TELEPHONE NUMBER : 5411-4374-4448 Ext. 6491 and 6493

FAX NUMBER : 5411-4374-4448 Ext. 6491

e-mail : rasso@econ.uba.ar ; bekerman@econ.uba.ar

CENES RESEARCHERS AND COLLABORATORS:

Marta Bekerman (Director) , Pablo Sirlin , Benjamín Hopenhayn , Julio Sevares , Guido Cataife , Santiago Rodríguez , Sabina Ozomek , Diego Ubfal , Diego Cerdeiro , and Marta Rasso (Secretary) .

The Centre of Studies of the Economic Structure was created in 1992 in the Faculty of Economic Sciences of the University of Buenos Aires . Its objective is to contribute to the economic and social transformation of the Latin American and the Argentine economies trough the development of research work, publications, seminars, social projectos, teaching, and technical assistance activities.

The main fields of research are related to globalisation and the international insertion of the Latin American economies with special reference to MERCOSUR, trend in trade, industrial and trade policies (particularly related to SMEs), sectorial and regional competitiveness and value chains analisis.

The center has a wide range of expertise in industrial and trade policies in MERCOSUR countries as well as in analysis of sectorial competitiveness.

Among the network activities, the center has done joint projects of sectorial competitiveness in MERCOSUR with institutions of research in Brazil and Uruguay . At the moment it is participating in the development of an empirical research work on value chains.

The social projects are linked to the development of a Microcredit system for the population of Shanty Towns and poor areas, located in the city of Buenos Aires .

The teaching activities are based at the Faculty of Economic Sciences of the University of Buenos Aires on the following subjects:

Development Economics, International Economics, Regional Integration and International Financial Institutions at the pre-graduate level.

Theory of the International Finance and International Trade at the post-graduate level.

The technical assistance activities are based on the Public Sector (different Ministries and Secretaries of State in Argentina ), and international organisations such as the United Nations and the Interamerican Development Bank.

Numerous papers have been published since the CENES creation in different periodical publications. On the other hand, the academic work done by some researchers of the Centre allowed them to receive the First Annual Prize of the Argentine Association of Political Economy in 1993 and 1994 because of the following works:

Bekerman, M. (1993): "The Mercosur and its potential economic effects for the Brazilian economy. Published in El Trimestre Económico, México. April-June 1994

Bekerman, M. y P. Sirlin.(1994) Trade policy and the Argentine international insertion during the 1990s. Published in CEPAL Review ( Chile ) Nro. 55, April 1995.