Economic Research Center sets inaugural conference on microeconometrics

Members of the University Economics Department’s newly launched Economic Research Center will hold an inaugural conference, bringing together some of the nation’s leading economists, who together will present 24 research papers.

The conference presentations will emphasize microeconometrics and empirical work. “The goal of this conference is to encourage the unification of economics, econometrics and empirical analysis, tying together themes in labor economics, public finance, industrial organization and related issues,” said center director and conference organizer James Heckman, the Henry Schultz Distinguished Service Professor in Economics. “Economists will travel to Chicago from all over the world to share, discuss and integrate innovative ideas.”

The conference will be from Friday, Sept. 14, through Sunday, Sept. 16, in Room 120 of Kent Hall, 1020 E. 58th St.

The opening session of the conference, to begin at 9 a.m. Friday, Sept. 14, will focus on industrial organization. At 2 p.m., scholars will look at labor and population. Following dinner, a session will be held on hedonic pricing.

Beginning at 9 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 15, the conference will resume with a session on consumption and insurance. At 2 p.m., a session on international development will be presented, and after dinner a session on empirical equilibrium search will take place.

The concluding session, to begin at 9 a.m. Sunday, Sept. 16, will look at auctions and games.

The Economics Research Center was organized this year to support basic empirical research in economics directed toward policy problems. The center is intended to acquaint a wider audience with the work of Chicago economists and provide an opportunity for the economists to work with people and institutions who turn to the center for guidance on general policy issues.

More information on the conference may be found at http://economics.uchicago.edu/conference.html