December 2022
Curriculum Vitae
Alexander K. Karaivanov
|
Department of Economics |
+1 778 782 6694 |
|
Simon Fraser University |
akaraiva@sfu.ca |
|
8888 University Drive |
http://www.sfu.ca/~akaraiva |
|
Burnaby, BC, Canada |
|
EMPLOYMENT
2015 – present Professor,
Department of Economics, Simon Fraser University
2009 – 2015 Associate
Professor, Department of Economics, Simon Fraser University
2003 – 2009 Assistant Professor, Department
of Economics, Simon Fraser University
2000 – 2002 Lecturer, Department of Economics,
University of Chicago
1997 – 2003 Research Assistant to D. Gale
Johnson, Jaume Ventura, Robert Townsend
1999 – 2002 Teaching
Assistant, Department of Economics, University of Chicago
Other professional affiliations
2011 – present Associate
Editor, Journal of Development Economics
2011 – present Research
Associate, ThReD
Education
2003 PhD Economics,
University of Chicago, USA
fields: growth
and development, finance, money and banking
thesis: Financial Contracts and Occupational Choice
supervisors: R. M. Townsend (senior), M.
Ghatak and P. Reny
1999 MA
Economics, University of Chicago, USA
1997 BA
Economics (honors), Sofia University, Bulgaria
1997 BBA,
Hogeschool van Utrecht, The Netherlands
RESEARCH INTERESTS
development, financial
markets and contracts, risk sharing, entrepreneurship, networks, public
economics
RESEARCH
Journal
articles
“COVID-19 Vaccination Mandates and Vaccine Uptake”, Nature
Human Behaviour 6(6), 2022 (with D. Kim, S. Lu and H. Shigeoka), also NBER Working Paper 29563, Dec. 2021 and IZA Working Paper 14946, Jan. 2022
“Involuntary Entrepreneurship – Evidence from Thai
Urban Data”, World Development 105706, 2022 (with T. Yindok)
“Face Masks,
Public Policies and Slowing the Spread of COVID-19: Evidence from Canada”, Journal
of Health Economics 102475, 2021 (with S. Lu, H. Shigeoka, C. Chen and S.
Pamplona), also NBER Working Paper 27891,
Oct. 2020
“Transaction Fee Economics in the Ethereum Blockchain”,
Economic Inquiry 13025, 2021 (with A. Donmez)
“A Social Network Model of COVID-19”, PLOS One
15(10): e0240878, 2020
“Credit lines in Microcredit: Short-Term Evidence from
a Field Experiment in India”, Journal of Development Economics 146, 102497,
2020 (with F. Aragon and K. Krishnaswamy)
“Bogus Joint Liability Groups in Microfinance”, European
Economic Review 122, 103353, 2020 (with X. Xing and Y. Xue)
“Family Firms, Bank Relationships and Financial Constraints: A Comprehensive Score Card”, International Economic Review 60(2), p.547-593, 2019 (with J. Saurina and R. Townsend)
“Markov-Perfect Risk Sharing, Moral Hazard and Limited
Commitment”, Journal of Economic Dynamics and Control 94, p.1-23, 2018
(with F. Martin)
“(Dis)Advantages of Informal Loans – Theory and
Evidence”, European Economic Review 102, p.100-128, 2018 (with A.
Kessler)
“Non-Grant Microfinance,
Incentives and Efficiency”, Applied Economics 50, p.2509-24, 2018
“Market Power and Asset
Contractibility in Dynamic Insurance Contracts”, Federal Reserve Bank of St.
Louis Review 98(2), p.111-27, 2016 (with F. Martin)
“Dynamic Optimal Insurance and
Lack of Commitment”, Review of
Economic Dynamics 18(2),
p.287-305, 2015 (with F. Martin)
“Dynamic Financial Constraints: Distinguishing Mechanism
Design from Exogenously Incomplete Regimes”, Econometrica 82(3),
p.887-959, 2014 (with R. Townsend), also NBER
Working Paper 19617, Nov. 2013
“Contractual Structure in Agriculture with Endogenous
Matching”, Journal of Development Economics 110, p.239-49, 2014 (with M.
