Applied Econometrics and Economic Transition
Dr. Karine Torosyan has received her B.A. in Economics from Yerevan State University, Armenia (1997), and her PhD in Economics from Oregon State University, USA (2005). Upon graduation Dr. Torosyan joined ISET as a permanent faculty member, and she has been with the School since then. Her topics of interest include: trade in transition countries, labor and migration issues, developments in shadow economic activity in transition countries. Karine has teaching experience in Statistics and Econometrics (graduate level), as well as in Microeconomics (graduate and undergraduate) and International Trade (undergraduate level). Her previous work includes teaching at the Department of Economics at Oregon Stat University.
Projects
“Understanding Informal Employment in Transition: The Case of Georgia” Volkswagen Foundation sponsored project
Papers in progress
“Toothless reforms? The remarkable stability of female labour force participation in a top-reforming country” (with N. Pignatti and M. Chitanava).
“On the optimal family size or how our desires do not coincide with our possibilities: the case of South Caucasus” (with N. Pignatti).
“Effect of Flat Tax Reform on the Size of the Hidden Economy: Evidence from the Post-Communist Natural Experiment” (with R. Filer).
“True Inequality: Income Inequality in Georgia Adjusted for Unreported Income” (with R. Filer and N. Abashidze).
“Remittances and Social Capital Formation: the Case of Georgia” (with T. Gerber).
“The Dark Side of The Moon: Informal Employment in Georgia” (with N. Pignatti).
Publications
“The Tax Reform in Georgia and the Size of the Shadow Economy” (with R. Filer), Economics of Transition, January 2014.
“The Remittances in Georgia: Correlates, Economic Impact, and Social Capital Formation” (with T. Gerber), Demography, February 2013.
“Migration, Household Tasks, and Gender in the Republic of Georgia” (with T. Gerber and P. Gonalons-Pons), International Migration Review (forthcoming).
“Development on the move: measuring and optimizing migration’s economic and social impacts in Georgia” (with R. Tchaidze), report prepared for the GDN/IPPR commissioned migration study “Development on the Move”, 2010. “Impact of Russian Sanctions on the Georgian Economy” (with E. Livny and M. Ott), report prepared for the Department for International Development, UK, Georgian Office.
“A Phased Strategy for Opening Armenia’s Western Border” (with R. Beilock), presented at “The Economic and Social Impacts of Opening the Armenia-Turkish Border” conference by the Armenian International Policy Research Group, January 2007. Published: Armenian Journal of Public Policy, Proceedings, March 2007.
“Economic Potential for Regional Integration of Armenia and Northeast Turkey” (with R. Beilock), presented at “The Economic and Social Impacts of Opening the Armenia-Turkish Border” conference by the Armenian International Policy Research Group, January 2007. Published: Armenian Journal of Public Policy, Proceedings, March 2007.
Head of the Energy and Environment Policy Research Center
Norberto Pignatti holds a Ph.D. in Economics from the University of Bologna (2007), a Master in Development, Innovation and Change from the University of Bologna, and a Laurea (M.A. equivalent) in Economics and Finance from the University of Bologna. He also received the Advanced Studies Certificate in International Economic Policy Research from the Kiel Institute of World Economics (Germany).
Before joining ISET resident faculty in 2009 he worked at the Development Centre of the OECD, at the World Bank and at the University of Bologna. He currently teaches Economics of Energy Markets, Cost-Benefit Analysis and Program Evaluation in the second year of ISET Master Program. His teaching portfolio includes also Public Economics, Development Economics, Economics of Transition, Labor economics and Principles of Econometrics. His research interests are Labor Economics (with a particular emphasis on labor markets of developing and transition countries), Sustainable Development and Policy Studies.
Projects
1. Informality in the Georgian Labor Market
2. Pilot Regulatory Impact Assessment (RIA) of the Satial Planning and Construction Code
3. Cost-Benefit Analysis for Government Professionals
4. Regulatory Impact Assessment (RIA) on the Crop Insurance Reform of Georgia
5. Regulatory Impact Assessment (RIA) on Irrigation Tariff Methodology
6. Regulatory Impact Assessment (RIA) of the Pension Reform
7. Regulatory Impact Assessment (RIA) on Law of Water Resource Management
8. Regulatory Impact Assessment (RIA) of the Draft Law of Georgia on Biodiversity
9. Regulatory Impact Assessment (RIA) of the Draft Law of Georgia on Entrepreneurs
10. Policy Analysis of the Ongoing Economic Reforms
11. Development of Policy Alternatives to Implement Economic Instruments of EU WFD
14. Development of Indirect Impact Assessment Methodology and Multipliers
Publications
Articles in refereed journals
Pignatti, N. (2012),“Gender Wage Gap Dynamics in a Changing Ukraine”, IZA Journal of Labor & Development 2012, 1:7 doi:10.1186/2193-9020-1-7 Published: 31 December 2012
Lehmann, H.F., Pignatti, N. and Wadsworth, J. (2006) “The Incidence and Cost of Job Loss in the Ukrainian Labor Market”, Journal of Comparative Economics, 2006, 34, 248-271.
