In such unprecedented times, we offer QIP for teachers of the AICTE and Non AICTE run institutions on the subject of Frontier Areas of International Trade and Econometrics, to be offered online under the aegis of the Department of Economic sciences, IIT-Kanpur. In particular, participants would learn about the emerging fields in trade and econometrics, its real-world applications, and the future possibilities of the transformative methodologies would be covered in this course. This course is for social science teachers in engineering and non-engineering colleges, interested in expanding their knowledge, or simply curious about various econometric techniques and international trade and what influences the latter. We would like to know whether firms are adopting new 4IR technologies with other attributes including spatial dimension, for their trade across other firms domestically and internationally.

Whether or not the participants are an avid learner of international trade and econometrics, through this course they will get acquainted to use of deep learning methodologies for prescriptive forecasting using various statistical and econometric softwares. In addition, participants would learn about various partial and general equilibrium trade models (with special focus on structural gravity models and GTAP models) including some econometrics and various other deep learning methodologies. The partial and general equilibrium models will allow the participants to study the impact of trade on welfare, evaluate the RTAs and give us estimates of trade creation and trade diversion due to free trade alignment between member nations. We intend to deliver a greater understanding of firm level trade keeping market conditions, firm heterogeneity and efficiency of firms, technology, ICT adoption by firms (specifically the adoption of the Fourth Industrial Revolution-4IR), among other factors in mind.

W. Edwards Deming said “ Without data you’re just another person with an opinion”, we also understand the importance of data analysis in designing and implementing effective development policy thus, we aim to cover CMIE Prowess, ASI unit level data, NSS price level data, World bank enterprise survey data, WITS, TINA, GTAP and SMART simulations models. GVC estimates, rules of origin and newer WTO issues would be also covered.

In order to derive strategic and actionable insights from BIG datasets, we also require software skills, therefore, in order to achieve this objective we wish to train the participants on the use of R, MATLAB, STATA, EVIEWS, SPSS and cover deep learning methodologies like ANN to analyze high frequency data. Moreover, we explore the issues related with high frequency changing data by considering air pollution and COVID data sets using the Mathematical SEIR model, Econometric and AI models for the analysis. As far as Econometrics is concerned, we wish to cover nonparametric regression, spatial regression, testing convergence in data, count data models, panel data models, deep learning methodologies , RDD and DID models, impact evaluation models, volatility models, quantile regression, SFA and parametric DEA models, among others.

This systematic approach of combining theory, data-analysis and practical knowledge, will equip the participants to handle critically important tasks at hand and add to their human capital with a quest to understand trade policy impact on economy wide variables.

In summary, the participants are likely to get exposed to the following theories, methodologies and data sets

Become familiar with the utility of ANN and Deep learning methodologies like Lasso, SVMs,LSTM and Random Forest for international trade analysis and prescriptive forecasting.
Use partial equilibrium models structural gravity analysis for understanding relationship between trade and welfare, trade creation and trade diversion and firm level trade analysis
Use SMART,TINA,WITS and GTAP to understand economy wide impact of changes in trade policies
Build a deeper understanding of Trade and Service and Non-tariff barriers and what restricts trade in services?
Utilities of probability density functions and distribution functions in trade analysis and other economic applications
Get exposed to Econometeric techniques like non parametric regression, spatial regression, quantile regression,SFA, volatility models, count data models, simultaneous equations and VAR methodologies with non linearity, panel data procedures, Impact evaluation methodologies like RDD and DID, among others
Explore key concepts and historical turning points that have shaped contemporary international trade related issues like Brexit financial crisis, trade wars, removal of GSP reforms among others using GTAP analysis.
Analyze covid data and other high frequency data sets using various mathematical, econometric and statistical techniques including SEIR and wavelet analysis
Interactive lab Sessions on R,Matlab,Eviews,SPSS,Stata among others
Aim to cover data sets like CMIE Prowess, ASI unit level data, NSS price level data, World bank enterprise survey data, WITS, TINA,TRAINS, GTAP and SMART simulation models. GVC estimates, rules of origin and newer WTO issues would be also covered.
DEA and SFA analysis for efficiency and productivity analysis
Get familiar with new and new new trade theories which can explain trade across firms with role of sunk cost, intensive and extensive margins, selection, scale and reallocation effects of trade liberalization
Testing convergence of incomes per capita using growth and spatial econometrics
Trade indices for understanding trade patterns and direction of trade