The 2018 UEH Summer School on Inter-regional Computable General Equilibrium Modeling and Applications

Organized by

UEH’s School of Economics and the Regional Science Association International (RSAI)

Sponsored by

Venue: Room A204,The University of Economics – HCMC, Vietnam

59C Nguyen Dinh Chieu, Dist.3, Ho Chi Minh CityDate: August 1-3, 2018

Description

Our world has become more integrated with trade agreements, cities and regions found themselves interconnected with high speed inter-regional arteries, but not until recently did decision-makers and researchers take advantage of this inter-connectedness to examine potential impacts of a policy. Taking advantage of the availability of detail statistical data and high computational capability of our artificial intelligence, Computable General Equilibrium (CGE) modeling has emerged as a powerful tool which tackles this inter-connectedness. The tool can help regional scientists, urban and regional planners, and economists examineimpacts of a change (in government policies, the environment or the economy)throughout a system or network of jurisdictions, geographical areas, or industries. This modeling technique can also help answer the question of how impacts of the change vary on different members of that system.

Recognizing the importance of this tool, the School of Economics at the University of Economics – HCMC cooperates with the Regional Science Association International (RSAI) to organize a summer school on inter-regional CGE. The summer school is an intensive 3-day training which provides hands-on experience of CGE and how to apply it in different contexts. The participants will be introduced to CGE fundamentals, its modeling techniques applicable in agriculture, trade, labor, and migration/immigration, and GEMPACK programming. This introductory course will enable the participants to successfully employ simple CGE models for their policy analysis and understand other models being used and reported in research works.

Objectives

The course aims to introduce participants to the theories and techniques of CGE modelling in general and regional modelling in particular, and to equip them to start usingCGE models for their own simulations. In the future, participants may apply the CGE model in their own research and in cooperation with CoPS researchers. By the end of the course, participants will have acquired good knowledge of

• the theory underlying CGE models;

• the basic structure of a typical CGE model;

• the representation of applied GE models in the notation used in the GEMPACK software;

• the data requirements of a typical regional CGE model;

• formulating and conductingsimulations for policy analysis in different thematic areas, such as micro-economic reform, agriculture, environment, labor, and trade

• interpreting and reporting results.

The course is based around ORANI-G, a CGE model of the Australian economy, and anaggregated version of TERM-USA – a regional model for the USA. ORANI-G’s and TERM-USA’s theoretical structure is typical of that shared by most other national and regional CGE models. Therefore, an understanding of the modelsand the GEMPACK software used with it will well equip participants to understand andapply other CGE models.

Resource personnel

Dr Nhi Tran is a Senior Research Fellow at the Centre of Policy Studies, Victoria University. Her expertise and research interests focus on policy analysis using national and regional computer general equilibrium (CGE) models. Examples of her work include: the construction and application of dynamic CGE models with extensive fiscal detail for the Vietnamese Ministry of Finance, the Malaysian Ministry of Finance and the Italian Ministry of Economy and Finance; the construction and application of a model with detailed labor market modelling for Vietnam and Oman; and the construction and application of a multiregional dynamic model of Australia with migration detail.

The Centre of Policy Studies (CoPS) at Victoria University, Melbourne has been the world leader in computable general equilibrium (CGE) modelling for over 40 years. The researchers at the Center have successfully created different CGE models (ORANI, MONASH, MMRF, TERM, USAGE, CHINAGEM, VU-National, VURM) to analyze economic issues, enabling policymakers to examine impacts of their political decisions. The Centre’ extensive experience in research and training activities in different countries and on a variety of issues ranging from economic development to national security guarantees the success of this training workshop in Vietnam.

Participants

The course will be useful for regional scientists and economists, Ph.D. candidates, and researchers who wants to use an economic model to analyse national and regional policy issues, or to understand results from CGE models.Course participants are likely to come from universities and research institutes in Vietnam and neighboring countries.

Assumed Background

Previous hands-on experience in solving GE models is not required. We expect that course participants have:

• a bachelor or master degree in Economics, or equivalent work experience;

• experience of using a PC running Windows;

• a burning desire to learn how to conduct policy analysis with CGE models

The number of participants is limited to 20. Preference will be given to participants from low-income and lower-middle-income economies, and those who have already had a plan to use CGE in their research as demonstrated by a one-page concept note.

Format

The workshop involves 3 full-day (8.30 am – 4.30 pm) of lectures and practice on computer. The lectures provide important knowledge and information about CGE and specific CGE models which have been applied in different geographic and thematic areas. The computer exercises allow the participants to have hands-on practice on their personal laptop with real data using user-friendly modeling tools and techniques developed by The Centre of Policy Studies (CoPS).Each day, there will be a one-hour lunch break and 2 tea-breaks during the sessions.

The language of instruction will be English.

At the end of the course participants receive the aggregated TERM-USA model and a 1-year GEMPACK license for practicing with the model.

Schedule

Wednesday August 1, 2018: Introduction to CGE modelling

Thursday August 2, 2018: Regional CGE modelling

Friday August 3, 2018: CGE applications: group projects

Tuition

Thanks to the support of the Regional Science Association International and the Environment for Development (EfD) Center at the University of Economics – Ho Chi Minh City, the tuition fee has been significantly reduced.Participants only pay for a fraction of the cost for a similar course delivered at CoPS, Victoria University.

Academic participants from low-income and low-middle-income economies: US $100*

Academic participants from the remaining parts of the world and non-academic participants: US $150*

*inclusive of course materials, morning and afternoon tea breaks. It does not cover meals and accommodation.

Registration and deadline

Applicants can follow this link to download the registration form which includes a template for the concept note and instruction for tuition payment.

Deadline for registration is July 20, 2018.

For further inquiries, please email to Dr. Nguyen Luu Bao Doan at 2018summerschool@gmail.com .