This conference seeks to create a forum in which leading transition economists from different countries meet, present new research, and develop long-term collaborative relationships. The conference will bring together key policymakers in the region with researchers, facilitating discussion and the exchange of ideas.

The organizers of the conference are Jan Svejnar (William Davidson Institute; CERGE–EI, Prague; and CEPR) and Gérard Roland (Research Center of the Faculty of Economics, University of Ljubljana; CEPR; and the William Davidson Institute). Janez Prašnikar (Research Center of the Faculty of Economics, University of Ljubljana; CEPR; and the William Davidson Institute) is the local organizer.

To apply to present a paper at the conference, please send a copy of your paper to Deborah Jahn (djahn@umich.edu) by January 31, 2001. It is anticipated that demand will exceed the space available, so preference will be given to those who plan to stay for the entire meeting. Decisions about conference participation will be made by March 1, 2001.

University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, June 15-17, 2001

The William Davidson Institute at the University of Michigan and the Journal of Financial Intermediation are pleased to cosponsor a symposium on banking in emerging markets. Papers are invited on various aspects of this topic, including the following:

Patrick Bolton, of Princeton University, is the program chairperson for the symposium and will be selecting the papers. He is also the guest editor for a special issue of the Journal of Financial Intermediation that will be dedicated to papers submitted to the symposium that are also accepted for publication in the Journal of Financial Intermediation. Submitted papers will go through the same reviewing process as papers published in regular issues of the Journal of Financial Intermediation. The submission fee will be waived, however. Submitting a paper to the Journal of Financial Intermediation is not a prerequisite for submitting a paper to the symposium.

Please send five copies of your paper by January 10, 2001 to: Professor Anjan V. Thakor, University of Michigan Business School, 701 Tappan, Rm. D6214, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109-1234, United States.

Deadline: February 15, 2001

The William Davidson Institute is supporting postdoctoral research by U.S. scholars on business development and performance and public policies that affect the development of markets. Research should focus on, but need not exclusively address, the Balkans, Central Asia, and the Caucasus.

Through funding provided by the U.S. Department of State under Title VIII, two to seven grant awards of $10,000–$50,000 will be awarded for research on the Balkans. One to five grant awards of $10,000–$50,000 will be awarded for research on Central Asia and the Caucasus. Grants will be awarded for up to two years. Priority will be given to projects that will be cofunded. Grant recipients may be asked to present their findings at Davidson Institute and U.S. Department of State policy forums.

Applicants must have completed a Ph.D. and demonstrate commitment to the study of transition economies in Central and Eastern Europe, the Russian Federation, or Eurasia. Collaborative projects are eligible, but non-U.S. collaborators must be funded from other sources. Grant funds may be used for travel, summer support, salary replacement, research assistants, and data acquisition. The research papers resulting from the grants will be added to the Davidson Institute Working Paper Series, and data accumulated under the grant will be deposited at the Davidson Institute Data Center and made available to other researchers within a negotiated time frame.

For application guidelines and procedures, please contact Deborah Jahn, Research Administrator for the William Davidson Institute, at djahn@umich.edu,or go to the Davidson Institute’s Web site, at www.wdi.bus.umich.edu.

CEPR Transition Economics Workshop for Young Academics
Portorož, Slovenia, June 27–July 5, 2001

Deadline: February 28, 2001

CEPR is pleased to announce its third Transition Economics Workshop for Young Academics, organized by Mark Schaffer (Centre for Economic Reform and Transformation, Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh; the William Davidson Institute; and the IZA Institute for the Study of Labour, Bonn); Janez Prašnikar (Research Center of the Faculty of Economics, University of Ljubljana; CEPR; and the William Davidson Institute); and Gérard Roland (ECARES, Université Libre de Bruxelles; CEPR; and the William Davidson Institute).

Research in transition economics is evolving rapidly, but many people in the field conduct their research in relative isolation. The problem is particularly pronounced for young academics. This workshop will promote the research activities of Ph.D. students and recent Ph.D.s from the European Union and the Phare countries of Central and Eastern Europe (Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Estonia, the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, and Slovenia). Young academics will receive feedback on their work in progress from established academics in the field and from one another.

The workshop will also enable participants to learn about recent developments in the field and to establish contacts with other researchers that will continue beyond the summer. A selection of the papers presented by the young academics will be published in CEPR’s Discussion Paper series.

Program: About 20 young academics from EU and Phare countries will participate, along with senior faculty (including Professors Schaffer, Prašnikar, and Roland). The program will be based on presentation of papers by the young academics, with time for discussion and comment by all participants. Several afternoon or evening sessions will be devoted to guest speakers (established academics or practitioners).

Eligibility: Applications will be accepted from students working in the economics of transition who are permanent residents or citizens of EU or Phare countries and from junior academics working in the economics of transition who received their Ph.D.s after January 1, 1996, and who are based in EU or Phare countries.

Funding: Accommodations, transportation (to and from EU and Phare countries only), and a small per diem allowance will be covered by CEPR. Young academics will also receive an honorarium of €1,000.