Monday, July 29, 2013

23rd Annual Conference: Association for the Study of the Cuban Economy: "Reforming Cuba?"

The Association for the Study of the Cuban Economy will hold its 23rd Annual Conference in Miami this coming week. The conference theme this year is "Reforming Cuba?" Conference papers will focus on internal economic and political reforms and their impact on the economy of Cuba and the region, and will also include general sessions on the Cuban economy and society.


This post includes the Conference Program.




Conference Program
Thursday, August 1

8:00 a.m. – 9:00 a.m. REGISTRATION AND BREAKFAST (Symphony Foyer III and IV)

9:00 a.m. – 10:45 a.m. OPENING PLENARY (Concerto Ballroom A)
Conference Opening: Ted Henken, ASCE President
1. An Overview of Reforms
Chair: Joaquín Pujol, International Monetary Fund (Retired)
--Carmelo Mesa-Lago, University of Pittsburgh, “Overview of Cuba’s Reforms and Their Effects”
--Rolando H. Castañeda, “Cuba: Análisis de las Reformas Socioeconómicas Raulistas, 2007-2013. Principales Logros y Limitaciones. Imperativo de las Reformas Difíciles”
--René Gómez Manzano, Havana, Cuba based attorney (invited)
--Emilio Morales, The Havana Consulting Group

10:45 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. COFFEE BREAK

11:00 a.m. – 12:45 p.m. PLENARY SESSION (Concerto Ballroom A)
2. Implications of Reforms
Chair: Carlos Quijano, World Bank (retired)
--Archibald Ritter, Carleton University, “The Potential and Pitfalls of Cuba’s Move Toward Non-Agricultural Cooperatives”
--Vegard Bye, Norwegian Institute of International Affairs, “Political Implications of Economic Reforms”
--Armando Chaguaceda, Universidad Veracruzana, “Cuba: políticas de participación y prácticas de autonomía en tiempo de reformas”
--Maria Werlau, “Updating the Model: Where is Cuba Heading?”
Discussants:
Felipe Manteiga (Ritter, Bye);
Antonio Gayoso (Chaguaceda, Werlau)

1:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m. LUNCH BREAK

2:30 p.m. – 3:45 p.m. PLENARY SESSION (Concerto Ballroom A)
3. Reforms and the External Sector
Chair: Carlos Seiglie, Rutgers University
--Richard Feinberg, “FDI in Cuba: Old Obstacles and New Opportunities”
--Jordan Valdés, Small Business Administration--Gabriel Di Bella, Rafael Romeu & Andy Wolfe, “Cuba’s External Trade: What do the data say?”
--Gregory Biniowsky, Canadian attorney working as an international development consultant in Cuba, “Cuba –Present and Emerging Opportunities for Foreign Funded Philanthropy and Nonprofit Projects”
Discussants:
Luis Luis (Feinberg & Biniowsky),
Bryan Roberts (Di Bella et. al, Valdés)

3:45 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. COFFEE BREAK

4:00 p.m. – 5:15 p.m. PLENARY SESSION
4. What Needs to be Done to Promote Growth and Opportunities in Cuba?
Chair: Lorenzo Pérez, International Monetary Fund (Retired)
--Ernesto Hernández-Catá, IMF (Retired), Macroeconomic Framework: Fiscal, Monetary, and Exchange Rate Policy
--Luis R. Luis, Independent Consultant, Capital Market Access, External Debt Restructuring, & FDI
--Jorge Sanguinetty, DevTech Systems, The Rule of Law and lessons from the former Soviet Union
--Antonio Gayoso, George Washington University, Policy Reforms in the Agricultural Sector

5:20 p.m. – 6:15 p.m. Ernesto Betancourt Keynote Address (Concerto Ballroom A)
George J. Borjas,
Robert W. Scrivner Professor of Economics and Social Policy at the Harvard Kennedy School
Economics and Immigration: Lessons for Policy

6:15 p.m. – 9:00 p.m. WELCOMING RECEPTION (Concerto Ballroom C)

Friday, August 2

8:00 a.m. – 9:00 a.m. REGISTRATION AND BREAKFAST (Concerto A Foyer)

