Economics conference brings experts from around the globe to Notre Dame

At the beginning of October, the University of Notre Dame’s Mendoza College of Business and the Department of Economics in the College of Arts and Letters hosted the semi-annual conference, “Midwest Economic Theory and International Economics Meetings.” About 100 attendees participated in the three-day event, splitting attendees nearly 50/50 as they participated in parallel sessions in two fields, economic theory and international economics.

“It was very uplifting to be able to host the Midwest Economic Theory and International Economics Meetings,” said Jeffrey Bergstrand, professor of finance at Notre Dame who co-hosted the event with Thomas Gresik, professor of economics at Notre Dame. “Tom and I were proud to bring the event to Notre Dame and showcase Mendoza’s high-quality facilities to our peers.” The semi-annual conference rotates hosting duties predominantly among the "Big 10" universities due to the recognized quality of economics departments in the Midwest. However, academics from across the U.S. and from international universities spanning Asia, Latin America and Europe also attended and presented their research throughout the event. Feedback from the conference may be used to help presenters edit and revise their research before submitting them for publication. To be selected as a presenter, the organizers' scientific boards (made up of peers with strong academic reputations in their specific fields) considered and selected papers from a wide range of scholars, from Ph.D. students nearing completion of their programs to leading economic theory and international economics scholars. “Despite its label as a ‘Midwest’ economics conference, it is truly an international conference,” said Bergstrand. “Individuals compete globally for an opportunity to be selected to present their research at this event.” The conference is presented by the Midwest International Economics Group and the Midwest Economic Theory Group. Significant financial support for the conference was provided by the Institute for Scholarship in the Liberal Arts in the College of Arts and Letters while space for the conference was provided by the Mendoza College of Business.