The analysis of the transfer paradox has evolved primarily in the context of traditional static models. However, given developments in the policy arena as well in the discipline itself, there is a need for further developments in the theoretical analysis of foreign aid. For example, the impact of aid on saving, investment and growth calls for an intertemporal framework. Development spatial economics calls for introduction of the spatial dimension to the analysis of foreign aid. Similarly, the potential role of aid in conflict resolution, in improving the environment, in public good (infrastructural) provision, in the globalization process, and in the establishment of good governance are some of the issues that also need serious attention.
On the empirical side, the issue of the effectiveness of aid; the determinants of aid; the allocation criteria for aid; the relationship between aid and trade, and aid and poverty remain as important as ever.
This volume contains a comprehensive analysis of foreign aid from both theoretical and empirical perspectives, written by leading researchers in the field.
* Divided into two parts: Theory of Aid and Empirical Studies on Aid
* Examines aid practices in a variety of countries and under a variety of conditions

Forecasting in the presence of structural breaks and model uncertainty are active areas of recent research with crucial implications for practical problems in forecasting. "Forecasting in the Presence of Structural Breaks and Model Uncertainty" presents findings from the recent literature and new findings in a way that will be very useful to academic researchers and practitioners alike.
Each chapter includes detailed empirical applications that demonstrate the usefulness (and limitations) of different methods for generating forecasts when structural breaks and model uncertainty are of significant concern. The authors describe in detail their methods and their results, and the data and programs are made available on a web site devoted to the book. The volume addresses forecasting variables from both Macroeconomics and Finance, and considers many different methods of dealing with model instability and model uncertainty when forming forecasts.
* Part of the "Frontiers in Economics and Globaliaztion" series
* Authors are leading experts in the topics they survey and extend
* Supported by a website detailing the data and programs used

Mention North Korea to people today and they will conjure up many unflattering images, particularly in the wake of George W. Bush denouncing the state as part of an "axis of evil". Despite this cold war type rhetoric, the state of North Korea has begun to recognise the difficult challenges that it faces and is now trying to get to grips with them systematically.
This book brings together a selection of many of the world experts on the North Korean economy and covers such important issues as:
*possible unification with South Korea
*the significance of China's economic success
*Europe and the United States' roles in North Korea
North Korea in the World Economy provides an accessible, well-written and comprehensive account of this unique country and its economy. It will be extremely interesting not only for students and academics with an interest in Korean studies, international finance and transition economies but also for anyone with an interest in international economics.

eBook available with sample pages: 020314547X

Since 1997 when Hong Kong became a Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China, a string of education reforms have been introduced to improve the quality of education and maintain Hong Kong's economic competitiveness in the age of globalization. This book provides a comprehensive and critical analysis of major issues and challenges faced by the education system, ranging from pre-school to higher education. It analyses the prospects for educational development in Hong Kong. It further addresses how the Hong Kong government has responded to the perceived challenges of the external environment and internal forces and explains the rationales for the actions taken. Not only does it review how the reform initiative challenges have been dealt with, it also reviews how effective these initiatives are and its implications on future directions.

Since the very beginnings of economics as a science, which might be dated from Ibn Khaldun's "Introduction to History" (1377), the challenge of making societies escape from poverty and attain some degree of prosperity has always been, and will remain, a fundamental issue. It was and it is still recognized today that this central venture is multi-faceted. Inasmuch as investment and technical progress are central in the growth and development process, many other dimensions must be taken into consideration, such as institutions, the openness of the economy, the protection of the environment. This book will presents cutting edge research on each of these issues and features a preface from Ken Arrow.

