Knowledge Networking Program on Engendering Macroeconomics and International Economics

Intensive Summer Course: May 19-30, 2003 Click here for application forms

Conference: June 2-4, 2003

Hosted by the Department of Economics, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA
 
GEM- IWG, is an international network of thirty five economists that was formed in 1994 for the purpose of promoting research, teaching, policy making and advocacy on gender equitable approaches to macroeconomics, international economics and globalization. This new program, launched by GEM- IWG, with support from the Ford Foundation has two objectives: first, to engage with fellow economists in order to enhance capacity building in research, teaching, policy making and advocacy in this area; second, to increase knowledge networking on these themes by strengthening the intellectual links among practitioners in networks working on similar issues.
 
The program is intended for economists, including advanced graduate students in economics, as well as more experienced academics, researchers and those in government. A total of thirty fellows will be admitted to the program. Full funding will be provided for up to twenty fellows. Priority will be given to applicants from the global South* and transition economies. The fellows of the program will be required, at a minimum, to have completed two years of study in an economics Ph.D. program and have passed their qualifying exams, or have its equivalent such as a master’s degree in economics. These requirements may be waived only under exceptional circumstances. The program will be conducted in English. Final selection criteria will include the objective of achieving gender balance and regional balance in the composition of fellows.
 
Applications must be received by January 20, 2003 and will be processed in the order received. Please see below for application requirements and application forms. A web site www.genderandmacro.org is under construction and will contain further information on the program. 
 
The program instructors are expected to include, among others, in alphabetical order: Charles Abugre (University of Wales, Swansea), Rania Antonopoulos (New York University), Lourdes Beneria (Cornell University), Nilufer Cagatay (University of Utah), Gary Dymski (University of California, Riverside), Diane Elson (University of Essex), Gerald Epstein (University of Massachusetts, Amherst), Korkut Erturk (University of Utah), Maria Floro (American University), Jayati Ghosh (Jawahalral Nehru University), Caren Grown (International Center for Research on Women), Rebecca Grynspan (ECLAC), Sule Ozler (University of California, Los Angeles) and Stephanie Seguino (University of Vermont).

*Applicants from the global South include individuals who are temporarily residing in the North, in so far as they are pursuing an academic degree.

The Purpose of the Program
The immediate aim of the program is to bring together economists from around the world that share a recognition of the importance of gender-equitable approaches to macroeconomics, international economics and globalization so as to assist them in :

• gaining knowledge and familiarity with existing formulations of gender-aware questions, research tools and methodologies in macroeconomics and international economics;
• enhancing capabilities in integrating gender analysis in teaching macroeconomics, international trade, international finance or economic development
  formulating gender-aware questions in research, teaching, policy making and advocacy in this area
• fostering a network among the participants
• strengthening the intellectual links of the participants to other knowledge-networks engaged with similar issues
• enhancing their capability in connecting and networking in general with other practitioners, scholars and activists

At the end of the program we expect that the fellows will have the tools to:

• conduct gender-aware economic research;
• contribute to the formulation of gender-equitable macroeconomic policies andinternational economics policies at the national, regional and international levels;
• give analytical support to CSOs in their advocacy efforts to promote gender equality.
• The ultimate objective of this program is to help the participating fellows form and sustain their own networks of research, teaching and activism within their own countries, among regions and globally.
  
  Components of the Program
  The fellows are expected to complete the full program which consists of the following three components:
  
  1) The Self-study Module will introduce the fellows to basic concepts of feminist economics and to basic concepts of feminist approaches to macroeconomics and international economics. It will also include broader critical analyses of the world economy and its institutions. Those participating in the course will be expected to have completed the self-study module. Completion of the self- study module will ensure that all the fellows start from a common knowledge baseline and that they will have had a chance to do the readings before participating in the two- week course. The self-study materials will be made available to all participants two months in advance.
  
  2) The Intensive Summer Course, which will take place on May 19-30, 2003 at the University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah will address the problems posed by the self-study component at a more advanced level. It will consist of presentations by the instructors, discussion sessions, lab sessions and presentations by the fellows. The process will be participatory. The lab sessions will focus on pedagogy, teaching resources as well as on research methods and data sources. The fellows will have an opportunity to meet with the instructors individually to discuss their research or teaching projects. A subset of the instructors will be available to act as mentors and interested fellows will be assigned a mentor during the program.
  
  Fellows will be encouraged to work on a specific short piece of work of interest to them during the course. Topics might include a research proposal, ideas for curriculum development, a policy briefing or a book review.
  
  The basic modules of the course will include the following:
  
• Introduction to Gender-Aware Economics and Methods of Analysis
• Gender and Macroeconomics
• Growth, Inequalities, Development and Poverty
• Gender and International Trade
• Gender, Finance and Investment
• Gender and Labor

3) The Conference on "Engendering Macroeconomics and International Economics" will take place in Salt Lake City at the University of Utah on June 2-4, 2003 following the completion of the two-week course. The fellows are expected to attend the conference, which will open to all who wish to participate.
 
A call for papers and further information on the costs of participation, logistics, accommodations and registration will be available at the program website www.genderandmacro.org.

Costs of Attendance and Funding
Up to twenty fellows will be funded, with priority given to those from the South and transition economies. There are no tuition charges for the program. For the fellows who are funded by the program, the following will be provided: economy round trip air travel, accommodation on campus in single or shared rooms during the course and the conference, meals during the course and the conference, course materials and conference materials. Fellows who are self-funded need to cover the costs of their travel, accommodation (expected to be around 1,000 USD for a single room or 500 USD for a shared room); meals (expected to be around 1000 USD); course materials (150 USD) and conference registration fees (50 USD).

Application Process
Applicants to this program should submit the following documents by January 20, 2003:
 
a) A completed application form (an electronic copy is attached as a separate file and is also available at www.genderandmacro.org ).
 
b) A Curriculum Vitae

c) A personal statement which should include a description of the applicant’s background and current work in economics, interest and/or background in gender studies, background and /or interest in macroeconomics, background and/or interest in international economics, motivation for taking the course, how s/he plans to use the knowledge gained in the program, and how s/he expects to contribute to the course and more generally to knowledge networking in the future. This statement should not exceed 750 words.
 
d) A letter of recommendation from someone who is familiar with their work in economics.

In addition, a hard copy of the letter of recommendation
 
e) For those whose main language of instruction during their education was not English, some proof of English proficiency test (e.g., TOEFL) will be preferable, but other proof may be accepted (e.g. a sample of written work in English).
 
f) For applicants who are currently enrolled in a Ph.D. program or who have obtained a Ph.D or M.A. degree in the last two years, a copy of their transcripts in the Ph.D. or the M.A. program.
 
Items a – d ( the application form, C.V. , personal statement and the recommendation letter) should be sent preferably by email to: genderandmacro@economics.utah.edu. In addition, a hard copy of the letter of recommendation, and items e - f ( proof of English proficiency and transcripts in cases which are relevant ) should be faxed or mailed to :
 
Ms. Ginger Alewine
Summer Course Administrative Officer
University Of Utah
Department Of Economics
1645 Campus Center Dr. Rm 308
Salt Lake City UT 84112-9300, U.S.A.
801-585-5649 ( fax )

Those who are having difficulty with electronic mail can submit all documents by regular mail (but not by fax) to the same address.

Questions about the program can be directed to: genderandmacro@economics.utah.edu.

Decemeber 11, 2002.