SI 2026 International Economics and Geopolitics
Organized by Matteo Maggiori and Jesse Schreger
July 16, 2026
Serrano Ballroom, 25 Edwin H. Land Blvd., Cambridge, MA
Timing: 30 minute presentation, 15 minute discussion, 15 minute Q&A.
Thursday, July 16
8:30 am
Coffee and Pastries
9:00 am

Strategic Influence in Geopolitical Networks

Ernest Liu, Princeton University and NBER
Stephen J. Redding, Stanford University and NBER
Bennett Smith-Worthington, Princeton University
David Y. Yang, Harvard University and NBER

Discussant:
Christopher Clayton, Yale University and NBER
10:00 am
Break
10:15 am

Hegemonic Competition with Carrots and Sticks

Timothy Meyer, University of Bonn
Nicolas Wesseler, University of British Columbia

Discussant:
Alberto Martin, CREI, UPF and BSE
11:15 am
Break
11:30 am

Optimal Tariffs under Geopolitical Risk: A Theory of Strategic De-risking

Ina Simonovska, University of California, Davis and NBER
Ahmad Lashkaripour, Indiana University

Discussant:
Matilde Bombardini, University of California, Berkeley and NBER
12:30 pm
Lunch
1:30 pm

Geopolitical Payoffs

Andrei A. Levchenko, University of Michigan and NBER
Nitya Pandalai-Nayar, University of Texas at Austin and NBER
Henry Young, University of Michigan

Discussant:
Jesús Fernández-Villaverde, University of Pennsylvania and NBER
2:30 pm
Break
2:45 pm

Digital Chokepoints

Michael Porcellacchia, Kiel Institute for the World Economy
Christoph Trebesch, Kiel Institute for the World Economy
Benjamin Wache, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam

Discussant:
Chenzi Xu, University of California, Berkeley and NBER
3:45 pm
Break
4:00 pm

Critical Minerals, Geopolitics, and the Green Transition

Tomas Dominguez-Iino, The University of Chicago
Jonathan T. Elliott, Johns Hopkins University
Allan Hsiao, Stanford University and NBER

Discussant:
Laura Alfaro, Harvard University and NBER
5:00 pm
Adjourn