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Endeavour Research FellowshipDr. Sherry Tao Kong (RUMiCI of the Economics Program) has received a 2009 Endeavour Research Fellowship from the Australian Government, Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations (DEEWR) to undertake four months research in Indonesia. She will work on the impact of rural-urban migration in Indonesia and comparative studies with China. During her visit in Indonesia, Sherry will be based at SMERU Research Institute (http://www.smeru.or.id/) in Jakarta. |
New Professor of EconomicsAndrew Leigh of the Economics Program has recently been promoted to Professor of Economics. |
PhD Stipends for Students Applying for Admission in June 2009The Research School of Social Sciences has a number of PhD scholarships available which must be taken up by the end of June 2009. The scholarships are available to Australian citizens, Australian permanent residents and New Zealand citizens. The value of the stipend is $20,000 per annum for 3 years, subject to satisfactory progress. The stipend provides for living expenses and it will be necessary to also apply for support for tuition fees. Interested applicants should have a First Class or Upper Second Class Honours Degree or equivalent. Students interested in applying for entry to the PhD Program in Economics should contact Prof Tim Hatton (tim.hatton@anu.edu.au) attaching a CV and a short outline of the proposed research area. The deadline for the submission of applications for admission and for scholarships is Wednesday 6 May 2009. |
Australian Economic History in the Long RunThe Economics Program hosted a two-day symposium in economic history on 26th-27th March at University House. This was organized by Prof Tim Hatton of the Economics Program in RSSS, as part of the RSSS Theme “Productive Australia in the World Economy”. More than 40 people attended, 18 from interstate or overseas and 14 papers were presented. Participants debated a range of topics in Australian history that have resonance with present-day issues. One focus was the long run economic impact of booms and slumps in the resource sector, with some presenters arguing that Australia’s economic institutions have enabled it to cope better with such shocks than other economies. Other sessions examined effects of property rights on the exploitation of land and water resources in the nineteenth century, while others explored the genesis of tariff and immigration policies. Several presenters focused on political and economic factors behind the rise of mass education in the 20th century, its timing and the balance between genders. A final theme was the development of financial institutions and their contribution to capital formation and to the development of new industries and technologies, as well as their response to financial crises. One theme that permeated many of the discussions was whether Australia should be seen as the ‘lucky country’ or the ‘clever country’. While the balance of opinion favoured the latter, there were clearly strong elements of both. |
The Economics Research Workshop on the Economics of ChildcareThe Economics Research Workshop on the Economics of Childcare, co-funded by the RSSS Themes and the CBE Outreach Program, was held on the 12th of March. Recent research results were presented on the determinants of family structure, the impact of childcare affordability and availability on usage and maternal labour supply, and the effect of childcare arrangements on children's cognitive and emotional development. Presenters included internationally well-established researchers, Professors David Blau and Michael Keane. A roundtable discussion provided an opportunity for academics, policy makers, and childcare practitioners to exchange ideas on "What Principles Should Guide Childcare Policy?" A more detailed summary is available here, and a gallery of the event here. |
Economics Research Workshop on VietnamThe Economics Research Workshop on Vietnam, co-funded by the RSSS Themes and the CBE Outreach Program, was held on 25th February. This very successful cross-campus venture featured presentations from ANU academics and PhD students, as well as distinguished visitors Prof Loren Brandt, (visiting RSSS Economics from the University of Toronto), and Dr Hong Quang Doan (from the Poverty Reduction & Econ. Management Unit of the World Bank and an ANU alumnus). Topics covered ranged from utilisation of health insurance in Vietnam, to evaluations of micro-funding programs, to the issues associated with constructing data series on consumption and expenditure from the complex questionnaires of the Vietnamese household surveys. |
Economic Society of Australia Keynote AddressProfessor Deborah Cobb-Clark has been invited to give a keynote address in Adelaide in September to the the annual conference of the Economic Society of Australia, which this year is being organised by the South Australian Branch. |
Economics Program now in 2 separate locationsThe expansion of the Economics Program, following its continuing success in raising grant income, has meant that it now occupies two locations: its usual position on the ground floor of the Coombs Building where the majority of staff are located, and its new location in the Economics Program Annex. This Annex comprises Rooms 5101 to 5106 on the first floor. To find these new rooms, take the first turn to the right as you come in the main RSSS Entrance, then take the first staircase you come to. You will find the new rooms on the first floor. |
ESPE MeetingsProfessor Tim Hatton of the Economics Program, as President Elect of the European Society of Population Economics, is in charge of scientific arrangements for the next ESPE Meetings to be held in Seville in June. For further details see: http://www.espe.org/ |
ARC Linkage AwardDr Emma Aisbett (Joint RSSS Economics and the Crawford School) has been awarded an ARC Linkage Award on “Governance and economic incentives for reducing the contribution of tropical deforestation to climate change”. This project will be conducted in collaboration with the Australian Agency for International Development. |
G08/DAAD Research GrantMatthias Sinning of SPEAR and the Economics Program, and co-applicants from Germany, were advised on 12th November that they have been awarded a Go8/DAAD Award for their international collaboration (utilizing data from both Germany and Australia) on: ‘Effects of Residential Segregation on Labour Market Outcomes of Individuals’. |
Fellow of the Academy of the Social Sciences in AustraliaXin Meng has been made a Fellow of the Academy of the Social Sciences in Australia. |
Recently Awarded ARC Discovery Grants
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Economic History WorkshopThe Economics program hosted a very successful workshop on British Economic and Social History on 6th November 2008. The workshop represented a very successful interdisciplinary collaboration of economists, economic historians, historians and demographers. Papers were given by Gordon Boyce, Pam Sharpe, the Economics Program’s Visiting Fellow Mark Thomas, Mac Boot, Pat Jalland and Tim Hatton. |
Presidential AddressAlison Booth, who gave her Presidential Address to the European Association of Labour Economists (EALE) on the topic of ‘Gender and Competition’ (http://econrsss.anu.edu.au/Staff/abooth/workpapers_ab.htm), has recently been made an Honorary Life Member of EALE. |
