Colombo SAESM 2015, ColomboPage 1 12TH SOUTH ASIAN ECONOMICS
STUDENTS MEET 2015Dec. 21 28, 2015 Annual Conference of
Undergraduate Economics Students of South Asia Themes: South Asia
in the Asian Century (SAARC) South Asia within an Asian and Global
context (Non-SAARC) COLOMBO, SRI LANKA Department of Economics
University of Colombo Colombo, Sri Lanka July 2015 Colombo SAESM
2015, ColomboPage 2 SOUTH ASIAN ECONOMICS STUDENTS MEET December
21- 28, 2015 The Department of Economics of the University of
Colombo is pleased to
announcethatitisholding,incollaborationwithundergraduatesfrom
Special Degree in Economics Streams from local universities in Sri
Lanka, the12thSouthAsianEconomicsStudentsMeet(SAESM)inColombo
fromDecember21-28,2015.TheSAESM,theonlyforumforyoung
economistsintheSAARCcountries,providesauniqueplatformfor
undergraduates of economics streams for networking, knowledge
sharing, and fostering a collective understanding in issues of and
formulating strategies for a South Asian economic development and
prosperity.The SAESM, since its inauguration in Delhi in 2004, has
continued its unbroken legacy as an annual meet and has established
as an important event inthe academic calendar of all South Asian
universities.The SAESM visions this important event as one to groom
young economists as
anunorthodoxforcetoreckonwithintheSouth-Asiandevelopmentandbeyond.TheSAESMs
contribution towards professional development of young
undergraduates has been most
noteworthy.Ithasgroomedhundredsofyoungundergraduatesprofessionalstodeliberateatinternationalfora
alsoprovideseachundergraduateadistinctiveopportunityforskillsenhancement,teamwork,
leadership and to develop confidence and provide hands-on global
exposure.Over the years, the SAESM has been expanding and evolving
its vistas to undertake roles even beyond. A case in point
isthestronginterestexpressedbyundergraduatesfromcountriesoutsidetheSAARCtojointhe
SAESM as observer groups at the Colombo SAESM 2015. Target
delegates The Colombo SAESM 2015 invites undergraduate students
from Economics streams to take part in the conference.The
undergraduates who are from the SAARC countries, also referred as
the SAESM Member Delegates (SMD), take part in the whole of the
SAESM programme in respective activities
incompetitivebasis.TheundergraduatesfromNonSAARCcountriesandothers,includingthe
SAESM Alumni delegates, referred to as SAESM Observer Delegates
(SOD), will take part primarily
inthepaperpresentationcategoryonlyoftheSAESMprogrammeandtheywillengageinthe
conference proceedings in non-competitive basis. Colombo SAESM
2015, ColomboPage 3 SAESM in the past - Themes, Venues and
SponsorsThe past SAESMs have been themed on topical issues
pertaining to South Asia, and most notably, South-Asian integration
has been amongst the most discussed as its core theme for several
years.The themes of the SAESMs held by respective host country are
in the table below: YearVenue ThemeMain sponsor 2004New
DelhiEconomicDevelopmentsinSouthAsia:Which Way Ahead National
Foundation of India 2005LahoreIssues for South Asian
DevelopmentSyed Babar Ali Foundation
2006DhakaSharingIdeasforaBetterUnderstandingof South Asian
Development Prime Bank 2007ColomboEconomicDevelopmentandRegional
Cooperation in South Asia World Bank 2008New DelhiEconomic
Challenges to Make South Asia Free from Poverty and Deprivation
World Bank 2009DhakaYoung Economists for an Integrated South Asia
National Bank 2010ColomboEconomicFreedomandPovertyReductionin South
Asia Friedrich Naumann Stiftung 2011New Delhi Development
Alternatives in South AsiaInstituteforFinancial Management and
Research 2012KathmanduTowards a Green South AsiaWorld Bank
2013LahoreThe Political Economy of South AsiaWorld Bank
2014ThimpuSouthAsianIntegration:Prospectsand Challenges World Bank
2015ColomboSouth Asia in the Asian Century Colombo SAESM 2015,
ColomboPage 4 Colombo SAESM 2015 The Theme The Colombo SAESM 2015
will offer two but related themes: a main theme for the SAESM
Member Delegates; and a supplementary theme for the SEASM Observer
Delegates. The Colombo SAESM 2015 will have its main theme as:
South Asia in the Asian Century - For a pragmatic strategic vision
for South Asian prosperity through economic integration The
supplementary theme is:South Asia within an Asian and Global