Ghatak)
“Financial Constraints and
Occupational Choice in Thai Villages”, Journal of Development Economics 97(2), p.201-20, 2012
“Learning by Doing vs. Learning from Others in a
Principal-Agent Model”, Journal of
Economic Dynamics and Control 34(10), p.1967-92, 2010 (with J.
Arifovic)
“Heterogeneity, Returns to
Scale, and Collective Action”, Canadian
Journal of Economics 42(2),
p.771-807, 2009
“Understanding Optimal Criminal Networks”, Global Crime 10, p.41-65, 2009 (with S. Easton)
“A Case for Bundling Public
Goods Contributions”, Journal of
Public Economic Theory 9(3),
p.425-51, 2007 (with S. Ghosh and M. Oak)
“Can A Raise in Your Wage Make You Worse Off? A Public
Goods Perspective”, Journal of
Development Economics 84(1),
p.551-71, 2007 (with S. Ghosh)
“Wealth Inequality and Collective Action”, Journal of Public Economics
91(9), p.1843-74, 2007 (with P. Bardhan and M. Ghatak)
“Distinguishing
Limited Liability from Moral Hazard in a Model of Entrepreneurship”, Journal of Political Economy 144(1), p.104-44, 2006 (with A. Paulson
and R. Townsend)
“Pareto Improving Lotteries and Voluntary Public Goods
Provision”, The B.E. Journal of
Theoretical Economics (Topics) 6(1), p.1-13, 2006
Refereed book chapters
“Social
Learning in a Model of Adverse Selection”, in D. West, G. Dow, and A. Eckert
(eds.) Industrial Organization, Trade,
and Social Interaction: Essays in Honour of B. Curtis Eaton, University of
Toronto Press, 2010 (with J. Arifovic)
“Inequality
and Collective Action”, ch. 3 in J-M. Baland, P. Bardhan, and S. Bowles (eds.), Inequality, Collective Action and
Environmental Sustainability,
Princeton
University Press, 2006 (with P.
Bardhan and M. Ghatak)
Other
publications
“Face mask mandates slowed the spread of COVID-19 in
Canada”, VoxEU,
2020 (with S. Lu and H. Shigeoka)
“Criminal Organizations and Networks”, in R. Morgan
(ed.), The SAGE Encyclopedia of Criminal
Psychology, SAGE Publications, 2019 (with S. Easton)
“The Impact of a Micro-Overdraft Facility in India”, Financial Access Initiative, 2016 (with
K. Krishnaswamy)
“Understanding Optimal Criminal Networks”, reprinted
in M. Bouchard and C. Wilkins (eds.) Illegal
Markets and the Economics of Organized Crime, Routledge, 2010 (with S.
Easton)
“Distinguishing Limited
Liability from Moral Hazard in a Model of Entrepreneurship”, reprinted in T.
Beck (ed.) Entrepreneurship in Developing
Countries, Edward Elgar Publishing, 2009 (with A. Paulson and R. Townsend)
Working
papers and work in progress
“Blockchains, Collateral and Financial Contracts”,
working paper, 2022
“Economic Determinants of Ethereum Transaction Fees in
the Priority-Fee and Proof-of-Stake Periods (2021-2022)”, with A. Donmez, in
progress
“Clickbait”, in progress
“Economics of Crime Networks” (with R. Dastranj and S.
Easton), working paper
“Distinguishing
Across Models of International Capital Flows” (with M. Wright), working paper
“Social Insurance and Status” (with B. Xia)
“Development Dynamics with Credit Rationing and
Occupational Choice”
“Computing Moral Hazard Programs with Lotteries Using Matlab”
INVITED
PRESENTATIONS, WORKSHOPS, ETC.
