Samuel Kortum

Samuel Kortum is an economist known for contributions to international trade and industrial organization. He has developed influential models used by scholars at National Bureau of Economic Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and World Bank researchers, and has held appointments at leading institutions such as Yale University and University of Chicago. His work interfaces with empirical analysis used by policymakers at the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, scholars at London School of Economics, and researchers at Harvard University.

Early life and education

Kortum grew up in the United States and completed undergraduate studies before pursuing graduate education at Yale University, where he studied under advisors including Ariel Pakes and interacted with faculty from Cowles Foundation, Department of Economics, Yale University, and visiting scholars from Princeton University. During his doctoral work he built on literature from authors affiliated with RAND Corporation, National Bureau of Economic Research, and the Institute for Fiscal Studies. His dissertation drew on empirical methods used in studies at NBER conferences and workshops at American Economic Association annual meetings.

Academic career and positions

Kortum has held faculty positions at prominent departments including Yale University and research affiliations with National Bureau of Economic Research and CEPR. He has collaborated with researchers from Stanford University, Princeton University, and University of Chicago and taught graduate courses influenced by syllabi from London School of Economics and Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Kortum has served on editorial boards for journals affiliated with American Economic Association publications and presented papers at seminars hosted by World Bank, International Monetary Fund, and European Economic Association conferences.

Research contributions and areas of interest

Kortum's research spans international trade, productivity, and industrial organization, building on theoretical foundations laid by scholars at Harvard University, MIT Press authors, and models cited in work from NBER working papers. He has advanced methods for measuring trade costs referenced in studies by OECD analysts and contributed to quantitative trade models used by researchers at University of California, Berkeley and Columbia University. His empirical approaches draw on econometric techniques associated with researchers from University of Chicago and Stanford University and are applied in analyses commissioned by World Trade Organization and United Nations Conference on Trade and Development researchers. Kortum’s collaborations include work with economists connected to Yale School of Management, Princeton School of Public and International Affairs, and policy groups at Brookings Institution.

Major publications and books

Kortum authored and coauthored articles published in leading journals associated with the American Economic Association and referenced in bibliographies from Journal of Political Economy, Quarterly Journal of Economics, and Econometrica. His papers appear alongside contributions from scholars at MIT, Harvard University, Stanford University, and Princeton University and are cited in reports from NBER, CEPR, and the World Bank. He has contributed chapters to volumes edited by academics from Oxford University Press and has been included in compilations with editors from Cambridge University Press and Routledge.

Awards and honors

Kortum's work has been recognized by academic prizes and fellowships associated with organizations such as the National Science Foundation, Social Science Research Council, and awards given at meetings of the American Economic Association. He has received research grants and honors tied to institutions including Yale University, NBER, and centers at Harvard University and has been invited to deliver lectures at venues like London School of Economics and University of Oxford.

Category:Economists