context -As a production hub and an emerging
marketPastSAESMshavedeliberatedonmanyperennialissuesofSouth-AsianEconomicIntegration,
especiallyitscharacteristics,attributes,challengesandprospects.TheSouth-Asiandevelopment,
poverty and environment have also been amongst the main topics
discussed.While identification of issues, challenges and gaps
towards a realistic South-Asian integration has considerably been
dealt with in the past, its time that specific, pragmatic and
pluralistic strategies are explored with vigor
andpassion.WhilethecurrentinterestineconomicintegrationforaSouth-Asianrevivalgathers
momentum, the SAESM fraternity strongly believes that a youth-
based dimension can provide and an unorthodox window of opportunity
towards this end. Sub-themes under the main theme For the SAESM
Member Delegates
Theabovestatedmainthemeisexaminedanddiscussedcomprehensivelyundersixsubthemes
below: 1.Interregional and intraregional FDI flows2.Managing
resources for a sustained South Asian development and
prosperity3.Trade integration as a regional strategy for an Asian
competitiveness4.Intra-regional trade and exchange as a key
strategy for alleviating rural poverty5.Human skills development
for fostering a regional competitive advantage 6.Political Economic
dimensions and strategies for regional integration Colombo SAESM
2015, ColomboPage 5 For the SAESM Observer Delegates
TheSAESMObserverDelegatesareencouragedtochoosetheirownsubthemeswithinthe
supplementarythemeaboveassignedtothem.Weareofopinionthattheymayhowevercould
exercise the freedom to choose their topics from the above
subthemes under the main theme as well if they so wish. The
rationale for the themes
Therationaleforthemainthemeaboveemanatesfromanunequivocalrecognitionthatitisthe
CenturyofAsia-recordingfastestGDPgrowth,rapidenhancementinpercapitaincome,widest
expansion in exports, most active investment and FDI inflows, than
any other regions in the world.In contrast, South Asia has failed
to exploit and emulate its East-Asian counterparts.The theme thus
aims to address and ignite a passion within the youth for a
realistic South Asian revival for the South Asia, and from South
Asia to the rest of Asia and beyond. The supplementary theme has
been chosen with the objective to provide a pragmatic platform that
provides the viewpoints of South Asia from countries outside the
SAARC.This theme it is hoped will make the SAESM deliberations
within an ever integrating global economic framework and make the
discussions relevant and interesting to all participating
undergraduates. Selection of papers for awards and publication The
conference papers are evaluated at two stages as (a) paper
evaluation by 2 panels of the academics
attheCoordinatingUniversitiesand,(b)evaluationoftheconferencepresentationsbyapanelof
judges. The Best Thematic Paper under each sub-themewill be
selected for awards through an evaluation process by the academic
teams appointed at the conference for each category.All student
delegates will be awarded a certificate of participation at the
Colombo SAESM 2015. The papers meeting the required quality
standards will be published in the symposium publication. The
researcher delegates are encouraged to focus on originality,
academic quality, policy relevance and technical standards. The
judges may decide whether respective the authors should be asked to
submit a revised version of the papers for publication. Colombo
SAESM 2015, ColomboPage 6 It is expected that the respective
country coordinators work closely with the student teams to ensure
that all required academic standards have been met and the
conference guide lines have been precisely adhered to before
submitting the papers to the Colombo SAESM 2015.This will ensure
high quality of the conference and will raise confidence of the
delegates when they meet up at the conference. Colombo SAESM 2015-
delegatesThe Colombo SAESM 2015 will have an estimated 175-200
residential delegates, comprising of an estimated 125-40 foreign
delegates and 50-60 local delegates as highlighted
below:TheColomboSAESMwillinvite10undergraduatemembersfromeachofits7member
countries, other thanIndia, while two academicswho are also the
Country Coordinators of the respective country to accompany them.