"Genetically modified (GM) (or transgenic) crops are produced using plant biotechnology to select desirable characteristics in plants and transfer genes from one organism to another. As a result, crops can survive under harsher conditions, costs are lowered, chemical application is reduced, and yields are improved. Scientists are introducing genes into plants that will give them resistance to herbicides, insects, disease, drought and salt in the soil. The application of modern biotechnology to crop and food production is one of the most significant technological advances to impact modern agriculture. The future of GM technology holds further promises of continued benefits. But the potential of GM product innovations has been overshadowed by significant controversy over this technology. The regulatory activism that has accompanied the diffusion of GM technology has given rise to a complex situation that is replete with obstacles for current and future GM innovations. This is particularly true for the European Union (EU), which has implemented restrictive policies that undoubtedly constrain the current status and the future potential of biotechnology. The discourse on biotechnology applied to food and agriculture is at a crossroads due to rising food prices and concerns about adequate food supplies. Over the last decade a large body of applied economics work has addressed the key questions surrounding the application of this technology to food production. It is now time to take stock of the results of these efforts, and consolidate the methodological, analytical and empirical findings. The challenge is to strengthen the consensus of what economics have to offer in the analysis of the complex issues surrounding the ongoing development of GM products for the agricultural and food sector. The task is, to provide a new perspective on the most pressing policy questions and to help foster an intellectual climate conducive to achieving meaningful progress and lasting solutions. That is the motivation for this volume. It brings together fresh insights from top agricultural economists in the areas of consumer attitudes, environmental impacts, policy and regulation, trade, investment, food security, and development."

The process of Asia's rise to a position of eminence in global finance has accelerated in the wake of the international financial crisis, posing new opportunities and challenges to both the Asian economies and the global financial and trade systems. This volume represents a significant new endeavour to explore and understand the dynamics created by this process of transition. Specifically, it addresses the following four contemporary themes of the evolving role of Asia in global finance: real and financial interactions among economies and across markets, both within Asia and beyond; regional monetary cooperation in Asia; the decoupling debate over Asia's evolving economic and financial ties with major industrial economies; and, the changing roles of domestic finance and capital flows in the developing Asian economies. It sheds light on various dimensions of Asia's economy and finance, ranging from business cycles, exchange rate movements, regional policy coordination, domestic financial development, capital flows, and financial market behaviour. These analyses are pooled in a book that is a must read for market participants, policymakers and academics alike.

Culture is not new to the study of migration. It has lurked beneath the surface for some time, occasionally protruding openly into the discussion, usually under some pseudonym. The authors of the papers in this volume bring culture into the open. They are concerned with how culture manifests itself in the migration process for three groups of actors: the migrants, those remaining in the sending areas, and people already living in the recipient locations. The topics vary widely. What unites the authors is an understanding that though actors behave differently, within a group there are economically important shared beliefs (customs, values, attitudes, etc.), which we commonly referred to as culture. Culture plays a central role in our understanding of migration as an economic phenomenon. While the papers in this volume occasionally touch on this diversity and the conflicts it engenders, this is not the focus of the volume. Here the emphasis is on the distinctions in culture between migrants, the families they left behind, and the local population in the migration destination. The new interactions directly affect all three groups. Assimilation is one result; separation is also a possibility. Location choice, workplace interaction, enclave size, the opportunity for the migrant obtaining credit in their new country, the local population's reaction to migrants, the political culture of the migrants and local population, links to the country-of-origin, and the economic state of the host country, all contribute to the classic conflict between assimilation and separation. This volume will consider different aspects of the process of assimilation considering the affect on the migrants themselves, on the local population, on the families left at the home country and others.

The aim of the proposed volume will be to present new developments in the methodology and practice of CGE techniques as they apply to recent issues in international trade policy. The volume will be of interest to academic researchers working in trade policy analysis and applied general equilibrium, advanced graduate students in international economics, applied researchers in multilateral organizations, and policymakers who need to work with and interpret the results of CGE analysis.

