Goals

To build the capacity of young scholars to do relevant research and communicate their findings in their own countries.

To expand the body of knowledge on issues important to countries seeking to build a market economy.

To develop a worldwide network of scholars doing institutional research.

To assemble the major works in the field of institutional analysis and broaden the understanding of those ideas.


Past Activities
 
During 2001 the Institute conducted two workshops that trained 42 young scholars from developing and transitional countries to better identify and analyze institutional factors affecting development. These were promising scholars with the potential to implement research and become intellectual leaders. They were encouraged to communicate their research findings within their countries, to inform policy and improve outcomes.

During 2002 the Institute held a workshop for 10 more advanced researchers jointly with the Center for New Institutional Social Sciences, Washington University in St. Louis.  It also conducted a workshop for 26 young scholars in Cambridge, Massachusetts before the annual conference of the International Society for New Institutional Economics.

The Institute also organized panels and participated in several conferences on institutional analysis around the world.

During 2003, 2004, and 2005 the Institute held further workshops for young scholars in Budapest, Hungary; São Paulo, Brazil; Tucson, Arizona, USA; and Barcelona, Spain.  From these first eight workshops, there were a total of
148 alumni from 43 countries. 

During 2003 the Institute co-organized a conference in São Paulo on institutional reforms in Latin America.  Two research conferences on transaction costs were also conducted by the Institute; they were held in Chicago during 2003 and 2004.


Program for the future

To build the capacity of young scholars, we will continue to

• Organize workshops annually on institutional analysis.  We plan to hold a workshop in Boulder, Colorado, USA in September 2006 before the annual conference of the International Society for New Institutional Economics.
  
• Expand the Web site to make information and classic works on institutional analysis more accessible.
  
• Develop and post on the Web curricula and reading lists for institutional analysis that could be used by research institutes and universities internationally. 
  
• Support promising researchers through collaboration, funding, and advice.

• Involve promising scholars in collaborative research on various questions.  Our first research projects will measure the transaction costs of starting a new business, so that policy-makers can better see the impact of high transaction costs on their economies and assess the effects of their reform efforts.  We plan later to rank countries based on an index of their transaction costs.

• Expand our bulletin board on the Web site, where scholars can post questions and seek collaborators 
  
• Publish an electronic newsletter 
  
• Organize regional conferences on institutions.