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ERI Bulletin announcement - Fall Term 2011

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ERI Bulletin announcement - Fall Term 2011

New Research by University of Warwick Economists

Fall Term 2011

Why are wars increasing around the world? How can teachers become more effective in improving student achievement? What can be done to hasten economic recovery from the planet’s growing number of natural disasters? Research featured in the new issue of the Bulletin of the Economics Research Institute addresses these questions.

In the current issue:

Mark Harrison and Nikolaus Wolf examine a disturbing and recently discovered trend, the steady increase in the waging of war across the planet. A key reason for the rise is the fall in the cost of war. As the authors note, destructive power is now cheap and portable - so much so that it can emerge from a suitcase.

Victor Lavy analyzes the practices that make teachers most effective. In research from Israel, he finds that two methods often viewed as being at odds with each other are both cost-effective ways to increase student achievement. His results suggest that teachers should “target their customers,” because boys and girls, and students from different economic backgrounds respond differently to different methods.

Christopher Woodruff, Suresh de Mel and David McKenzie investigate the essential components of a speedier economic recovery from natural disasters, which are believed to be on the rise as a consequence of climate change. In research conducted in the wake of the devastating 2004 tsunami in Sri Lanka, they find a need for increased access to capital and better targeting of aid to help small businesses recover.

Abhinay Muthoo, head of the University of Warwick Department of Economics and director of the Economics Research Institute, writes in his column about the need to create an epidemic of education in developing countries.

Karen Brandon edits the Bulletin.

Romesh Vaitilingam serves as editorial consultant.

The Bulletin is available free of charge from http://www2.warwick.ac.uk/fac/soc/economics/research/centres/eri/.