NEUDC 2007

Our Center for International Development is playing host over the next couple of days to this year's Northeast Universities Development Consortium Conference--an annual conference on development economics.  Looking at the variety of sessions and papers being presented, I am once again struck by how strong and fertile the field has become.  Economic Development was once a weak sub-discipline within economics. Clearly no longer.

In my mind, the next big challenge is to integrate the work on macro (mostly growth, trade, and finance) with the work on micro (mostly health, education, and evaluation).  A few people are working in that intersection, but not nearly enough in my view.  The micro economists face the challenge of demonstrating that their work can say something about economy-wide growth patterns and differentials--the strongest determinant of poverty patterns in the world.  Meanwhile, macro types have to develop evidence that passes the microeconomists' more demanding requirements.     

Comments

[Aj]

As a graduate student concentrating on trade and development, I was wondering if you could elaborate further on the last sentence.

[Chelnikov]

Could you please offer some examples of the "few people" working to integrate development-related macro and micro work?

Also, a concrete example of the types of "evidence that passes the microeconomists more demanding requirements" would be greatly appreciated. Are you referring generally to greater theoretical rigour in terms of the microfoundations of macro models, or instead are you referring to more specific empirical requirements akin to the types of data used in applied microeconomics and microeconometrics?

Many thanks in advance if you could elaborate and give some examples!!

[paine]

dani
very rich herd of papers indeed

but
why do i get the
unpleasant impression

most of the underlying
formalisms
will end up
flying over
south world
and dropping their
meme bombs
from to high up
and/or without
smart enough ordinance
to hit designated targets

[paine]

as much as i applaud
the new eclecticism
u so firmly advocate

your undoubtable
trilemma
looms
over all local recipes
choosing winners and losers
by alternate criteria
not so noble
and
like a taunting
black winged
cartoon satan
is ever ready and able
to blow out
your candles

[gabriel]

Thanks for sharing the program Dani. I am amazed how much it has grown. I was lucky enough to present, comment, and chair sessions at the NEUDC when I was a young asst prof and the experience was always very invigorating. It was something I needed because I was at a small, teaching university at the time that was not known for its research. Actually, just looking at the schedule makes me think of those days quite fondly.