Distinguished public lecture discusses future for trade liberalisation agreements

Prof Avinash K Dixit, John J. F. Sherrerd '52 University Professor of Economics, Emeritus at Princeton University, was invited to visit Lingnan University to share his views and exchange academic ideas with colleagues and students on 24 March at the Distinguished Public Lecture entitled “Is There Any Future for Trade Liberalization Agreements?”.  

 

Prof Dixit is the Distinguished Adjunct Professor of Economics in Lingnan University from 2009 to 2016.  Prof Lin Ping, Head of Department of Economics gave a welcome speech at the beginning of the lecture, and thanked Prof Dixit’s contributions to the Department in the past years.

 

In the lecture, Prof Dixit reviewed the current state of trade negotiations in the light of issues such as the Brexit vote and the US presidential election.  Using insight from game theory, he proposed that relevant domestic policy provisions be included in trade agreements between countries, as a means to increase the credibility and sustainability of such agreements.  An important policy provision is the policies which aim at compensating “losers” from trade, to the extent that is feasible and desirable.

 

More than 60 participants from Lingnan University, authorities, industries and other institutions attended the lecture.