2023: (planned)
Texas A&M University; Asia Conference on Business and Economic Studies
(keynote); Ryerson University; Theoretical Research in Development (ThReD)
2020-22: COVID-19
2019: University of
Houston, Involuntary
Entrepreneurship – Evidence from Thai Urban Data; Theoretical Research in
Development (ThReD)
2018: UIBE-Beijing, Involuntary
Entrepreneurship – Evidence from Thai Urban Data; Theoretical Research in Development (ThReD)
2017: American
Economic Association (discussant); Theoretical Research in Development (ThReD); National University of Singapore, Singapore
Management University, Georgia State University, Involuntary Entrepreneurship – Evidence from
Thai Urban Data; Canadian Macroeconomics Study Group
(discussant)
2016: University of
Victoria, A Friend in Need is
a Friend Indeed? Theory and Evidence on the (Dis)Advantages of Informal Loans; Theoretical Research in Development (ThReD); Economics of Social Sector Organizations –
University of Chicago (discussant)
2015: UC – Santa Cruz; University of Konstanz, A Friend in Need is a Friend Indeed? Theory and
Evidence on the (Dis)Advantages of Informal Loans; Theory and Measurement: Financial Systems and
Economic Development – Chicago Fed and University of Chicago; Theoretical
Research in Development (ThReD), Bogus Joint Liability Groups in Microfinance; Queen’s University, Markov-Perfect Risk
Sharing with Moral Hazard and Limited Commitment
2014: Theoretical Research in Development (ThReD),
A Friend in Need is a Friend
Indeed? Theory and Evidence on the (Dis)Advantages of Family Loans
2013: UC – Santa Barbara, Moral Hazard and Lack of Commitment in
Dynamic Economies; Theoretical Research in Development (ThReD)
2012: Theoretical Research in Development (ThReD);
Workshop on Macroeconomic Applications of Dynamic Games and Contracts – Stony
Brook, Moral Hazard and Lack of Commitment in Dynamic Economies
2011: Theoretical Research in Development (ThReD);
Savings and Financial Underpinnings of Macroeconomic Models workshop – Bretton
Woods
2010: University of Victoria, Dynamic Financial Constraints: Distinguishing
Mechanism Design from Exogenously Incomplete Regimes; University of Saskatchewan, No Bank, One Bank, Several Banks: Does it matter for investment?;
Canadian Econometrics Study Group (discussant)
2008: University of Toulouse Workshop on Risk-sharing, UTCC and
University of Chicago Innovations in Development Theory and Survey Data:
Implications for Policy, Enterprise Dynamics and Finance:
Distinguishing Mechanism Design from Exogenously Incomplete Markets Models
2006: London School
of Economics Workshop on Public Organizations, A Case for Bundling Public Goods Contributions
2005: University of British Columbia, Distinguishing Moral Hazard from Limited
Liability in a Model of Entrepreneurship
2003: World Bank, SUNY –
Buffalo, Georgetown University, Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond, Swedish
Central Bank, McGill University, York University, Simon Fraser University,
CERGE-EI, Financial Contracts and
Occupational Choice
2001: University of Chicago Economic Theory workshop, Heterogeneity and Collective Action
CONFERENCES
2022: Canadian Economic Association; Asian
Meeting of the Econometric Society (virtual), COVID-19 Vaccination Mandates
and Vaccine Uptake
2021: Society for Economic Dynamics
(virtual), Blockchains, Collateral and Financial Contracts; Canadian Health Economists' Study Group
Conference (virtual), Face Masks, Public
Policies and Slowing the Spread of COVID-19: Evidence from Canada
2020 (cancelled because
of COVID-19): Global Macroeconomics Workshop – Rome; Society for Economic
Dynamics; 1st Annual Macroeconomics Research Workshop, Theoretical Research in
Development (ThReD)
2019: Global Macroeconomics
Workshop - Prague (discussant); Canadian Economic Association, Credit
