37th Annual Meeting of the Middle East Economic Association (MEEA)

Chicago, January 5 to 8, 2017

Program (Updated: January 1, 2017)

MEEA pre-ASSA Sessions in Loyola University Chicago MEEA/ASSA Session in Sheraton Grand Chicago

MEEA pre-ASSA Sessions January 5 Philip B. Corboy Law Center Loyola University Chicago 25 E. Pearson St., Chicago, IL 60611.

Map: https://goo.gl/maps/LAPT15EhfHq

Conference Program, MEEA 2017, Chicago, January 5th

Time slot Sessions and Papers Chair and Author(s)

8:00 Opening Ceremony and Breakfast

08:30-10 Inequality and Poverty Mahdi Majbouri Revisiting the Middle Class Myth: Evidence from Cross-Country Analysis of Reham Kamel; British University in Egypt Room 203 Social Progress Pouneh Soleimaninejadian; Tsinhua University Effects of Subsidy Reform on Consumption and Income Inequalities in Iran Chengyu Yang; Beijing Normal University Mismatch between Material Deprivation and Income Poverty: The Case of Aysenur Acar, Bulent Anil; Bahcesehir University, Seyfettin Gursel; Bahcesehir University

08:30-10 Gender Shireen Alazzawi Hanan Nazier; faculty of economics and political science, Cairo The Conditional Gender Wage Gap in Egypt: Premium or Penalty? university; presented by Asmaa Ezzat, Faculty of Economics & Political Room 206 Science, Cairo University Household Asset Inequality, Labor Market Outcomes and Women’s Shireen Alazzawi, Santa Clara University; Vladimir Hlasny, Ewha Womans Empowerment in MENA University Hanan Nazier; faculty of economics and political science, Cairo Marriage Outcomes and Women Empowerment after Marriage: Two university; Racha Ramadan; Faculty of Economics & Political Science, countries stories Cairo University; presented by Chahir Zaki, Faculty of Economics & Political Science, Cairo University

08:30-10 Inflation - Wages, and Labor Supply Riza Demirer Exchange Rate Pass-Through to Inflation in Egypt: A Structural VAR Omneia Helmy; Cairo University; Mona Fayed; Cairo University Room 208 Approach Kholoud Hussein; Central Bank of Egypt Erhan Aslanoglu; Asymmetry in Inflation Targeting Pınar Deniz; Marmara University Antonio di Paolo; University of Barcelona Analyzing Wage Differentials by Fields of Study: Evidence from Turkey Aysit Tansel; Middle East technical University; Presented by Ali Akarca THE IMPACT OF UNEMPLOYMENT BENEFITS ON LABOR SUPPLY: THE CASE Irem Dogan; Kemerburgaz University; Haluk Levent, OF TURKEY Kemerburgaz University; Mahmut Tekce, Marmara University

Page 1 of 6 08:30-10 Energy Philipp Dees Room 209 Estimating the Competitive Storage Model with Trending Commodity Prices Christophe Gouel; INRA; Nicolas Legrand; INRA Renewable energy and economic growth in the MENA region: Empirical Philipp Dees; FAU Erlangen-Nürnberg; Georgeta Vidican; Friedrich evidence and policy implications Alexander University Erlangen Mohammed Barka; UNIVERSITY OF TLEMCEN The Sustainability of Algeria's Subsidies? [CANCELLED] ZINE EL ABIIDINE DJELIL; UNIVERSITY OF ORAN and GREFIP

Coffee Break - Room 205

10:15-11:45 Oil and Resources Hassan Aly Institutions and rents effects in oil dependent countries: Structural Yacine BELARBI; CREAD; SAMI Lylia, High School of management and Room 206 threshold regression with endogeneity approach international trade (Algeria) DYNAMICS OF OIL PRICES, EXCHANGE RATES AND ASSET PRICES IN THE GCC Mehmet Candemir; Eastern Mediterranean University COUNTRIES Mehmet Balcilar; Eastern Mediterranean University Davide Contu; London School of Economics and Political Science Nuclear Energy and the Transient Population Effect Ozgur Kaya; American University of Sharjah

10:15-11:45 Turkish Economy Volkan Ulke Room 203 HOUSING AND OUTPUT GROWTH IN TURKEY Gizem Uzuner THE INVESTIGATION OF RECENT TRENDS IN TURKISH CURRENT ACCOUNT Umut Unal; Turgut Ozal University The Impact of output volatility on output: Empirical evidence from Turkey Volkan Ulke, suleyman sah university

