GTAP Events: 28th Annual Short Course in Global Trade Analysis

The GTAP Short Course is an intensive training course in the economics of global policy analysis. The five-day, onsite course is supplemented with five online preparatory modules that introduce the data, core economic behaviors, and computational implementation of GTAP. Each preparatory module consists of two hours of online content delivered as lectures and demonstrations, and includes tools for both self-evaluation and for feedback from the instruction team.

The five-day residency course incorporates two phases. The first phase incorporates lectures, discussion, and hands-on lab sessions. The sequence of lectures and labs is designed to prepare students for their first GTAP-based analysis, the focus of the second phase of the residency. In that second phase, students are required to replicate and then extend, or adapt, the GTAP Model to address a policy question using the methods presented in the course. The successful participant will have gained fluency with the GTAP Model code and data base and be prepared to design economic policy experiments for computational analysis.

• introduce participants to a standardized framework (GTAP Model, v7) for conducting global policy analysis in an applied general equilibrium setting
• provide participants with hands-on training with software that has been tailored to instruction and collaboration in economic analysis with minimal software manipulation overhead
• deliver participants an opportunity to interact with economists working on global trade and resource use issues and provide the perfect entry point to the international network of AGE modelers and policy analysts using GTAP data and models

The GTAP Short Course is comprised of an eight-week online instruction program followed by an intensive onsite course delivered by a team of GTAP specialists in data, model construction, and policy analysts.

• Part I: Online
  Content Overview

  • Week 1 – "Overview and Introduction to Course Software"
    • Participants download and familiarize themselves with the course website, material, and software
  • Week 2 – "Production and Supply in GTAP"
  • Week 3 – "Consumer Demand in GTAP"
  • Week 4 – "Multimarket Equilibrium in GTAP"
  • Week 5 – "Economic Policy Representation in GTAP"

  Time Commitment
  Participants should expect to spend approximately 2 hours/week during the online portion of the course.
• Part II: Onsite - The online portion of the GTAP Short Course focuses on applied policy analysis, aimed at helping students master the techniques for developing policy scenarios and understanding the economic interactions that 'drive' CGE model impacts. A core learning objective of the onsite course is preparing students to contribute to policy debates using quantitative analyses developed from the standard GTAP framework and the suite of model 'extensions' that have been developed for more specialized analysis. The capstone experience of the course is for students to develop and present a short analysis using one of these 'extensions' to their classmates and the instruction team. The extensions taught in the course typically focus on the two primary areas of Center for Global Trade Analysis research efforts on energy/environment (e.g. renewable energy or land use) and trade/protection (e.g. "trade wars" or regional FTA proposals).
  Lecture Content

  • Behavioral equations: Production, consumption, savings, trade and transport
  • Database: structure and composition, primary sources of data and the fitting process
  • Market equilibrium analysis: price and quantity linkages in a multi-market global model

  Laboratory Content

  • Interpreting model results of trade and technical change shocks
  • Changing the equilibrium rules: Unemployment, fixed trade balance, etc.
  • Quantitative analysis of welfare outcomes

  Model Extensions for Replication and Extension - Extension topics that have been used in recent GTAP Short Courses are listed below.

  • GTAP-E (energy) - GTAP model for examining emissions and policy scenarios for international GHG policies
  • GTAP-AGR (agriculture) - GTAP model/scenarios for examining China-US trade tensions and the impact of agricultural import tariffs counteracted with US subsidies
  • GTAP-HET (heterogeneous firms) - GTAP model for looking at US-Japan trade under monopolistic competition
  • GTAP-Power (power) - GTAP model for looking at electricity supply, demand, and broader energy policy
  • GTAP-AEZ (land use) - GTAP model and database for looking at heterogeneous land types in determining productivity and land use impacts
  • GTAP-Doha (Doha/WTO) - GTAP application focused on Egypt's priorities in the multilateral Doha negotiations
  • GTAP-GMIG (migration) - GTAP model and database for examining the economic impacts of international labor mobility
  • GTAP-POV (poverty) - GTAP model and database for examining multilateral trade scenarios in terms of standard welfare terms as well as poverty headcount changes

"Excellent learning environment, teaching and material.""

"Good balance between theory and practical lessons!"

"I thoroughly enjoyed the course and learned an incredible amount of material in such a short period of time. I look forward to being involved in the GTAP community in the future and using these modelling techniques in my work! Thank you!"

"I really loved the hands-on part of the course; it was a valuable experience and certainly provided a deeper understanding of the difficult and sophisticated linkages of the model."

"The course is very comprehensive and offered an opportunity to be introduced to all aspects of CGE modelling (theory, data, GEMPACK and other)."