Indiawillbeinvitedtosend2teamsofdelegatesnumbering20,accompaniedby4staff
members.ThisisinlinewithadecisiontakenbytheSAESMinter-countrycoordinating
body to recognize the size of Indias undergraduate population. The
countries outside SAARC that have indicated their interest to join
the SAESM will total about 20-30 undergraduate delegates and 6-8
academics who accompany them Colombo SAESM 2015 schedule (tentative
dates and details)No of days DayACTIVITY 1-2Dec. 12-13
(SAT-SUN)Arrival of foreign students 2Dec. 13 (SUN)Inauguration
(evening) and University dinner 3-4Dec. 14-15 (MON-TUE)Conference
and other academic events (whole day) 5Dec. 16 (WED)Conference and
closing ceremony (morning) 5-7Dec. 16-18Excursion for foreign
students (since Dec. 16 evening) 8-9Dec. 19-20Departure of foreign
students Non-SAARC students may decide to take part in the entire
conference period depending on their preferenceColombo SAESM 2015,
ColomboPage 7 Country Teams Conference papers Budding Economist
Quiz-nomics Contest Total No. of students Faculty members SAARC
Bhutan 442102 Bangladesh442102 India( 2 teams) 884204 Nepal442102
Pakistan442102 Afghanistan 442102 Sri Lanka (2 teams ) 8844024 Sub
Total32321611038 Non SAARC20204 Total 52321613042 Colombo SAESM
2015, ColomboPage 8 Colombo SAESM 2015- sessionsThe Colombo SAESM
is comprised of its principal activities as done in the past, while
is added with new activities in line with an evolving vision of the
SAESM: For the SAESM Member Delegates - Competing basis
Undergraduateconference:Presentationofacademicpapersunderthesubthemesstated
above, will be assessed on competitive basis; there will be
approximately 80-100 papers from the undergraduates from the South
Asian country delegates who make presentations and oral discussions
in a competitive setting.
BuddingEconomistCompetition:ThisisacompetitionamongparticipatingSAESM
undergraduateswhocontestfortheawardoftheBuddingEconomistinSouthAsia.The
competitionproceedsthroughvariousstagesasessay-writingexercise,examination,
speeches, and finally interviews. Quiz-nomics Competition: A quiz
competition among the undergraduates at both individual
andteamlevelswhereknowledgeandskillsineconomictheory,application,andcurrent
affairs, locally and globally are tested. For the SAESM Observer
Delegates - Non-competing basisPresentations by SAESM Observer
Delegates: This session will be a non-competing category,
andexclusivebeconfinedtotheabovegroupwheretheSAESMdelegateswillsitinthe
audience and join oral discussions.The presentations are to be
madealongside SAESM Alumni presentations:This session too will be a
non-competing category designated as guest oral presentations where
the audience will join the discussion Colombo SAESM 2015,
ColomboPage 9 Field Excursion:This is open for all delegates both
SAESM and outside SAESM.This represents an integral and very
importantcomponentoftheColomboSAESMwheretheforeignundergraduatedelegates,
accompanied by a selected local undergraduates, embark on an
excursion tour to create opportunities
todevelopfellowshipandlong-termnetworking.Duringthetour,severalactivitieswillbe
incorporated to achieve the set goals of the excursion.This item is
a selffunded component financed out of the contributions of US$ 150
by each delegate. Guidelines for Research Papers All delegates are
advised to follow the guidelines stated below for the research
paper submissions at the Colombo SAESM 2015
1.Theauthorsareadvisedtofocusonthemainissuescoveredbyathemewithrespectto
his/herowncountryand,notanynarrowed-downissueoracasestudy.However,each
author will have the freedom to decide his/her own topic suitable
for the paper.2.The papers must demonstrate application of
Economics knowledge in addressing the chosen
issuerelevanttohis/herowncountry.Theoriesandmodelsmaybeusedinplacingand
analyzing the issue in the context, but the application is the
key.3.Theauthorsarerequiredtostrictlyadheretothestandardtechnicalspecificationsof
academic research papers.