10:15-11:45 Environemnt and WTO Nathalie Hilmi Nathalie HILMI, Centre Scientifique de Monaco; Alain Safa; Skill Partners; Energetic transition in Iran Shekoofeh Farahmand, University of Isfahan; Majid Sameti, University of Room 209 Isfahan; Ali Sassan, University of Nice Gokhan Ozertan, Bogazici University; Mehmet Gurdal, Bogazici Two Approaches in Estimating the Impacts of Climate Change on Turkish University; Baris Karapinar, TEMA Foundation; Gözde Ünal, Boğaziçi Agriculture: Autonomous Adaptation and Farmers’ Risk Behavior University Immigrants pro-trade effects: Does governance matter? Doslalo Millogo; University of Toulon Economic growth and process accession to the WTO Evidence from Mokhtari Fayçal; University of Mascara Comparative Study

Page 2 of 6 10:15-11:45 Conflict and Migration Ward Sayre Khusrav Gaibulloev; American University of Sharjah Decentralization, institutions, and maritime piracy Room 208 Todd Sandler; University of Texas at Dallas How to Measure the Burden of War beyond the Dead Body Count? The Case Yeju Choi; Kennesaw State University; Marcus Marktanner; Kennesaw of Syria State University Sir! I'd rather go to school, Sir! Mahdi Majbouri; Babson College Nelly El Mallakh; Université Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne; Jackline Wahba; Upward or Downward: Occupational mobility and Return Migration University of Southampton

Coffee Break - Room 205

12-13:30 Education Murat Kirdar Jumana Alaref; The World Bank Entrepreneurship Education for University Students in Tunisia: Long-term Stefanie Brodmann; The World Bank impact evaluation results Room 208 Patrick Premand; The World Bank The Effects of Compulsory Schooling Laws on Teenage Marriage and Births Murat Kirdar; Bogazici University in Turkey AN EMPIRICAL ANALYSIS OF HOUSEHOLD EDUCATION EXPENDITURES IN Elif Acar; Cankaya University TURKEY Orhan Torul; Bogazici University Dynamics of Intergenerational Educational Mobility in Turkey Oguz Oztunali; Bogazici University

12-13:30 Markets in Emerging Markets Mehmet Balcilar Mehmet Balcilar; Eastern Mediterranean University; Riza Demirer; Has oil price risk gone global? An empirical analysis of quantiles Southern Illinois University Edwardsvillle; Shawkat Hammoudeh; Drexel Room 203 University Elasticities of Substitution in a Nested CES Consumption: Evidence from Hakan Yilmazkuday; Florida International University Daily Data Hasan Toprak; Florida International University The Influence of FOMC Minutes for Asset Prices in BRICS Countries and Evrim Toren; Eastern Mediterranean University Turkey through GARCH Volatility Modelling

Page 3 of 6 12-13:30 Financial Development Mahmoud Haddad Room 206 Public Debt Sustainability: Nonlinear Evidence from Algeria [CANCELLED] Abderrahim Chibi and Mohamed Benbouziane; University of Tlemcen Linking remittances with financial development and institutions: a study of Imad EL HAMMA; Groupe de Recherche en Droit Economie Gestion MENA countries Financial Development, Access to Finance and Economic Growth: The Case Ayah El Sayd; NYU; Noha Emara; Rutgers of Selected MENA Countries The determinants of financial inclusion and growth in MENA [CANCELLED] DJENNAS Mustapha; Tlemcen University

12-13:30 FDI and Trade Raed Safadi Renzo Alvarez, Florida International University; Amin Shoja, Florida Exchange Rate Pass-Through: Evidence from Turkish Daily Prices International University; Syed Uddin, Florida International University; Room 209 Hakan Yilmazkuday, Florida International University Yilmaz Kilicaslan; ; Zeynep Karal; Anadolu University Outward FDI from a Developing Country: Evidence from Turkey Gokhan Onder; Anadolu University; Yesim Ucdogruk; Dokuz Eylül University The impact of political and financial risk on FDI by sector: a threshold effect INES TROJETTE; University of Toulon

