ISET Announces Free Regional Training and Prize Competition on International Trade
On February 16, ISET opened the call for applications for its upcoming Free Training and Prize Competition entitled "International Trade Theory and Practice."
Young professionals, recent university graduates, and fourth-year undergraduate students from Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia are eligible to apply for this prestigious training and the chance to win prizes, including the grand prize of a 100% tuition scholarship for the ISET Master's Degree in Economics program.
The interactive training will take place March 10-30, 2010 in Tbilisi, Baku and Yerevan, and will cover applied international trade topics, relevant data and statistical analysis methods. Sessions will take place on evenings and weekends to allow students and professionals to take part.
The course will be led by ISET Assistant Professors Michael Fuenfzig (PhD, University of Pennsylvania) and Karine Torosyan (PhD, Oregon State University), with support from recent ISET master's degree recipients currently working in research and analytical positions in the South Caucasus.
The three-module course includes Data and Software; Statistics; and International Trade. Through the Data and Software Module, participants will be introduced to STATA, a powerful statistical software package used for research and policy analysis, and trade data sets that would be used for the rest of the training program. This training module will be conducted in a computer lab setting, to give students hands-on practical experience with the software, as well as basic procedures for data manipulation, graphical presentation and analysis.
The statistical module is designed to introduce students to elements of descriptive and inferential statistics. In particular, we will study (theoretically AND practically) various graphical and numerical tools used to describe data series. Additionally, we will also learn how to perform simple regression analysis in cross-section and time series data settings, using data sources relevant to the analysis of international trade and regional integration in the South Caucasus.
During the International Trade module, participants will learn about the theory of international trade and will allow them to answer some fundamental questions about international trade in the regional context. They will study the Ricardo model of international trade and some of its extensions. Participants will then apply the model to real-world situations through trade policy games and attempt to answer questions policymakers and the general public commonly face.
Following successful completion of the training, participants will be invited to submit written projects for presentation at a Symposium on International Trade and Regional Integration in the South Caucasus and prize competition in Tbilisi April 17-18. The course will be taught by regional and European instructors, and will use interactive methods to encourage participants to think about trade issues and data analysis in a new way.
Applications are due March 3; click here to apply.
For more information contact Maya Surguladze, Admissions & Outreach Officer, m.surguladze@iset.ge; tel: 507 177 ext.104.
