Zhe WU

Hi there! I’m a PhD candidate in Economics at Monash University, specializing in macroeconomics. My research focuses on how fiscal policy interacts with nominal rigidities and financial constraints in small open economies.

Currently, I’m exploring how countries with fixed exchange rates and borrowing constraints can use government spending to soften the blow of sudden stops.

I’m especially interested in the kind of policy tools that help emerging markets manage crises—without relying on monetary policy levers they often don’t have.

Feel free to explore my work below or drop me a line if you’d like to connect.

Let’s Connect

📩 Email: Zhe.Wu@monash.edu

Research Interests

Macroeconomics

Supervisors

Qingyuan Du, Siew Ling Yew

Work in Progress

Title：Fiscal Policy for Peggers under Sudden Stop

This paper investigates the role of government spending in stabilizing economies hit by capital flow reversals, especially when wages are sticky and the exchange rate is fixed. Using a DSGE model, I compare a simple spending rule with a Ramsey-optimal policy.

Key takeaway: Active fiscal policy can reduce unemployment during crises—but it comes with trade-offs around debt sustainability.

Teaching Experience

I’ve served as a teaching assistant at Monash for:

ECC1100: Principles of Macroeconomics

ECC3660: Macroeconomic Theory and Policy (Instructor: Qingyuan Du)

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