Seminar
Wednesday 15th May 2013, 3pm to 4pm, Room TW2 10.01B, 10th Floor, Tower 2, LSE
Speaker: Amita Batra
Chair: Ruth Kattumuri
The talk will be based on the speaker’s recent book Regional Economic Integration in South Asia: Trapped in Conflict? (London: Routledge, 2012). The talk will examine how South Asia, with historically and geographically proximate countries and exceptional economic dynamism of its largest economy when caught in persistent conflict, demonstrates underperformance of its potential for economic integration.
Giving a background analysis of the economic and trade profile of the South Asian region and the nature and chronology of conflict therein, the talk will present the quantitative estimates of the cost of conflict in terms of loss of trade for South Asia. In particular the multi-dimensional representation of conflict in an augmented gravity model and its econometric estimation with a dataset extending over the time period 1965-2000 will be discussed. The talk will highlight how disputed borders and persistent conflict can debilitate trade relationships and prevent a region from exploiting its trade potential.
Dr Amita Batra is currently Visiting Professor and ICCR Chair, Centre for South Asian Studies & Edinburgh-India Institute, University of Edinburgh. Dr Batra is on sabbatical leave from Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, India where she is Associate Professor of Economics, South Asia Studies division of the School of International Studies.
Dr Ruth Kattumuri| is Co-Director of the LSE Asia Research Centre and India Observatory.
Additional Information
This event is free and open to all with no ticket required. Entry is on a first come, first served basis. For any queries email arc@lse.ac.uk| or call 020 7955 7615.