chuck McKenney with any event-related questions.

Speaker’s bio:

Ipumbu Shiimi, an accomplished economist, is the Minister of Finance in the Republic of Namibia. Before his Ministerial appointment, Shiimi was Governor of the Bank of Namibia from 2010 to 2020, where he previously served as Assistant Governor and also occupied several positions from junior to senior level. During his working career, Shiimi participated in various research projects, co-authored multiple publications, and served on various Boards and Committees.

He holds a Master of Science in Financial Economics (1998) and a Postgraduate Diploma in Economic Principles (1995) from the University of London. He also has a Diploma in Foreign Trade and Management (1994) from the Maastricht School of Management, Netherlands, along with Honours in Economics (1993) and Bachelor of Commerce in Economics and Accounting (1992) degrees from the University of Western Cape, South Africa. He underwent specialized training in the Management Development Program at the University of Stellenbosch (2000) and Wits Business School, South Africa (2001).

Diversity in Development: Alternative Visions of “Development”

The first session of this Diversity in Development series discussed facts of the problem of limited diversity in the field of international development and introduced frameworks for understanding the problem. In this second session, panelists will discuss goals of “development” and the extent to which a vision of development is shared, including aspects of self-determination, capabilities, and justice. Development has most commonly been defined as “economic development,” with GDP per capita as a central indicator. There is an extensive history of scholarship offering alternative definitions, ranging from happiness, to critical consciousness, to institutional strength, to biological health, and more. The panelists will explore the question of what the goal of development really is or should be from a variety of perspectives.

Panelists:
Megan Hill, Program Director, Harvard Project on American Indian Economic Development, and Director, Honoring Nations
Lant Pritchett, RISE Research Director at the Blavatnik School of Government, University of Oxford
Christy Thornton, Assistant Professor, Sociology and Latin American Studies at Johns Hopkins University
Meera Tiwari, Reader (Associate Professor), International Development Studies at the University of East London

Moderator:
Nikita Taniparti, Research Manager at the Growth Lab

Please register in advance to attend this webinar. Contact Chuck McKenney with any event-related questions.

This series is hosted in coordination with the MPA/ID Program and the MPA/ID alumni community.

Book Talk: Reclaiming Populism – How Economic Fairness Can Win Back Disenchanted Voters

Speaker: Eric Protzer, Research Fellow, Growth Lab.

About the book:

Populist upheavals like Trump, Brexit, and the Gilets Jaunes happen when the system really is rigged. Citizens the world over are angry not due to income inequality or immigration, but economic unfairness: that opportunity is not equal and reward is not according to contribution.This forensic book draws on original research, cited by the UN and IMF, to demonstrate that illiberal populism strikes hardest when success is influenced by family origins rather than talent and effort. Protzer and Summerville propose a framework of policy inputs that instead support high social mobility, and apply it to diagnose the differing reasons behind economic unfairness in the US, UK, Italy, and France. By striving for a fair, socially-mobile economy, they argue, it is possible to craft a politics that reclaims the reasonable grievances behind populism.

Please register in advance to attend this talk. Contact Chuck McKenney with any event-related questions.

The talk will be live-streamed on YouTube. 

Co-sponsors: The World Inequality Lab at the Paris School of Economics and Polity Books. 

Development Talks: Economic Policy in Albania after Three Crises

The Growth Lab’s “Development Talks” is a series of conversations with policymakers and academics working in international development. The seminar provides a platform for practitioners and researchers to discuss both the practice of development and analytical work centered on policy. 

Speaker: Etjen Xhafaj, MP in Albanian Parliament

Before being elected, Etjen served in the Government of Albania as Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs. Previously, he served as Deputy Minister of Transportation and Energy, Chief of Staff to the Minister of Finance, and Chief of Staff in the Ministry of Economic Development, Trade and Entrepreneurship. Etjen holds a Bachelor’s Degree from Schiller International University and a Mid-Career Master’s in Public Administration at the Harvard Kennedy School.

Please register in advance to attend this webinar. Contact Chuck McKenney with any event-related questions.

The Implementation of the Venezuelan Temporary Statute of Protection Enacted by the Government of Colombia

In March 2021, the Government of Colombia approved an innovative solution for the crisis of Venezuelan migrants and refugees: the Temporary Statute of Protection. From a multi-disciplinary perspective, the event will discuss the experience with the implementation of the Statue, particularly from the perspective of the socio-economic assimilation of refugees and migrants.

Speakers: Felipe Muñoz, Chief, Migration Unit of the Inter-American Development Bank; Ana María Ibáñez, Economist at the Inter-American Development Bank; Laura Dib, Director of the Migrants Legal Clinic at Los Andes University, Colombia.

Please register in advance to attend this seminar. Contact Katya Gonzalez-Willette with event-related questions. 

Development Talks: Labor Mobility and International Development

The Growth Lab’s “Development Talks” is a series of conversations with policymakers and academics working in international development. The seminar provides a platform for practitioners and researchers to discuss both the practice of development and analytical work centered on policy. In this Development Talks seminar, Danielle Heinecke, First Assistant Secretary at the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade in Australia, will discuss her work focusing on labor mobility as a tool for promoting international development.

Please register in advance to attend this webinar. Contact Katya Gonzalez-Willette with any event-related questions.