In 2010 the Institut de Recherches Economiques et Sociales (UCLouvain) organized the first annual Christmas meeting of Belgian economists. The idea is to use the last Friday before the Christmas break to bring together Belgian economists working abroad with economists working at Belgian universities in order to exchange research ideas. The topics have always been very broad and the typical Belgian ambiance is guaranteed! 

Throughout the years people from ECARES (ULB) and the departments in economics from the KULeuven and the UAntwerpen have joined the organizing team. The current composition of organizers is Michèle Belot (Cornell University), Bram De Rock (ULB), Gonzague Vannoorenberghe (UCLouvain), Frederic Vermeulen (KULeuven) and Sunčica Vujić (UAntwerpen). 

Except during the pandemic, we tried to organize the Christmas meeting every year. To make up the program we have assembled a mailing list of Belgian economists working abroad. For sure our list is not complete and outdated. So feel free to drop an email to bram.de.rock@ulb.be to add your name or names of colleagues to the list. Needless to say you are all very welcome to attend one of the next editions!

Previous editions

11th edition (2023), Ghent Univeristy, local organisers Koen Schoors and Glenn Rayp, keynotes: Bram De Rock (ULB) and Wouter Dessein (Columbia University), program.

10th edition (2022), ULB, keynotes: Estelle Cantillon (ULB) and Johannes Spinnewijn (LSE), program.

2020 and 2021: the meeting was cancelled

9th edition (2019), Louvain-La-Neuve, keynotes: J. Klaus Desmet (Southern Methodist University) and Christian Gollier (TSE), program.

8th edition (2018), Antwerpen, keynotes: Frank Smets (European Central Bank) and Sigrid Suetens (Tilburg University), program.

7th edition (2017), Leuven, keynotes: keynotes: Gérard Roland (University of California, Berkeley) and Michèle Belot (EUI and University of Edinburgh),  program.

6th edition (2016), Louvain-La-Neuve, keynotes: Laurent Bouton (ULB) and Stefan Dercon (Oxford University), program.

5th edition (2015), Louvain-La-Neuve, keynotes: Frédéric Docquier (UCLouvain) and Jan De Loecker (Princeton University), program.

4th edition (2014), Louvain-La-Neuve, keynotes: David de la Croix (UCLoucain) and Marcel Fafchamps (Stanford University), program.

2013: the meeting was cancelled.

3rd edition (2012), Leuven, keynotes: Mathias Dewatripont (NBB) and Hanno Lustig (UCLA), program.

2nd edition (2011), Louvain-La-Neuve, keynotes: Jean-Marie Baland (FUNDP) and Jan Eeckhout (UCL), program.

1st edition (2010), Louvain-La-Neuve, no keynotes, program.