Lunch Break

14:30-16 Exchange Rates and Trade Melise Jaud Room 208 Export Big Hits Melise Jaud; University of Lausanne Mahmoud Mohieldin; World Bank External Wealth of Selected Arab Nations and the Role of Exchange Rate Ahmed Kamaly; The American University in Cairo Ahmed Rostom; George Washington University Rooholah Hadadi; FIU Lights On Trade: Estimation of Trade Flows Using Luminosity Hakan Yilmazkuday; Florida International University Value-added Trade, Exchange Rate Pass-Through and Trade Elasticity: Syed Uddin; Florida International University Revisiting the Trade Competitiveness

Page 4 of 6 14:30-16 Crisis, Business Cycles, and Monetary Policy Mehmut Tekce Jean-Paul Tsasa Vangu; Laboratoire d'analyse-recherche en économie Networks, inflation and labor market dynamics Room 203 quantitative Hakan Yilmazkuday; Florida International University Is there a Role for International Trade Costs in Monetary Policy? Renzo Alvarez; Florida International University Berrak Bahadir; Özyeğin University Credit Decomposition and Business Cycles in Emerging Economies Inci Gumus; Sabanci University Uncertainty in Financial Markets and Business Cycles Secil Yildirim Karaman; Kemerburgaz Universitesi

14:30-16 Trade Jeffery B. Nugent Room 206 Institutions and Trade Promotion: What is the Nexus? Chahir Zaki; Cairo University Yulin Hou; Florida International University Do Gravity Variables Reflect Trade Costs or Preferences? Evidence from U.S. Yun Wang; Florida International University Imports. Hakan Yilmazkuday; Florida International University Trade liberalization and market competition: Evidence from Egypt firm-level Chahir Zaki; Cairo University data Do Firms Learn From Exporting if Returns to Scale are Variable? UMUT SENALP;

14:30-16 Banking I Shawkat Hammodeh Room 209 Corporate Governance in the Banking Industry: Challenges and Implications Wassim Naim Shahin, Lebanese American University Ilker Kaya, American University of Sharjah; Javed Younas, American Bank Lending in High Risk Environment: A Disaggregated Analysis University of Sharjah; Khusrav Gaibulloev, American University of Sharjah; Emin Gahramanov, Deakin University Merve Namuslu, Middle East Technical University; Seza Danisoglu, Modeling the CDS Prices: An Application to The MENA Region Middle East Technical University; Hande Ayaydın Hacıömeroğlu, Middle East Technical University Investment Banking and Certification Effect: An Empirical Analysis Renato Giovannini; Universita G. Marconi

Coffee Break - Room 205

Page 5 of 6 16:15-17:45 Banking II Zeynep Onder Zeynep Onder; State-owned Banks, Foreign Banks and Macroeconomic Volatility Room 206 Suheyla Ozyildirim; Bilkent University Cem Karatas; Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute; Ahmet Aysan; Bogazici The Global Recession and Bank Efficiency: Case of Turkey University Do Principal-Agent Conflicts Impact Performance And Risk-Taking Behavior Mona Fayed; Faculty of Economics and Political Science of Islamic Banks? Asmaa Ezzat; Faculty of Economics and Political Science

16:15-17:45 Financial Sector Sami Ben Naceur Financials Sector Intraday Volatility Characteristics in the Emerging Turkish A. Can Inci; Bryant University Room 208 Economy Mahmoud Haddad; University of Tennessee-Martin; Shawkat Further evidence on hedges and safe havens for GCC markets using a Hammoudeh; Drexel University; walid mensi; Drexel University, Lebow wavelet-based quantile approach College of Business; Aviral Tiwari; IFHE University, IBS Hyderabad, India Çiğdem Erken, Borsa Istanbul; Seza Danisoglu; Middle East Technical The Effect of Margin Changes on Futures Market Volume and Trading University

16:15-17:45 Finance Wassim Shahin Debt-Threshold Effect in Sovereign Credit Ratings: New Evidence from Nidhaleddine Ben Cheikh; ESSCA School of Management; Oussama Ben Room 209 Nonlinear Panel Smooth Transition Models Hmiden; ESSCA School of Management Mahmoud Mohieldin; World Bank Finance and Growth in Egypt Revisited Khaled Hussein; ESCWA Ahmed Rostom; George Washington University Melike Kokkizil; Bahcesehir University Financial Literacy in Developing Countries Gokce Uysal; Bahcesehir University The Feasibility of Interbank and FX Auction Mechanisms in Regulating the Zeinab Elgawady; Misr University Egyptian Exchange Market