lines in Microfinance: Evidence from an Indian Field Experiment; Public Economic Theory Conference, Involuntary
Entrepreneurship – Evidence from Thai Urban Data; Vienna Macroeconomics
Workshop, Blockchains, Collateral and
Financial Contracts
2018: The Economics of Cryptocurrencies and
Blockchain Technologies; Vienna Macroeconomics Workshop
2017: Society for Economic Dynamics; European
Meeting of the Econometric Society, Family Firms, Bank Relationships and Financial Constraints: A
Comprehensive Score Card; European Economic
Association, Involuntary Entrepreneurship – Evidence from Thai Urban Data;
Vienna Macroeconomics Workshop
2016: American Economic Association, Bogus Joint Liability Groups in Microfinance –
Theory and Evidence from China;
Computing in Economic and Finance, Markov-Perfect Risk Sharing with Moral
Hazard and Limited Commitment; Society for Economic Dynamics, Asian Meeting
of the Econometric Society, Involuntary Entrepreneurship – Evidence from
Thai Urban Data; Vienna Macroeconomics Workshop
2015: Canadian Economic Association, Involuntary Entrepreneurship – Evidence from
Thai Urban Data; Society for
Economic Dynamics, World Congress of the Econometric Society, Bogus Joint Liability Groups in Microfinance, Vienna Macroeconomics
workshop (discussant)
2014: Canadian Economic Association, Bogus Joint Liability Groups in Microfinance; European Meeting of the Econometric Society, A Friend in Need is a Friend Indeed? Theory and
Evidence on the (Dis)Advantages of Family Loans; Vienna Macroeconomics workshop (discussant)
2013: Computing in Economics and
Finance, Moral Hazard and Lack of Commitment in Dynamic Economies
2012: Canadian Economic Association, Contractual Structure in Agriculture with Endogenous
Matching; Econometric Society Australasian Meeting, Dynamic
Financial Constraints: Distinguishing Mechanism Design from Exogenously
Incomplete Regimes; Vienna Macroeconomics workshop (discussant)
2011: Computing in Economics and Finance, Individual Learning in Principal-Agent Models; Asian Meeting of the Econometric Society, Vienna Macroeconomics
workshop, Distinguishing Across Models of International Capital
Flows
2010: Canadian Economic
Association, Distinguishing Across Models of International Capital Flows;
Society for Economic Dynamics, The Econometric Society World Congress, No
Bank, One Bank, Several Banks: Does It Matter for Investment?; Vienna Macroeconomics workshop (discussant)
2009: Association for Public
Economic Theory, Dynamic Optimal Insurance and
Lack of Commitment; Society for Economic Dynamics, Distinguishing
Across Models of International Capital Flows;
Far-Eastern Meeting of the Econometric Society, Formal Financial Sector Access
for Older Firms; Does it Matter for Investment?;
European Meeting of the Econometric Society, Enterprise Dynamics and Finance:
Distinguishing Mechanism Design from Exogenously Incomplete Markets Models; Vienna
Macroeconomics workshop (discussant)
2008: Society for Economic
Dynamics, Vienna Macroeconomics workshop, Enterprise Dynamics and Finance:
Distinguishing Mechanism Design from Exogenously Incomplete Markets Models
2007: Far-Eastern Meeting of the Econometric Society, Dynamic Optimal Insurance and Lack of Commitment; Canadian Economic Association, Economics
of Crime Networks; Vienna
Macroeconomics workshop (discussant)
2006: Society for Economic Dynamics, Evolutionary Learning in a
Principal-Agent Model; Association for Public Economic Theory, A Case for Bundling
Public Goods Contributions
2005:
The Econometric Society World Congress, Canadian
Economic Association, Can A Raise in Your
Wage Make You Worse Off? A Public Goods Perspective; Society for Economic Dynamics, Firm Entry and Finance:
Distinguishing Information Regimes; Canadian Public Economics Group, A
