Dear friends and colleagues,



You are invited to the next meeting of the PhD Kenkyukai, hosted by the Institute of Social Science, University of Tokyo, Thursday, July 25 from 12:10-1:30 pm.



Speaker: Weiwen YIN (PhD candidate, Texas A&M University)


Title: How Institutions Influence the Location of Foreign Direct Investment: A Substitute for an Independent Judiciary


Time: Thursday July 25, from 12:10-1:30 pm.


Place: First Meeting Room （第一会議室 [本館1階108室]）


Access Map: http://www.iss.u-tokyo.ac.jp/guide/index.html


Abstract: How do institutions influence the location of foreign direct investment (FDI)? Existing literature focuses on the role of domestic courts and international agreements, in particular, bilateral investment treaties (BITs) that settle investor-state disputes. The effect of the transnational commercial arbitration (TCA) regime, however, remains understudied. The TCA regime plays an important role in cross-border transactions by providing impartial venues for foreign investors to resolve their contractual disputes with domestic firms. Using firm-level and aggregate-level data, I find that a combination of BITs and the TCA regime can substitute for an independent judiciary because it can address both the political hazard and contractual hazard concern for foreign investors. In other words, while judicial independence is helpful to attract FDI, it is not a necessary condition: countries that have dependent courts but sign BITs and participate in the TCA regime can also be attractive FDI destinations.



Bio: Weiwen YIN is a PhD candidate at Texas A&M University. He has received degrees in law, public policy and political science from Peking University, the University of Tokyo, and the Central European University, and published several articles and papers on comparative and international political economy.



PhD Kenkyukai: Overview and Guidelines


Background and Purpose


The PhD Kenkyu-kai dates back to the late 1970s or early 1980s, when foreign PhD candidates conducting fieldwork in the social sciences and humanities organized a group to present their ongoing research to each other in an informal, encouraging setting. The group met for several years at the International House of Japan in Roppongi. In 2005, Professor John Campbell, a recently retired political scientist from the University of Michigan, reconstituted the long-dormant presentation series, using the University of Tokyo's Institute of Social Science (ISS or "Sha-ken") as a base. In 2015 Professor Campbell returned to the United States and Professors Kenneth McElwain and Gregory Noble of the ISS succeeded as organizers.



Time and Place


The PhD Kenkyu-kai typically meets from 12:10 to 1:30 p.m. on the fourth Thursday of most months, though presenters sometimes choose other days. The group normally meets at Room 108 (第一会議室) of the main Sha-ken building (the orange building in the following map: http://www.iss.u-tokyo.ac.jp/guide/index.html).



Guidelines


1. Audience: participation is free and registration is not required.


2. Presenters:


Would-be presenters, who may include PhD candidates, recent PhDs and even young professors, should contact Professor McElwain (mcelwain@iss.u-tokyo.ac.jp <mailto:mcelwain@iss.u-tokyo.ac.jp>) or Professor Noble (noble@iss.u-tokyo.ac.jp <mailto:noble@iss.u-tokyo.ac.jp>) to settle on a date and topic. About a month before the agreed-upon date, the presenter should submit a title, abstract of about 150 words, and brief bio.



Presentations should be no more than 20 minutes. Presenters may use PowerPoint if they bring their own notebook computers and limit themselves to no more than seven slides, or they can use the resident white board. Presenters may also hand out one or two pages of notes (a simple diagram of the causal claim is often helpful).



Presentations should cover the research question or puzzle and its significance; proposed methodology; preliminary findings; and--especially valuable--questions about how to implement or improve the research.