IDE-JETRO organized the IDE School in Applied Econometrics for Spatial and Urban Economics on October 23-24, and the Workshop in Urban Economics “Advances in Spatial Economics” on October 26.

Professor Jacques François Thisse and Dr. Toshitaka Gokan took the initiative of designing the program. The two-day intensive program was led by Prof. Hans Koster (Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Timbergen Institute) and Prof. Kentaro Nakajima (Hitotsubashi University), who are leading the cutting-edge research in the field. A total of thirteen young scholars, including Ph.D. candidates from East Asia, Southeast Asia, and Japan participated in the school and five researchers presented their ongoning research.

Interactive question-and-answer sessions were conducted in a lively atmosphere with active discussions between the lecturer and participants. During the presentations by some participants, various questions and opinions were exchanged among lecturers and other participants.

The two-day program covered a wide range of topics; such as transportation, recovery from disaster, and the relationship between the distribution of amenities and the urban economy.

The other workshop was held on October 26th where seven domestic and international experts in spatial economics were invited to give lectures based on their recent works. It also gave an opportunity of lively discussions among participants.

IDE-JETRO will continue to promote opportunities for young scholars in various fields of research to exchange knowledge and disseminate their research findings.