14:30-16 Employment and Health Moundir Lassassi Physician Payment Schemes and Physician Productivity: Analysis of Turkish Ozan Hatipoglu; Bogazici University Room 203 Healthcare Reforms Healthcare Inequalities in Turkey: Does Accessibility really Matter? Burhan Karahasan; Piri Reis University; Firat Bilgel; Okan University Informality, Public Employment and Employment Protection: Theory Using Shaimaa Yassin; University of Neuchatel Evidence from Egypt Moundir Lassassi; Center for Research in Applied Economics for INFORMAL JOB SEARCH IN THE ALGERIAN LABOR MARKET Development

Page 6 of 6

MEEA/ASSA Sessions January 7 and 8 Sheraton Grand Chicago

MEEA - Sessions at the ASSA Meeting Chicago 2017

Time and Date Session and Papers Chair and Author(s)

ASSA: Saturday, Jan. 7, 2017 12:30 PM – 2:15 PM; Panel The Effects of Climate Change for the Middle East and North Africa Panelists: Atif Kurbursi, Mine Cinar and Natalie Hilmi Room: Sheraton Grand Chicago, Millennium Park

ASSA: Saturday, Jan. 7, 2017 10:15 AM – 12:15 PM Randomized Controlled Trials in MENA Chair: Mahdi Majbouri David Atkin; MIT; Amit Khandelwal; Columbia Business Room: Sheraton Grand Chicago, Millennium Park Exporting and Firm Performance: Evidence from a Randomized Experiment School Adam Osman; University of Illinois Ghada Barsoum; American University in Cairo; BRUNO CREPON; CREST Evaluating the Effects of Entrepreneurship Edutainment in Egypt Drew Gardiner; ILO; Bastien Michel: William Pariente; Université Catholique de Louvain Dean Karlan; Yale University; Adam Osman; University of Understanding Demand for Sharia-Compliant Financial Products Illinois; Nour Shammout; JPAL Adam Osman; University of Illinois; Jamin Speer; University Selection into Job Training Programs of Memphis

ASSA: Sunday, Jan. 8, 2017 8:00 AM – 10:00 AM Governance and Institutions Chair: Jeffrey B. Nugent Socioeconomic Drivers of the Spread of the Tunisian Revolution Daniel Egel; RAND Corporation Abderrezzak BENHABIB, Tlemcen University; Kamel si Room: Sheraton Grand Chicago, Grant Park The relationship between democracy and corruption in MENA countries Mohammed; Shireen Alazzawi; Santa Clara University; Moamen Gouda; Do Muslims understand Democracy? An Empirical Investigation Hankuk University of Foreign Studies Democratic Institutions and Prosperity - The Special Case of the Middle Helena Helfer; University of Münster Eastern Countries

ASSA: Sunday, Jan. 8, 2017 10:15 AM – 12:15 PM Conflict and Migration in MENA Chair: Edward Sayre Kartika Bhatia; The World Bank Room: Sheraton Grand Chicago, Grant Park Relative Deprivation and Radicalization: Evidence from MENA countries Hafez Ghanem; The World Bank Subhayu Bandyopadhyay; Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis; Does Lack of Trust Fester Conflict? Khusrav Gaibulloev; American University of Sharjah; Javed Younas; American University of Sharjah Jeffrey B. Nugent; University of Southern California; The Migration of Fear: An Analysis of Migration Choices of Syrian Refugees Mehmet Balcilar; Eastern Mediterranean University Elena Ianchovichina; World Bank; Youssouf Kiendrebeogo; Who Supports Violent Extremism in Developing Countries? World Bank

Scientific Committee Local Organizing Program Chairs Committee

Wifaq Adnan Shawkat Hammoudeh Shireen Alazzawi Nathalie Hilmi Mine Cinar Samer Kherfi Mine Cinar Rahel Schomaker Seza Danisoglu Ali M. Kutan Mahdi Majbouri Riza Demirer Mahdi Majbouri Pinar Deniz Marcus Marktanner Fatma Dogruel Jeffery B. Nugent Suut Dogruel Edward Sayre Ali Fakih Ganesh Seshan Alpay Filiztekin Javed Younas Hisham Foad Chahir Zaki Khusrav Gaibulloev