9:00 a.m. – 10:45 a.m. CONCURRENT SESSIONS
5. Legal Issues (Concerto Ballroom A)
Chair: Stephen Kimmerling, Attorney, Consultant
--Larry Catá Backer, W. Richard and Mary Eshelman Faculty Scholar and Professor of Law; Professor of International Affairs, The Dickinson School of Law , The Pennsylvania State University, “Legal Constraints on Economic Activity—Reforming Cuban Corporate and Cooperative Law”
--Daniel Buigas, Attorney, Leiva Law P.A., “The Electoral System in a Democratic Cuba”
Antonio Zamora, Attorney, Adjunct Professor of Law, Florida International University College of Law, “The Legal Relations Between the U.S. and Cuba”
--Laritza Diversent, Cuban Attorney and Blogger (invited), “Aspectos legales y sociales de las reformas migratorias recientes”
Discussants:
Pedro Freyre, Shareholder; Chair, International Practice, Akerman Senterfitt LLP; Lecturer in Law, Columbia University School of Law; and
Jorge Esquirol, Florida International University

6. Cuba-Venezuela Economic Issues (Concerto Ballroom B)
Chair: Armando Linde, IMF (Retired)
--Gabriel Di Bella, Rafael Romeu & Andy Wolfe, “Venezuela’s Economic Risks and their Regional Impact”
--Rolando H. Castañeda, “La Economía Venezolana en 2013: Situación, Perspectivas e Implicaciones”
--Domingo Amuchastegui, “Cuba: The Impact of Venezuela”
Discussants:
Oscar Echevarría (Castañeda, Amuchastegui);
Luis Locay (DiBella et. al)

11:00 a.m. – 12:45 p.m. CONCURRENT SESSIONS
7. External Relations
Chair: Larry Catá Backer, The Pennsylvania State University
--Roger B. Betancourt, “Should the U.S. Lift the Embargo? Yes, It Already Did and It Depends”
--Luis R. Luis, “Cuba: External Debt and Finance in the Context of Limited Reforms”
--Ernesto Hernández-Catá, “Cuba, the Soviet Union and Venezuela: A Tale of Dependence and Shock”
Discussants:
Lorenzo Pérez (Luis, Hernández-Catá);
William Trumbull, The Citadel (Betancourt)

8. Student Papers (Concerto Ballroom B)
Chair: Enrique Pumar, The Catholic University of America
Participants TBA
Discussants:
Joseph Scarpacci,
Mario González-Corso

12:45 p.m. – 2:30 p.m. ASCE LUNCHEON (Concerto Ballroom C)

2:00 p.m. Student Awards Announcement

2:30 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. CONCURRENT SESSIONS

9. Revolution and Economic Development (Concerto Ballroom A)
Chair: Mario González-Corzo, Lehman College
--Gary Maybarduk, “Four Revolutions and Their Current and Future Aftermath: Argentina, Nicaragua, Venezuela and Cuba”
--Jorge A. Sanguinetty, DevTech Systems, Inc. and Development Research Center, “Cuba’s Economic Policies: Development or Subsistence?”
--Silvia Pedraza and Carlos Romero, “Cuba and Venezuela: Revolution and Reform”
Discussants:
Nick Sánchez, College of the Holy Cross (Maybarduk);
Armando Linde (Sanguinetty, Pedraza/Romero)

10. Sectoral Issues (Concerto Ballroom B)
Chair: Helena Solo–Gabriele
--Juan Belt, "Cost Benefit Analysis of Restructuring the Power Sector in Cuba"
--Emilio Morales & Joseph L. Scarpaci, “Real-estate in Cuba: A Half-hearted Opening”
--José Perelló, University of Havana (invited), “Cuba’s Tourism Outcomes Through 2013”
--Mario González-Corzo, “Estonia’s Post-Soviet Agricultural Reforms: Experience and Lessons for Cuba?”
Discussants:
William Messina, University of Florida (González-Corso);
Antonio Zamora (Morales/Scarpacci,
Perelló)

