Mark Melatos, Senior Lecturer in the School of Economics at the University of Sydney, Australia, will speak on "Flexibility in trade bloc design." Thursday, March 10th,  3:40 pm - 5:00 pm, 368A Heady Hall.

 A key characteristic of any trade bloc is its “flexibility” – the extent to which it can be modified or augmented by existing members. Melatos will discuss his research which investigates how prospective trade bloc members value the flexibility of proposed trade agreements in a changing trading environment.

Melatos is Senior Lecturer in the School of Economics at the University of Sydney, Australia.  He received his PhD in Economics from the same institution in 2002.  Mark’s research focuses on international trade theory and policy, particularly the optimal design of regional trade agreements (RTAs) and non-tariff measures (NTMs).  Mark has published in international journals such as the European Economic Review and Review of International Economics.  Since 2005, he has been a consultant on RTAs and NTMs for the OECD Trade and Agriculture Directorate.  In support of his research, Mark has received numerous competitive research grants including from the Australian Research Council, Danish Research Council and European Commission.