Learning objectives:
Students gain knowledge of recent advances in migration economics, particularly applied empirical analyses in the intersection of migration, economic development, political economy and labor economics with a focus on the effects of migration on economic development of source and destination countries. They are able to critically evaluate research on these topics and assess strengths and weaknesses of causal claims in economics papers. Students have familiarized themselves with data analysis and have reproduced some of the results of a few seminal papers in migration economics. Students are equipped to present papers in an academic setting. The students are able to identify gaps in the literature and develop research proposals that are empirically sound and add to the body of work in migration economics in a meaningful way.
Lecture:
What is the effect of migration on economic development? In this course, we will look at the effects of international and regional migration on the diffusion of knowledge, the integration of countries into global markets through trade and FDI, as well as other diaspora externalities relevant to economic development. Synthesizing the conclusions of a number of seminal studies in the field and analyzing their empirical strategies, we will identify and critically evaluate various channels through which migration can alter the economic development of sending and receiving countries.
Tutorial:
Topics to be covered include: Instrumental variable methods, differences-in-differences, regression discontinuity design and other empirical strategies. There will be deep-dives into various papers, where students prepare referee reports and replicate findings of empirical papers on migration and cultural economics.
Literature:
Reading list will be provided at the beginning of the semester.
Time & venue:
Tuesdays, 16:00-20:00; HU Berlin, Spandauer Str. 1, room 21B
Exam:
Portfolio exam (referee reports, presentations, term paper) or written exam. This will be decided depending on the size of the class.
More information can be found on Moodle.
