Virtual Asian Seminar Series on Expectations in Macroeconomics 

Virtual Asian Seminar Series on Expectations in Macroeconomics (VASSEM)

The series focuses on topics such as expectations and beliefs, behavioral macroeconomics, and information frictions, though related areas are also welcome. If you are interested in joining, please sign up for the seminar series here.

Organizers: 

Rupal Kamdar (Indiana University, USA) 

Pei Kuang (University of Macau)

Seunghoon Na (Korea University, Korea)

Yinxi Xie (Indiana University, USA)

Yang Lu (Hong Kong University of Science and Technology)

Donghoon Yoo (Korea University, Korea)

Renbin Zhang (Shandong University, China)

Contacts: 

Bluesky account: @asianexpectation.bsky.social

For any questions, please contact any of the organizers.

Seminar format: 

Total: 60 minutes. A 45-minute presentation + 15-minute Q & A.   

For Guest Moderators:

The seminar will run for one hour in total: 45 minutes for the presentation, followed by 15 minutes of Q&A. Please provide a brief introduction of the presenter and help facilitate the discussion. You are also welcome to ask questions or share comments yourself. Participants may pose brief clarifying questions during the presentation.

Speakers: 

The 2025 seminar schedule can be viewed here.

Schedule for 2026 (to be added)

Note: CST refers to China Standard Time, not Central Standard Time. 

[1] Joel P. Flynn (Yale University)

Time: February 26, 2026.           8 pm CST - 12 pm GMT - 7am EST                                                               

Title: Pricing and Production Without the Invisible Hand

Moderator: Yinxi Xie

[2] Alexandre Kohlhas (University of Oxford)

Time: March 10, 2026.           8 pm CST - 12 pm GMT - 8am EDT                                                               

Title: Mirrleesian Carbon Taxation under Uncertainty

Moderator: Seunghoon Na

[3] Sanjay R. Singh (UC Davis and San Francisco Fed) 

Time: March 24, 2026.           8 pm CST - 12 pm GMT - 8am EDT                                                               

Title: A Behavioral Foundation for the Investment Wedge

Guest moderator: Yang K. Lu (Hong Kong University of Science and Technology)

[4] Rosen Valchev (Boston College)

Time: March 26, 2026.           8 pm CST - 12 pm GMT - 8am EDT                                                               

Title: Learning Optimal Behavior through Reasoning and Experiences

Moderator: Rupal Kamdar

[5]  Oliver Pfäuti (University of Texas at Austin)

Time: April 28, 2026.   8 pm CST - 1 pm BST - 8am EDT

Title: Public Debt and the Price of Fiscal Uncertainty: Attention and Inflation Volatility

Guest moderator: Emrehan Aktuğ (Sabanci University)

[6] Michael Weber (Purdue University)

 Time: May 14, 2026.           8 pm CST - 1 pm BST - 8am EDT                                                               

Title: Subjective Income Expectations and Household Debt Choices

Moderator: Pei Kuang

[7] Carlos Carvalho (PUC-Rio, Kapitalo Investimentos)

 Time: October 6, 2026.           8 pm CST - 1 pm BST - 8am EDT   

[8] Fabian Winkler (Federal Reserve Board)

Time: November 3, 2026              8 pm CST - 12 pm GMT - 7am EST