Individuals interested in taking this course must apply on the GTAP website. All applications will be reviewed following the deadline. Those accepted into the course will receive an email detailing how to register and arrange for payment. Note that application does not guarantee acceptance.

All participants are expected to have a strong foundation in micro-economics. This should be at the level of a calculus-based graduate course in micro-economic theory. Since the course software is designed around a PC environment, it is essential that each participant have access to such a machine. No prior programming or modeling experience is required. Due to the web-based nature of the course, participants will need access to a high-speed internet connection. The online assignments and course project will be implemented in the context of the RunGTAP software interface for GEMPACK. This is a Windows environment for conducting applied general equilibrium analysis. RunGTAP is designed to allow users to focus on economics with the programming details being largely taken care of behind the scenes where it runs GEMPACK programs. GEMPACK is an algebraic modeling language which permits the user to write out the model in a transparent fashion. It is specifically designed for application to large-scale, applied general equilibrium models in a policy-oriented environment.

The registration fee for this course is $4,000 USD. This fee includes five days of onsite, individualized instruction in the form of lectures and labs as well as distance-learning prior to the onsite course. The course registration fee also includes daily coffee breaks, five lunches, one reception, and one dinner. Participants will be responsible for all other meals. Please note that the registration fee for the course does not include the GTAP Data Base. Participants wishing to purchase this, must do so separately.

A limited number of fellowships may be available to students working on, or who are interested in, learning and applying CGE modeling to inform policy debates regarding the most pressing questions related to global economic analysis. The fellowships will cover $2,500 towards the registration fees, reducing the amount owed by the recipient to $1,500. Those interested in being considered for a fellowship should submit a two-page narrative (maximum, as a PDF) on the application form that describes their area of interest, accomplishments, and current/future research directions. To the extent possible, identify why the application of an economy-wide analytical framework will enhance the impact of your research as well as beneficiaries of your research. Please address how your previous training and professional/academic experience have prepared you for formal policy analysis. The name and contact information for two references, professional or academic, should also be included at the end of the document. Demand for this course, as well as fellowships, are very high; therefore, we encourage early application.

All cancellations must be emailed to Ginger Batta. Registered participants who are unable to participate in the course will receive a 50% refund until May 3, 2020. No refunds will be made after this date. Deferments to later courses are not allowed.

• Windows 7 or later (no Macs)
• 32-bit or higher
• i5 or higher processor
• 500MB free hard drive space
• 1GB RAM
• Administrator access
• Laptop must be in English for the duration of the course

Registered and paid participants requiring an invitation letter to include in visa and/or financial assistance applications should click here to have an electronic copy emailed to them. Please note that hard copies will not be sent.

Travelers requiring a visa to enter the United States should review the U.S. Department of State's website for details on applying for and obtaining the appropriate visa. Please note that applicants should plan ahead and check on local appointment wait times to determine how far in advance this process should be initiated.

All travelers should be up-to-date on routine vaccinations while traveling to any destination. For requirements specific to the United States, please visit the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website.

Purdue University is located in West Lafayette, Indiana which is approximately 65 miles (105 km) northwest of Indianapolis, Indiana and 120 miles (195 km) southeast of Chicago, Illinois.

• Via Indianapolis - Those wishing to fly into the Indianapolis International Airport can rent a car and drive and to West Lafayette or take the Lafayette Limo or Reindeer shuttle services.
• Via Chicago - Those wishing to fly into the Chicago O'Hare International Airport can rent a car and drive to West Lafayette or take the Express Air Coach, Lafayette Limo, or Reindeer shuttle services.
• Campus Parking - Visitor parking is available in the Grant Street Parking Garage, adjacent to the Purdue Memorial Union, 101 N. Grant St, West Lafayette, IN. *Rates may apply.

*Reservations should be made in advance for all airport shuttles. Be advised that airport shuttles may not drop off or pick up directly from your hotel. Please be sure to look into these details when selecting a service.

• Currency - The official currency of the United States is the US Dollar (USD).
• Banks and Foreign Exchange - Normal banking hours in the US are Monday-Friday 9am-5:30pm. There are a number of banks near Purdue University, some of which offer foreign currency exchange. Exchange bureaus are also available at the international airports. ATMs are available throughout the campus and town.
• Credit Cards - Visa and MasterCard are accepted at nearly all establishments. American Express and Discover are also accepted, but not as widespread.
• Tipping - While tipping is not mandatory, it is customary for service in the US, specifically for dining, transportation, and lodging.
• Sales Tax - Sales tax will be applied to many purchases in the USA.
• Health and Safety - In the event of a health or safety emergency in the USA, 911 should be dialed.

Ginger Batta (gbatta@purdue.edu)
Senior Program Manager
Center for Global Trade Analysis
Department of Agricultural Economics, Purdue University
403 West State Street, West Lafayette, IN 47907-2056 USA