Political Economy of Technological Change Conference
The workshop brings together a group of scholars from political science, economics, and business to explore how technology and society co-evolve—how political and economic forces shape technological innovation, and how those innovations, in turn, reshape institutions, markets, and political behavior. Hosted by WashU Political Science professor Timm Betz, WashU Political Science PhD candidate Tian Chen, former WashU Political Science professor and current chair of political science at Rice University, Guillermo Rosas, Yiming Cao (Assistant Professor in Economics, University of Hong Kong), and Yican Liu (PhD Candidate in Finance, University of Hong Kong).
Format: 10-minute presentation, 10-minute discussant comments, 30-minute audience discussion.
Friday, October 16
| 9:50–10:00 AM | Welcome Remarks |
| 10:00–11:40 AM | Panel 1: Global AI Governance |
| 10:00–10:50 AM | The AI Governance Constraint: Dependence, Capacity, and Selective Regulation Authors: Stephen Weymouth Presenter: Stephen Weymouth, Georgetown University Discussant: Timm Betz, Washington University in St. Louis |
| 10:50–11:40 AM | Diffusing AI Norms and Policies: The Role of IOs and Epistemic Communities Authors: Huimin Li Presenter: Huimin Li, Johns Hopkins University Discussant: Sojun Park, National University of Singapore |
| 12:00–1:15 PM | Lunch |
| 1:30–3:10 PM | Panel 2: Technological Modernization and State Capacity |
| 1:30–2:20 PM | Connecting Rebels, Empowering States: Communication Technology and Social Unrest in Qing China Authors: Shuo Chen, Pei Gao, Zhicheng Huang, and Yu-Hsiang Lei Presenter: Pei Gao, National University of Singapore Discussant: Anna M. Wilke, New York University |
| 2:20–3:10 PM | Cultivating the State: How Agricultural Modernization Shapes State Capacity Development Authors: Guilherme N. Fasolin Presenter: Guilherme N. Fasolin, Vanderbilt University Discussant: Zhengrui (Mike) Cheng, Georgetown University |
| 3:10–3:40 PM | Coffee break |
| 3:40–5:20 PM | Panel 3: Technology, Political Attitudes, and Participation |
| 3:40–4:30 PM | AI Exposure and Policy Preferences: Experimental Evidence from Latin America Authors: Yiming Cao, Tian Chen, Yican Liu, and Guillermo Rosas Presenter: TBD Discussant: Guilherme N. Fasolin, Vanderbilt University |
| 4:30–5:20 PM | Internet Access and Political Engagement: Evidence from South Africa Authors: Georgiy Syunyaev, Alexis Y. Jang, Anna M. Wilke, Benjamin Laughlin, and Kholekile Malindi Presenter: Anna M. Wilke, New York University Discussant: Valentina Gonzalez-Rostani, University of Southern California |
Saturday, October 17
| 9:30 AM–12:00 PM | Panel 4: International Political Economy of Technology Transfer and Automation |
| 9:30 AM–10:20 AM | The Political Economy of Automation and Fragmented Production in a Global Economy: Evidence from Mexico Authors: Carles Boix, Valentina Gonzalez-Rostani, and Erica Owen Presenter: Valentina Gonzalez-Rostani, University of Southern California Discussant: Yu-Hsiang Lei, the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology |
| 10:20 AM–11:10 AM | Exporting Automation, Not Just Goods: Evidence from China’s Industrial Robot Exports Authors: Zhengrui (Mike) Cheng, Shiliang (John) Cui, and Lizhi (Liz) Liu Presenter: Zhengrui (Mike) Cheng, Georgetown University Discussant: Huimin Li, Johns Hopkins University |
| 11:10 AM–12:00 PM | Democracy and International Technology Transfer: Evidence from TRIPS-Plus Trade Agreements Authors: Sojun Park Presenter: Sojun Park, National University of Singapore Discussant: Stephen Weymouth, Georgetown University |
| 12:00 PM | Closing lunch and adjournment |