Angel Barajas: Expert Opinion on the AMEC Conference

From September 27 to 28, the St. Petersburg HSE will host the Analytics for Management and Economics Conference (AMEC). Angel Barajas, chairman of the program committee and head of the Department of Finance at the St. Petersburg School of Economics and Management, spoke in more detail about what is expected from the conference.

How does the AMEC conference attract more and more participants each year? What is the secret to it’s success?

At the conference, every AMEC participant becomes a valuable part of a growing international academic network. The Higher School of Economics has many partners all over the world who are interested in sharing opinions on key issues and sharing experience in solving them. The opportunity to participate in discussions, discuss the trends in economics and management by the most prominent experts in the field of science and business - all this allows us to establish an ecosystem, a foundation on knowledge.

The conference program is quite diverse. This year sections on quantitative corporate and international finance, empirical economics, HR trends, big data analysis, digital transformation, SMART marketing and public procurement are presented. The event is also attractive for students mainly postgraduate at master or PhD level. Every year, students show their interest in keeping abreast of global trends and want to feel the atmosphere of such events.

Who is this conference primarily for? How many participants do you expect this year?

As I said earlier, AMEC attracts different people. We can say that the conference is generalistic. It is interesting primarily for academics that will be able to share their research and receive feedback to improve their work. Moreover, it is interesting for students and professionals as well. This year we have three prominent speakers: Elizabeth Rose, professor of international business at the University of Leeds, Yashi Yafe, professor at Hebrew University and Hilmar Schneider professor and director of IZA (Institute of Labor Economics). As for the participants, this year we have 120 speakers, presentations in almost 30 parallel sessions. I would like to note that the papers will be presented by professors from Germany, Spain, Belgium, Chile, Poland, Estonia, Great Britain, France, Italy, and the USA but the list of nationalities is more than 15.

What topic will become the leitmotif of the conference this year? Which sessions deserve special attention?

The AMEC program is always quite rich and it is rather difficult to single out any one topic. I believe that it is necessary to visit the sections with invited speakers, since the topic of their speeches will be interesting for the general public. As experts, they will be able to share their experience and give their own assessment of important issues in the field of economics and business management.

What is an AMEC conference for you? What motivates you to take part in this?

For me, this is a great opportunity to exchange opinions with experts in the field of Economics and Management on key issues. Of course, this is a chance to make useful contacts. I am always pleased when our participants after the conference remain inspired, charged and ready to work. I hope that AMEC will allow the participants to find answers to questions of interest, receive feedback, criticism and advice.