Case for Bundling Public Goods Contributions
2004: Association for Public Economic Theory, Heterogeneity, Returns to Scale, and Collective Action
2003: Computing in Economics and Finance, Financial
Contracts and Occupational Choice
2002: North-East Universities Development Consortuim (NEUDC), Financial Contracts Structure and
Occupational Choice
RESEARCH GRANTS
2018 – 2023 SSHRC
Insight Grant, “Contracts and Markets in
the New Digital Economy: Theory, Data Analysis and Policy”, principal
investigator, $77,740
2013 – 2017 SSHRC Insight Grant, “Obstacles to Credit, Risk Sharing, and
Investment in Developing Communities – A Dynamic Structural Approach to
Measurement and Policy Evaluation”, principal investigator, $83,412
2009 – 2013 SSHRC
Standard Research Grant, “Distinguishing
Across Models of Incomplete Markets”, principal investigator, $64,000
2006 – 2009 SSHRC
Standard Research Grant, “Financial
Market Imperfections: Theory, Estimation, Policy”, principal investigator,
$60,392
2005 – 2007 SSHRC/SFU
Institutional Grant, “The Economic
Structure of Crime Networks” (with S. Easton), joint investigator, $5,000
2003 – 2005 President’s
Research Grant, Simon Fraser University, $9,950
2005 SSHRC/SFU
Travel Grant, Econometric Society World Congress, $1,500
2003 – 2004 New
Faculty Start-up Research Grant, Simon Fraser University, $10,000
TEACHING
Simon Fraser University (2003 – present)
graduate: Microeconomic theory
(Econ 802), Theories of economic development (Econ 855), Introduction to
mathematical economics (Econ 798); PhD research paper (Econ 900); Directed
readings in development and contract theory (Econ 921)
undergraduate: Intermediate
microeconomic theory (Econ 301/201), Seminar in economic development (Econ
455), Economic development (Econ 355)
University of
Chicago (2000 – 2002)
graduate: Introduction to
mathematical methods in economics (PhD ‘math camp’)
undergraduate: Elements of
economic analysis II (intermediate micro), Elements of economic analysis IV
(intermediate macro)
STUDENTS
PhD senior supervisor
·
Anil Donmez, “Essays
on computational and empirical methods in financial economics”, 2022, industry
·
Shiqu Zhou, “Three essays on occupational choice, financial
market frictions, learning and dynamic incentives”, 2019, lecturer
·
Natt Hongdilokkul, “Essays
on development economics and health economics”, 2017, Stanford (post-doc)
·
Tenzin Yindok,
“Essays on entrepreneurship in
developing economies”, 2016, Colgate University
·
Rogayeh Tabrizi, “Essays on social and economic networks”, 2016, industry
·
Ideen Riahi, “Essays
on institutions and development”, 2014, CUNY – Baruch College
·
Georgi Boichev, “Essays on social capital and state capacity:
Tracing the origins of the welfare state”, 2014, University of Regina
(post-doc)
·
Xuefei Wang, “Essays
on economic development”, 2012, Central University for Finance and Economics
PhD supervisor
·
Shayan Sanatkar, in progress
·
Yaser Sattari, “Essays on firm-level distortions and
aggregate productivity”, 2019, industry
·
Duman Bahrami-Rad, “The origins and consequences of
kin networks and marriage practices”, 2018, Harvard (post-doc)
·
Xiaowen Lei, “Three Essays on Macroeconomics and Wealth Distribution”, 2018,
Oxford (post-doc)
·
Xianjuan Chen, “Essays on the
effects of China's one-child policy on economic development”, 2016, Sichuan
University
·
Hagen Schwerin, “Technology-specific capacity and the
environment”, 2013, ETH Zurich (post-doc)
·
Yu Fu, “Three
essays on development economics and environmental economics”, 2012, Beedie
School of Business (post-doc)
·
Pierre Nguimkeu, “Essays in econometrics and entrepreneurship”,
2012, Georgia State University
·
Bianjun Xia, “Essays on time preference anomalies,
intertemporal choice, insurance and status”, 2011, Zhejiang University
·
