Centre de Recerca en Economia Internacional

Centre de Recerca en Economia Internacional
Name	Centre de Recerca en Economia Internacional
Established	1990s
Type	Research institute
Location	Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
Affiliation	Universitat Pompeu Fabra

Centre de Recerca en Economia Internacional is a Barcelona-based research institute affiliated with Universitat Pompeu Fabra that concentrates on international trade, finance and development. It engages with academic networks, policy organizations and international institutions to produce empirical studies, theoretical models and policy briefs. The centre interacts with universities, central banks, ministries and multilateral organizations across Europe and the Americas.

History

The centre was founded in the 1990s amid debates following the Maastricht Treaty and the creation of the European Monetary Union, bringing together scholars who had trained at institutions such as London School of Economics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Harvard University, University of Chicago, and University of California, Berkeley. Early activity connected with conferences related to the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, and networks around the European Commission and the European Central Bank. Directors and visiting scholars included researchers associated with NBER, CEPR, IZA Institute of Labor Economics, CESifo, and Centre for Economic Policy Research. The centre expanded research ties during the 2008 financial crisis, collaborating with researchers linked to Federal Reserve Bank of New York, Bank for International Settlements, Bank of England, and national central banks such as Banco de España and Banca d'Italia.

Research Focus and Areas

Research themes span international trade, macroeconomics, financial integration, development, and migration, engaging techniques from time-series econometrics, computable general equilibrium models, and randomized controlled trials. Researchers publish on trade policy interactions involving World Trade Organization rulings, preferential agreements like the North American Free Trade Agreement and the European Economic Area, and supply-chain issues tied to firms studied at OECD hubs. Work on financial stability examines episodes such as the Asian financial crisis, the Latin American debt crisis, the European sovereign debt crisis, and contagion events analyzed with datasets used by International Financial Statistics contributors and scholars from Princeton University, Yale University, and Columbia University. Development projects reference programs evaluated by Inter-American Development Bank, Asian Development Bank, United Nations Development Programme, and randomized evaluations inspired by methodologies from J-PAL and IPA.

Organization and Governance

The centre operates within the administrative structure of Universitat Pompeu Fabra and is overseen by a scientific committee with members drawn from institutions including University of Oxford, University of Cambridge, Princeton University, Stanford University, and University of Michigan. Governance includes an executive director, a research coordinator, and an advisory board with representatives from European Commission, Banco de España, Catalan Government, and private sector partners like consultancies linked to McKinsey & Company and Deloitte. Funding sources include competitive grants from European Research Council, project grants from Horizon 2020, contracts with European Investment Bank, and philanthropic support akin to awards from the Guggenheim Foundation and foundations that have supported research at Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.

Publications and Working Papers

The centre disseminates findings via working paper series, peer-reviewed articles, and policy briefs aimed at stakeholders such as the European Central Bank, European Parliament, World Bank, and national finance ministries like Ministry of Economy (Spain) and Ministry of Finance (France). Its working papers appear on platforms frequented by scholars from NBER, CEPR, IZA, and journals such as Journal of International Economics, American Economic Review, Quarterly Journal of Economics, Journal of Political Economy, and Review of Economic Studies. Collaborative publications have been coauthored with researchers affiliated to University of Toronto, McGill University, London Business School, and HEC Paris.

Collaborations and Partnerships

The centre maintains formal partnerships with academic units including Barcelona School of Economics, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Universitat de Barcelona, and international partners such as University of Chicago Booth School of Business, Columbia Business School, and think tanks like Bruegel, Brookings Institution, European Policy Centre, and Chatham House. It participates in research consortia funded by the European Commission and joins networks organized by CEPR and NBER, and engages in policy dialogues with Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development delegations and the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development.

Education, Training and Outreach

The centre runs doctoral seminars, short courses, and executive training geared to officials from institutions such as Banco de España, Bank of England, and the European Central Bank, and offers modules integrated into degree programs at Universitat Pompeu Fabra and Barcelona School of Economics. Training partnerships include summer programs with Harvard Kennedy School, methodological workshops with Institute for Fiscal Studies, and capacity-building projects with agencies like United Nations Industrial Development Organization and Inter-American Development Bank. Public outreach includes policy seminars attracting speakers from International Monetary Fund, World Bank Group, OECD, and invited professors from Yale University, Princeton University, and University of Oxford.

Category:Research institutes in Spain Category:Universitat Pompeu Fabra