AEW is a monthly applied economics workshop hosted by several Asian research universities and institutes. To accommodate different time zones, all seminars are held on Tuesdays from 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. or Mondays from 4:00 p.m. to 6 p.m. Tokyo time (i.e., Tuesdays 8:30-10:30 a.m. or Mondays 3:00-5:00 p.m. for Taipei, Hong Kong, and Singapore).

The AEW audience typically comprises faculty members and graduate students from the sponsoring institutions—UTokyo, NTU Taiwan, NUS, HKUST, NTU Singapore, and HKU. Around 20% of attendees come from other organizations. All participants must register in advance. The number of registrants often doubles the number of online participants, suggesting that about half the audience uses our recordings.

Following the keynote seminar (75 minutes, including Q&A), the presenter of the AEW discussion paper—chosen in advance by the keynote speaker—delivers a 20-minute presentation, followed by a 10-minute open-floor discussion. We accommodate the keynote speaker’s preferred feedback format: some have given formal discussions, which are highly valued, while others have offered informal comments from the audience.

Faculty and Ph.D. candidates from the sponsoring institutes can sign up for a 20-minute 1-1 meeting with the keynote speaker. The number of 1–1 meetings ranges from 3 to 11, depending on demand and supply. In the event of excess demand, we prioritize seats for full-time junior faculty and Ph.D. candidates on the job market who submit a paper to the AEW discussion session.