Mei Dong, “Essays on monetary economics”, 2009, Bank
of Canada
·
Yi Xue, “Essays on market microstructure and financial
econometrics”, 2009, University of
International Business and Economics
·
Michael Maschek, “Applications of evolutionary learning in
macroeconomic models”, 2005, University of the Fraser Valley
MA senior supervisor
·
Justin Wiltshire, “Does
access to microcredit lead to agricultural productivity gains?”, 2013
·
Aparna Howlader,
“Short run and long run impacts
of Thailand's Million Baht village fund”, 2012
·
Jessica
Courtney, “A new approach to rural electrification”, 2011
·
Tenzin
Yindok, “Educational inequalities across social groups in India”, 2009
·
Shauna
McAulay-Bax, “Child labour in a transition economy: Evidence from Albania”, 2008
·
Pedro
Bento, “Competition as discovery procedure: Hayek in a model of innovations”,
2007
·
Michael
Siemer, “Labor markets and internal migration in developing countries”, 2007
·
Tunde
Tiponut, “The effects of globalization on developing countries, with particular
attention to poverty levels”, 2007
·
Kumi
Harischandra, “Ethnic diversity and inequality: a cross-country analysis”, 2007
·
Xinye Zhang, “Performance, persistence and survivorship bias
of Canadian equity funds 2001-2005”, 2006
·
Simon Demers, “Loyalty, competence and exogenous constraints in authoritarian
regimes”, 2005
MA supervisor
2019: Anthony
Zhang; 2011: Celene Chan; 2008: Lindsay Donders,
Nikolaus Kasimatis; 2007: Nuowen
Deng; 2006: Na Rong; 2005: Kristin Dust, Sultan Orazbayev
SERVICE
Referee
Journals: Econometrica, Journal of
Political Economy, American Economic Review, Quarterly Journal of Economics,
Review of Economic Studies, Economic Journal, International Economic Review, Journal
of Development Economics, Journal of Public Economics, Review of Economic
Dynamics, Journal of the European Economic Association, European Economic
Review, Journal of Economic Dynamics and Control, Economica, World Development,
Economic Development and Cultural Change, Canadian Journal of Economics,
Journal of Economic Behavior and Organization, Macroeconomic Dynamics,
Economics Letters, Journal of Public Economic Theory, Economic Inquiry, Journal
of Institutional and Theoretical Economics, Journal of Economics and Management
Strategy, B.E. Journal of Theoretical Economics, Oxford Economic Papers,
Applied Economics, The Economics of Transition, Social Choice and Welfare,
Operations Research, PLOS One, Nature Communications, Vaccines
Research proposals: Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada
Grant adjudication
Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (Economics committee)
2010/11
University service
Senator (Jul. 2022
– present)
Member, Student Appeals Board (SAB), SFU Senate (Sep.
2022 – present)
Selected department service
Graduate program chair: Jan. 2018 – Aug. 2021
Associate department chair: 2014/15
Appointments: 2004/05, 2006/07, 2007/08,
2010/11, 2011/12, 2013/14, 2014/15, 2016/17; 2022/23
Tenure
and promotions: 2012/13, 2013/14; 2016 (ad hoc)
Seminars:
2003/04, 2016/17
Chair
search: 2006, 2016
Brown
bag seminar: 2004 – 2009
AWARDS
2002 – 2003 Hewlett
Foundation fellowship, NORC and University of Chicago
2001 – 2002 T.
W. Schultz dissertation fellowship, University of Chicago
1999 Lee
Prize for best Money and Banking field paper, University of Chicago
1997 – 2001 University
of Chicago full tuition scholarship and stipend
1997 – 2000 International
House of Chicago residential fellowship
1993 – 1997 Bulgarian
government stipend for academic achievement
1994 – 1995 Atanas
Burov Foundation scholarship
1993 first
reserve, Bulgarian national team for the 34th International
Mathematical Olympiad
(the six-person team placed 3rd out of 73 participating
countries)
1992 1st
prize, Bulgarian national mathematics competition