The 5^th Annual Joint Workshop on Socio-Economics

FERDI, Fudan University and Paris 1 University

After the crisis: New economic and social challenges in a new world

Shanghai, 26-27 May, 2013

  Many indicators suggest that the world crisis, begun in 2008, is going to end. The world has deeply changed over the last six years. Emerging countries, especially China , have become economic superpowers with a leading role and major responsibilities in a globalized world. These countries have to adjust the organization of their production to their new role, and adapt their social systems and policies to obtain an equitable sharing of their new wealth. Europe has been learning to control its big government deficits and debts, but has still to design and implement most of the reforms, which will prevent it from falling in a high-income trap and which will put it back on a sustained balanced growth path.

The workshop will take place this year at the School of Economics of Fudan University . It will allow a rich exchange between Chinese and French economists, and it is expected that each side will benefit from the experience and knowledge of the other, on the policies and institutions aiming at solving the problems of their respective countries.

The workshop will include the presentation of 12 research papers, 6 by economists from Chinese universities and 6 by economists from French universities. The authors can be senior and junior faculty members and Ph.D. students, with the aims to mingle all generations. The time allocation will be as follows:  30 minutes for paper presentation; 10 minutes for comments by a discussant from the partner country, and 10 minutes for floor discussion.

The organizers invite the submission of papers addressing topics that relate to the new economic and social challenges facing China and Europe , and to the economic and social reforms and policies that these countries must implement. These topics could include studies on public expenditure, pension systems and health insurance reforms, regional development, rural-urban migration and urbanization, poverty and income inequality, fertility, aging and demographic change, education and the job market, the growth and globalization of firms, structural changes, wages and income inequality. Contributions by economists from China on European problems and policies and vice-versa, are welcomed.