3rd Adelaide PhD Summer Institute in International Trade

The Institute for International Trade hosts the 3rd Adelaide PhD Summer Institute in International Trade

Adelaide was the centre of PhD student research in international trade economics in Australasia on March 20 and 21, as twelve aspiring PhD students and Adelaide scholars met to discuss their research.

Over two days, the Summer Institute discussed a wide range of topics

Day 1 focussed on firms and how they integrate into international markets, exploring topics such as how the access to fast internet helps firms to enter export markets; how trade liberalization affects firms’ profit margins; how firms integrate into global value chains; and what affects location choices of multinational enterprises; as well as Australian regions’ connections to international trade.

On day 2, the workshop focussed on cross-country studies that shed light on the impact of non-tariff barriers on agri-food exports, the impact of Chinese competition on trade of other Asian economies, and the impact of environmental regulation on trade.

A particular feature of the workshop was its informal atmosphere, which lead to many discussions amongst all participants and facilitated the creation of a network of young researchers in international trade in Australasia via the international trade hub Adelaide.

Besides this network effect, the explicit aim of the Summer Institute is to provide PhD students in international trade economics with a platform for discussing their ideas with both fellow PhD students and senior scholars. Each student had 45 minutes for presenting and discussing her work. Importantly, students are not required to present an already completed paper or paper draft, but may also report on the progress of their research strategies. As it is also an objective of the PhD Summer Institute that students receive feedback at an early stage of their PhD project, PhD students of all levels are strongly encouraged to participate. Both theoretical and empirical research in international trade economics is welcome.

The summer institute reflects the University of Adelaide’s continuing commitment to PhD education in international trade. The first two summer institutes took place in February 2017 and February 2018 and it has become a fixture of graduate education in international trade economics in Adelaide. In addition to hosting the event, IIT provides financial travel support for PhD students.