4:00 p.m. – 4:15 p.m. COFFEE BREAK

4:15 p.m. – 6:00 p.m. PLENARY SESSION
11. Conversation on Cuban Civil Society Today (Concerto Ballroom A)
Chair: Geni Gómez, Etrade Financial
--Roberto Veiga and Lenier González, Co-Editors, Espacio Laical, “El Laboratorio Casa Cuba y el documento ‘Cuba soñada – Cuba posible – Cuba futura: propuestas para nuestro porvenir inmediato’”
--José Luis Leyva Cruz, Universidad de Camagüey, "Proyecto Despertando Líderes: Una alternativa para la formación de líderes de excelencia en Cuba"
--Antonio Rodiles, Estado de SATS, “La demanda ciudadana Por Otra Cuba y los obstáculos para un diálogo nacional inclusivo”
--Yociel Marrero, Fundación Antonio Núñez Jiménez Sobre la Naturaleza y el Hombre, "Economistas y Politólogos, Blogeros y Sociólogos: y quien habla de los Recursos Naturales?"
Discussants:
Armando Chaguaceda (Veiga/González, Rodiles);
Ricardo Herrero, Cuba Study Group (Leyva Cruz, Marrero)

6:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m. ASCE Business Meeting (Concerto Ballroom D)
President’s Report, Ted Henken
Secretary’s Report, Stephen Kimmerling


Saturday, August 3

8:00 a.m. – 9:00 a.m. REGISTRATION AND BREAKFAST (Concerto A Foyer)

9:00 a.m. – 10:45 a.m. CONCURRENT SESSIONS
12. Social Networks in Cuba (Concerto Ballroom A)
Chair: Ted Henken, CUNY Baruch College
--Soren Triff, “Change from Below and Reform from Above: The Cuban Blogosphere as a Space of Contention/Persuasion”
--Ted Henken, Baruch College, "Internet, Public Sphere, and Cuban Civil Society: Navigating between the Scylla of State Capture and the Charybdis of Foreign Support"
--Nora Gámez, “Technology Domestication, Cultural Public Sphere, and Popular Music in Contemporary Cuba”
--Emily Parker, New America Foundation, “Internet and Society in China and Cuba: A Comparative Look”
Discussants:
Abel Sierra-Madero; others TBA

13. Demography and Social Issues (Concerto Ballroom B)
Chair: Maria Werlau
--Enrique Pumar, “Poverty and its Effect on Social Control”
--Rodolfo Stusser, "Cuba's health care policies' long tradition: Implications of results for other nations"
--Sergio Díaz-Briquets, “A Century of Cuban Demographic Interactions”
Discussants:
Jorge Duany (Pumar and Díaz-Briquets),
Darsi Ferrer (Stusser)

10:45 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. COFFEE BREAK

11:00 a.m. – 12:45 p.m. CONCURRENT SESSIONS
14. Entrepreneurship in Cuba (Concerto Ballroom A)
Chair: José Ramón de la Torre, Florida International University
--Ted Henken, “En cada barrio, merolicos; en cada pantalla, revolico.com: Can Raul’s Reforms Keep Up with the Cuban People’s Entrepreneurial Ingenuity?”
--Karina Gálvez, Instituto Politécnico de Economía Rafael Ferro, Pinar del Río, “El Trabajo Por Cuenta Propia en la Cuba Contemporánea: Oportunidades Nuevas y Trabas Latentes en las Fuerzas Productivas”
--Felipe Manteiga, "La pequeña y mediana empresa: aliada potencial a la apertura económica cubana bajo la Administración de Raúl Castro"
--William A. Messina and Frederick S. Royce, University of Florida, ”Cuba’s Agricultural Production Cooperatives: Feeling Adam Smith’s Invisible Hand or Central Planning’s Inescapable Backhand?”
Discussants:
Joe Scarpaci (Messina, Manteiga),
Dawn Gable (Henken, Gálvez)

15. Diaspora Issues (Concerto Ballroom B)
Chair: Jorge Duany, Florida International University
--Juan Antonio Blanco, “Cuba: ¿remesas de conocimiento?”
--María Dolores Espino, “Diaspora Tourism in Cuba: Performance, Potential and Impact”
--Juan Luis Aguiar Muxella and Luis E. Mejer Sarra, “La trayectoria del Colegio Farmacéutico Cubano en el Exilio”
Discussants:
Sergio Díaz-Brickets (Aguiar);
Emilio Morales, THCG (Blanco, Espino)

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