The ETSG network aims to promote scientific exchange and collaboration among European economists and related social scientists. This is being accomplished through workshops and the use of the internet to disseminate information electronically. The ETSG is designed particularly to promote the research activities of young economists working in the field of international trade, as well as other economists working on these topics in geographically isolated institutions.

Research in the area of international trade has advanced rapidly in recent years.  Many of these developments are the direct result of important research by leading European economists.  Most of the advances in these areas have, however, been made by a small number of economists at a geographically limited number of well-funded institutions.  The result of the concentration of these research activities is that there is a bifurcation in the economic research community.  Those European academics in central locations are in an ideal position to benefit from proximity to other researchers at leading academic institutions and research centres.  Economists at the periphery are, however, in danger of quickly falling behind in new areas. This means that potential advances in international trade are being hindered or lost because of the lack of natural network externalities realised at larger locations.

This problem is compounded for new academics.  New academics typically begin their careers at institutions that are relatively isolated from the core research centres.  For these researchers, the combination of new teaching obligations and geographic isolation means that they can find themselves falling behind in the research field, particularly with regard to new developments.  At smaller institutions, which often have the higher teaching loads, the consequent drop in the value of accumulated human capital can be quite rapid.  The result is a reinforcement process, where the central research institutions remain at the core, and the academically isolated universities remain isolated at the periphery, with their research staff being subject to rapid depreciation of their knowledge capital.

The ETSG network aims to address these obstacles, through workshops and the use of the internet to disseminate information electronically on ongoing scientific research in international economics. The ETSG disregards accurate geography.  The "Europe" in the group’s title reflects the desire to draw together researchers in a broad area.  Certainly, nobody is turned away because his or her country does not fall within a strict definition of the region.

The ETSG organizes general meetings, to be held once each year. Different universities will host these each time with Professors Francois and Wooton acting as programme chairmen. The first ETSG meeting was held in Rotterdam in the autumn of 1999, and subsequent meetings have taken place in place in Glasgow (2000), Brussels (2001), Kiel (2002), and Madrid (2003). The next meetings will be held in Nottingham in September 2004, Dublin in 2005, and Vienna in 2006.

The Rotterdam meeting was held over the weekend of 24-26 September 1999.  As the network was only just being established and had received little publicity, the organisers had anticipated that around forty researchers might attend.  As it was, there were close to one hundred participants. Sixty-eight papers were offered for presentation. The Scientific Committee decided that, in accordance with ETSG’s goal to be as inclusive as possible, all papers would be accepted. Presentations were organised in parallel sessions for most of the weekend.  There were, in addition, two plenary sessions in which leading academics from Europe and the United States were invited to present keynote addresses.  Registration, paper submission and distribution, as well as the proceedings of the conference were all carried out over the internet, minimising postage costs and delays.

Subsequent meetings have seen a continued growth in attendance and submissions.  Around 180 participants came to the most recent meeting in Madrid in 2003 and almost 150 papers were presented. The policy continues to be one of accepting as many papers as possible (subject to the review of the Scientific Committee).  The increase in numbers has necessitated at times parallel sessions in five rooms, close together to allow easy movement between and within sessions.  All rooms are equipped with a range of audio-visual media, including overhead and data projectors.  All correspondence, paper submission, and registration are conducted on the internet.  The conference proceedings and official photograph of each conference are also posted on the internet.  It now appears that ETSG is the largest conference series in international trade in the world.

An open invitation to attend the ETSG meetings is issued through as many media as possible.  The intention is to provide as open a forum as possible for the discussion of new ideas in international trade theory.  Papers on any aspect of trade theory are welcome.  At some future point, it may not be possible to include all of the papers that are offered, but the organisers will attempt to ensure both that young academics have the opportunity to present their research and that there is a strong element of inter-temporal equity in programming the meetings.

Dependent on funding from outside institutions, participants will be required to pay a share of their travel expenses and their accommodation costs.  A seed grant from the European Science Foundation for the first three years of operation was targeted at researchers at the beginning of their careers or who do not have the benefit of working in a major research centre.  Local organisers have been successful in securing funding to pay local costs. It remains a goal of ETSG to find new sources of funding for its operation.

A complementary feature of the ETSG is the maintenance of a World Wide Web page. This internet site serves as a clearinghouse for information on the activities of ETSG members. The site also hosts a virtual Working Paper series, providing links to working papers of ETSG members, along with an abstract index. The web site helps to publicize the activities of the ETSG itself, and of ETSG members.

The primary goal of ETSG is to foster further integration and collaboration among international trade researchers in Europe. This is expected to lead to new joint research initiatives among ETSG members.  For this reason, a logical extension of the basic mission of the ETSG is to organize more specialized workshops (again with a policy of open attendance), and support of small scale collaborative efforts by ETSG members.

An open invitation to attend the ETSG meetings is issued through as many media as possible. This includes professional society newsletters and journals. The internet will also be used to disseminate information about the scientific research of ETSG network members (through it Bulletin Board) and issues of interest to specialists in international trade.  

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Management of the ETSG

ETSG is managed by a Coordinating Committee of European researchers in international trade.