4.Theexpectedstandardofthepresentationstakesintoaccountthatthedelegatesare
undergraduates and hence the expected academic excellence and
competency is at normal academic standards at undergraduate
level.5.Format to be adhered to:a)Font type: Times New Roman b)Font
size: 16 for section headings, 14 for sub-headings, 12 for text, 10
for footnotes c)Bold and italic are accepted d)Line spacing: 1.15
e)Document size: 4000-5000 words (10-12 pages, excluding cover
page) f)Page numbers: bottom-right g)Color: black and white only
Colombo SAESM 2015, ColomboPage 10 h)Referencing: Harvard style
6.Cover page a)[On the top of the sheet]: SOUTH ASIAN ECONOMICS
STUDENTS MEET, Dec.13-20, 2015, UNIVERSITY OF COLOMBO, SRI LANKA
b)Session Theme of the paper, as given in this document c)Title of
the paper, as chosen by the author d)Name of the author,
university, country e)Abstract of the paper, not exceeding 100
words 7.Conference presentation a)Power Point presentations,
strictly limited to 15 minutes b)Questions/comments and responses,
limited to 5 minutes c)Discussion by two academics/experts, each
one for 10 minutes d)Questions/comments, not allowed from the
authors own country team 8.Deadlines for submission to Colombo
SAESM 2015 a)A copy of the abstract in MS WORD format should be
sent by October 15th , 2015 (to be included in the conference
brochure) b)Conference papers in MS WORD format should be sent by
October 30th , 2015 (to be evaluated prior to the conference)
c)Power Point presentations should be sent by November 30th2015
9.Submission
a)BothabstractsandPapersshouldbesubmittedfirsttotherespectiveCountry
CoordinatorswhowilltaketheresponsibilityofsendingthemtoColomboasa
complete set.b)Email address for all submissions and other
correspondence: [email protected] Colombo SAESM 2015, ColomboPage
11 Feedback and Dissemination (1)All the participants of the
conference are expected should provide (a) an evaluation of the
conference and (b) a 2-page post-conference report to the FNF.
(2)The country teams in collaboration with the respective FNF
offices should organize a
post-conferenceseminar(s)attheirrespectiveuniversitiestodisseminateknowledgeand
experience they gained from the SAESM 2010 to a wider audience of
staff and students. Cost of Air Travel and Hotel AccommodationSAESM
Member Delegates The Colombo SAESM 2015 plans to fund the economy
class airfare;and full-board hotel accommodation on double-sharing
basis. SEASM Observer DelegatesThe Colombo SAESM expects that
delegates will bear cost of airfare; and full/part of the hotel
accommodation costs (we are working on the possibility of funding
part of the hotel room costs subject to the availability of funds)
Arrivals and Departures
AllcountrydelegatesshouldarriveinColombosubjecttothetimetableoftheColombo
SAESM 2015 stated above. The delegates will be picked up from the
airport and transported
toaprearrangedhotel.Eachcountryteamisexpectedtobearthevisacostsandother
ancillary costs that may arise during the period of stay in Sri
Lanka LOOKING FORWARD TO SEEING YOU IN COLOMBO