In recent years intellectual property rights (IPR) took on major significance as an element of global trade regulation. The Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) at the World Trade Organization (WTO) obliges member countries to protect patents, copyrights, trademarks, and trade secrets. This mandate has great impact in developing nations, which had generally weaker IPR standards prior to TRIPS and subsequent agreements. This emerging international regime for protecting IPR raises thorny questions about how the new rules of the game might affect fundamental economic processes, including innovation, trade and economic development.
The governments of many developing countries see the new regime as excessively protectionist and an impediment to their development prospects. They perceive potential problems with abusive monopoly practices, high costs for new medicines, and limited access to scientific and educational materials. Indeed, it is ironic that during a time of significant global liberalization of trade and investment barriers, the IPR system may be raising restrictions on access to the very technology flows that could substantiate the gains from greater trading opportunities.
However, expansion of the global IPR regime also bears potential for economic gains. It is possible that the new system will encourage additional investments in R&D and innovation. The ongoing internationalization of commercial R&D could be accelerated. Such investments might increasingly meet the medical, agricultural, and educational needs of people in poor countries. The regime could also improve the mechanisms under which new information goods are transferredacross borders, expanding the possibilities for fruitful diffusion of technologies.
The implications of these reforms will be far-reaching, complex and hard to predict. It is possible, for example, that stronger patents will simply redistribute incomes across nations, generating significant winners and losers without much overall innovation gains. It is also possible that R&D investments could become more concentrated among the developed and newly industrialized economies but bypass the poorer locations. Ultimately, all such questions need close theoretical and empirical scrutiny.
In this volume several economists who are closely involved in such analysis offer comprehensive and analytical literature surveys of the central questions regarding the linkages between intellectual property protection, international trade and investment, and economic growth. The authors range widely over their particular areas of inquiry. At the international level the contributions cover such questions as policy coordination in IPR, dispute resolution, markets for technology and technology transfer, international innovation, parallel trade, and economic development. On the regulatory side there are thoughtful reviews of the legal foundations of IPR, knowledge creation and the public domain, networks and standards, competition policy, access to essential medicines, and agricultural research.
The contributions are aimed primarily at economists, who will find ambitious and up-to-date treatments of the most central areas of IPR and globalization. The chapters analyze recent literature, discuss shortcomings and key findings, and indicate where additional research is urgently needed. However, scholarsof other disciplines, particularly in law, political science, and international relations, will find much of interest as well. The literature reviews also constitute a valuable resource for students in all these fields who wish to learn more about the economics of international IPR.
*Brings together fresh insights from top economists.
*Considers various aspects of IPRs in the global economy from analytical and empirical perspectives.
*Areas covered include information technology, trade, investment, agriculture, medicine, firm behavior, and development.

Since 1997 when Hong Kong became a Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China, a string of education reforms have been introduced to improve the quality of education and maintain Hong Kong's economic competitiveness in the age of globalization. This book provides a comprehensive and critical analysis of major issues and challenges faced by the education system, ranging from pre-school to higher education. It analyses the prospects for educational development in Hong Kong. It further addresses how the Hong Kong government has responded to the perceived challenges of the external environment and internal forces and explains the rationales for the actions taken. Not only does it review how the reform initiative challenges have been dealt with, it also reviews how effective these initiatives are and its implications on future directions.

This edited volume is a collection of latest research findings on topical issues in international trade theory and policy. The chapters are contributed by well known academic economists around the globe as a tribute to Professor Murray Kemp's 80th birthday. They cover three broad areas of globalization and emerging issues in international trade. The first part of the volume, containing five chapters, deals with trade liberalization and outsourcing. These chapters examine the role of the WTO, trade liberalization as a game under uncertainty, a Chamberlinian-Ricardian model, liberalization of government procurements, and outsourcing and import restriction policies. The second part of the volume, also containing five chapters, examines trading clubs and preferential trading agreements. These chapters extend the original Kemp-Wan proposition concerning customs unions in various directions. The final part of this book consists of six chapters on various aspects of trade and aid. These include a review of Kemp's contributions to trade and welfare economics, gains from trade and refusal to trade, increasing returns and oligopoly, tariff policy and foreign economic aid, infrastructure aid and deindustrialization, and environmental regulation and tourism.

This is a new volume in the "Frontiers in Economics & Globalization" series. This book deals with a wide-range of trade and development issues in terms of well-known general equilibrium structure. This volume shows how neo-classical models of trade theory can be used to highlight many challenging contemporary global problems. This book is a new volume in the "Frontiers in Economics & Globalization" series. It deals with a wide-range of trade and development issues. It focuses on neo-classical models of trade theory to highlight the challenges of global trade problems.