CoPS and Globalization

No globalization issue can be described or analysed solely in economic terms. However nearly every globalization issue has important economic causes and consequences.

CoPS can provide a detailed assessment of the economic aspects of many globalization issues.

• CoPS has access to a very detailed data base covering all countries, industries, occupations and households.
• CoPS has access to the GTAP model and other economic models which can be used to provide a detailed assessment of the economic consequences of any globalization issue.
• CoPS has many international contacts who work on globalization issues in universities, government departments and international organisations.
• CoPS is recognised as a world leader in this work.

To talk with CoPS about assessing the economic consequences of a globalization issue, please contact Professor Ken Pearson.

Mark Horridge made a PowerPoint presentation outlining CoPS work in this area to the Monash Institute for the Study of Global Movements on April 19, 2002.

See here for research reports on globalization issues.

Some more details about CoPS and the sorts of issues that CoPS can investigate follow.

The Centre of Policy Studies (CoPS) has pioneered quantitative techniques which are used to analyze the effects of many global phenomena, including:

• global warming and international policy responses;
• the increased role of global corporations;
• the opening of global capital markets and the instantaneous transfer of international funds;
• the expansion of global trade facilitated by reduced costs of communication and transportation;
• global and regional trade agreements (for example, APEC);
• increased global labour migration;
• the adoption in developing countries of global minimum labour standards;
• more rigorous global enforcement of patent and intellectual property laws;
• new rules by the World Trade Organization regulating global trade in services.

Economic aspects of all of these global phenomena can be elucidated via economic models developed at CoPS and at its partner organization, the Global Trade Analysis Project (GTAP) located at Purdue University.

CoPS is responsible for the creation of Australia's leading multi-sectoral model (MONASH) and for multi-sectoral models of about 15 other countries. In collaboration with the US International Trade Commission, CoPS is currently constructing MONASH-USA which will be the most detailed model of the US economy.

Using ideas and software developed at CoPS, GTAP has created the world's leading global model. CoPS is a regular user of this model and several CoPS academics have made and continue to make major contributions to the GTAP modelling effort.

CoPS has considerable experience in using economic models in interdisciplinary studies. For analyzing global phenomena of the type listed above, CoPS would expect to form partnerships with experts on a wide range of topics in creating detailed scenarios as inputs to CoPS and GTAP models.

CoPS personnel who could be actively involved in the Monash University Institute for the Study of Global Movements include:

• Professor Peter Dixon, Director of CoPS and principal architect of the MONASH model;
• Professor Ken Pearson, Deputy Director of CoPS and principal architect of GEMPACK, software that is used worldwide to solve economic models;
• Emeritus Professor Alan Powell, foundation Professor of Econometrics at Monash University, Distinguished Fellow of the Economics Society of Australia and member of the Board of GTAP;
• Drs Mark Horridge and Philip Adams, contributors to the GTAP project and experienced users of the GTAP model;
• Dr Yin Hua Mai who has worked extensively on China and the World Trade Organization, and on free trade agreements among Asian-Pacific countries.