Chapters in Books
Lehmann, H., Muravyev, A., Pignatti, N. and Zaiceva, A. (2012), “Worker Displacement in Russia and Ukraine: a Comparative Analysis using Micro Data”. In Tilman Brueck and Hartmut Lehman (Eds.), “The Economic and Social Consequences of Industrial Restructuring in Russia and Ukraine”, Palgrave.
Pignatti, N. (2011), “Labor Market Segmentation and Gender Wage Gap in Ukraine”, in A.G. Karasavvoglou (Ed.): "The Economies of the Balkan and Eastern Europe Countries in the Changed World", Cambridge Scholars Publishing, Cambridge, UK.
Non-academic publications
Pignatti, N., Galdava, I. and Kelbakiani, G. (2014), “Expanding Access to Modern Energy Services in Transition Countries: the Republic of Georgia”, IAEE Energy Forum, 2nd quarter 2014, 21-22
Kelbakiani, G. and Pignatti, N. (2013), “Introducing Wind Generation as a Way to Reduce the Seasonal Volatility in Electricity Generation in Georgia”, IAEE Energy Forum, 4th quarter 2013, 37-39
Labour Economist, Applied Econometrics
Muhammad Asali received his Ph.D. in Economics from Columbia University in 2008. He earned his B.A. in Accounting and Economics (1999), C.P.A., and his M.A. in Economics (2002), all with distinction, from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.
He taught at Columbia University, at New York University, and at Union College. His research and teaching interests include Labor Economics, Applied Microeconomics, Econometrics, and Time Series Econometrics.
Publications
1. The Effect of Immigration on Unskilled Native Workers: Evidence from a Natural Experiment
Southern Economic Journal, Volume 80(2), October 2013, 345-365. (PDF)
2. On the Effects of Foreign Direct Investment on Local Human Capital Formation.
Spanish Journal of Economics and Finance, Volume 34(96), December 2011, 153-161. (Joint with A. C. Campoamor.) (PDF)
3. Jewish-Arab Wage Gap: What are the Causes?
Defence and Peace Economics, Volume 21, Issue 4, August 2010, pp. 367-380. (PDF)
4. Inter-CountryComparisons of Poverty Based on a Capability Approach: An Empirical Exercise
in Arguments for a Better World—Essays in Honor of Amartya Sen, Ed. Kaushik Basu and Ravi Kanbur, Cornell University Press, 2008, Vol. 2, Chapter 1, pp. 7-30. (Joint with S. Reddy and S. Visaria.)
Head of the Macroeconomic Policy Research Center
Yasya Babych was born in Ukraine. Studied at the University of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy in Kyiv, then continued her education in the US. In 2000 received Bachelor of Arts degree from Franklin and Marshall College with a double major in Economics and in Philosophy. She graduated with Ph.D. in Economics from the George Washington University in Washington, DC in 2011.
At ISET Yasya teaches first and second year courses in Macroeconomics and Open Economy Macro. Since September 2013 she is also serving as an Academic Director of ISET Policy Institute. Her research and professional interests are focused on macroeconomic stability and growth patterns in transition economies, systemic crises and financial sector stability, the effect of country's political institutions on growth takeoffs, and the effects of financial crises on long-term growth patterns. Yasya is also leading a Macroeconomic Policy Research Center at ISET-PI. The core activities of the Center involve regular monitoring of macroeconomic indicators for Georgia, and consulting services for governments, private sector and international organizations.
Projects
1. An Application of the Growth Diagnostics Framework: The Case of Georgia
2. Seminar for excellence in teaching (ReSET)
3. Monthly Economic Review for Georgia
4. Growth Diagnostics for Georgia
5. Financial Soundness Indicators for Investment Climate Assessment - Phase I
6. Financial Soundness Indicators for Investment Climate Assessment - Phase II
7. Georgia's RMIDP Inftrastructure Project Assessment
8. Good Jobs for Inclusive Growth
9. Priority Investment Sectors
11. Regulatory Impact Assessment (RIA) of the Pension Reform
12. Supporting Business Support Organizations in DCFTA and SME Policy Implementation - Lot 2
13. Study on Trade Facilitation in the South Caucasus
14. Solving the Puzzle of Economic Development without Rural-Urban Migration in Georgia
17. Assessing Participation of CAREC Countries in Global and Regional Value Chains
19. Training on Macroeconomic Forecasting and Economic Monitoring for Policy Purposes in Georgia
20. Social Exclusion Desk and Portfolio Review
21 Development of Indirect Impact Assessment Methodology and Multipliers
Publications
1. Babych, Yaroslava “Political Regime Changes and the Turning Points of Economic Growth."
2. Babych, Yaroslava “The International Spillover Effects of Political Transitions."
3. Babych, Yaroslava “Financial Crises and Economic Growth – a Long Run Perspective”.
4. Babych, Yaroslava and Michael Fuenfzig “An Application of the Growth Diagnostics Framework: the Case of Georgia”, policy paper, 2012
5. Babych Yaroslava, Maya Grigolia and Nino Sharumashvili, “Financial Stability Indicators and Investment Climate in Georgia”, policy report, 2013-2014
6. Babych, Yaroslava, Maya Grigolia and Ia Vardishvili “Analyzing the high interest rate spread in Georgia”, policy report, 2014
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