West Indies Economic Conference 2019
THE DEPARTMENT of Economics at The University of the West Indies (UWI), Mona, will once again host its annual West Indian Economic Conference (WECON) at the UWI Regional Headquarters on Thursday, March 20, from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Friday, March 21, from 8:30 a.m. to 12 p.m.
The event will begin with opening remarks from Head of the Department of Economics Dr Nadine McLeod, and the guest speaker this year is world-renowned econometrician Jeffrey Wooldridge, the author of the most widely used undergraduate textbook on economics.
Several local and international economists will present cutting-edge research papers and research ideas on a wide range of topics relevant to modern issues.
Panel 1: ‘Health and Labour’ (10:50 a.m.-12 p.m.): Philipp Doerrenberg, Denvil Duncan and Danyang Li will present on‘The (in)Visible Hand: the Role of Race and Gender in Online Job Selection Decisions’. Nicardo McInnis will present on ‘The Long-Term Effects of EITC (Earned Income Tax Credits) on Health and Health-Related Outcomes.’ George-Levi Gayle, Peter-John Gordon, Prasanthi Ramakrishnan and Devon Lynch will make presentations on ‘Estimating the Welfare Cost of Moral Hazard in Healthcare from a Large-Scale Policy Experiment.’
Panel 2: ‘Econometric Modelling and Development’ (10:50 a.m.-12 p.m.): Karl Wattswill will present on ‘The Government Savings Bank of Jamaica (1870-1960) and Questions of Underdevelopment in the British Empire.’ Kevin Smith will address the question, ‘Does Economic Integration Improve the Quality of Life and Business Environment? The Troubling Evidence from the Visegrad Group and the EU.’ Roger McLeod will present on ‘Regime-Dependent Fiscal Multipliers, Structural Adjustment and Economic Growth: Evidence from Jamaica.’
Panel 3: ‘Econometric Modelling and Monetary’ (1:15 p.m.-2:45 p.m.): Edward Ghartey will make a presentation on ‘Taylor Principle versus Exchange Rate Principle: Empirical Evidence about their Effectiveness in Developing Countries.’ Daniel Henderson, Nadine McCloud and Christopher Parmeter will speak on the topic,‘A Partially Parametric Model.’
Panel 4: ‘Environment and Energy’(1:15 p.m.-2:45 p.m.): Alrick Campbell will present on ‘Efficiency Analysis and Setting the X-Factor: An Application of Double Bootstrap DEA to Electricity Networks in Island States.’ Shane Smith, Brandon Campbell, Kaycilee Wright and Randy Koonwill will speak on the topic ‘An Economic Assessment into the St Vincent Geothermal Phase I Project.’ Tajrie Welch will present on ‘The Impact of Hurricanes on Exports in the Caribbean: A Gravity Model Analysis.’Travis Atkinson will present on ‘Investment Planning and Policy Analysis for the Electricity Sector in Small-Island Developing States: Case Study for Jamaica.’
Panel 5: ‘Health and Labour II’ (3 p.m.-4:30 p.m.): Eric Strobl, Robert Elliott and Thomas Tveit will present on ‘A Whirlwind Romance: The Effect of Hurricanes on Fertility in Early 20th-Century Jamaica.’ Nadia GrantReid, will shed light on ‘The Effect of Vocational Training on Employment and Wage Premiums: Evidence from Jamaican Panel Data.’ Nekeisha Spencer and Eric Strobl will speak to ‘The Impact of Decriminalization on Marijuana and Alcohol Consumption.’ Rosan Reynolds-Salmon will present on the question, ‘Does Household Size Matter? Overcrowding and its Effects on Child Development.’