About the seminar

Welcome to the website of LEM Doctoral Seminar!

The monthly doctoral seminar of Lille Economics and Management of Université de Lille (UMR 9221) usually takes place on the second Wednesday of each month  from 12pm to 1 pm in the Salle du Conseil, located on the first floor of SH2 building - Campus Cité Scientifique, Villeneuve d'Ascq. The seminar is also accessible online via  Zoom: Zoom Link.

You can subscribe to the seminar calendar by clicking on this link: Calendar Link.

The aim of the seminar is to provide PhD students with the opportunity to present and receive feedback on their ongoing research. 

Organizers: Esaï Wendkouni SAWADOGO (wendkouni-esai.sawadogo@univ-lille.fr) and Houssem-Eddine KELLOU (houssem-eddine.kellou@univ-lille.fr).

Upcoming seminars:

18/11/2026

Camille NAUDY - When Does Public Procurement Improve Regional Outcomes? Evidence on Sectoral Composition and Institutional Quality

PhD Supervision:  Jean BEUVE  | Research axis:  Decision-making  | Discussant: Muriel BOUR

Abstract: Public procurement is the operational channel through which a large share of regional public investment in health and education infrastructure is delivered, yet its social objectives are not automatic: whether it improves regional well-being depends on how, and under what institutional conditions, contracts are awarded. Using an original panel of 233 EU regions (2006–2023) built from contract-level TED/CAN procurement data linked to harmonised Eurostat indicators, we show that a raw, aggregate procurement intensity measure carries a limited and largely inconsistent association with regional outcomes. Decomposing procurement by sector and interacting it with regional institutional quality (measured by the European Quality of Government Index, available for 186 regions in 24 countries) reveals clear patterns instead: health procurement is associated with higher life expectancy, education procurement with reduced early school leaving, and the life-expectancy association strengthens with institutional quality. The association with tertiary attainment is negative and grows more pronounced as institutional quality rises, a pattern consistent with a ceiling effect for regions already close to maximum attainment. These results, robust to three alternative institutional-quality specifications, show that public spending alone does not secure better regional outcomes: institutional quality determines whether procurement delivers on its social objectives, with direct implications for how EU cohesion policy should target investment across regions of varying administrative capacity.

09/12/2026

Léna BELKESSA - TBD

PhD Supervision:  Nathalie CHUSSEAU  | Research axis:  Decision-making  | Discussant: TBD

Abstract: TBD

20/01/2027

TBD - TBD

PhD Supervision:  TBD  | Research axis:  TBD  | Discussant: TBD

Abstract: TBD

10/02/2027

Louis MAROLLEAU - TBD

PhD Supervision:  Etienne FARVAQUE and Maxime FAJEAU   | Research axis:  Economic & Financial Flows  | Discussant: TBD

Abstract: TBD

10/03/2027

Chléo BETTON - TBD

PhD Supervision:  Thomas BAUDIN and Simone MORICONI   | Research axis:  Decision-making  | Discussant: TBD

Abstract: TBD

07/04/2027

Esaï Wendkouni SAWADOGO - TBD

PhD Supervision:  Fabrice DEFEVER   | Research axis:  Economic & Financial Flows  | Discussant: TBD

Abstract: TBD

12/05/2027

Audrey GLASS - TBD

PhD Supervision:  Sophie MASSIN   | Research axis:  Decision-making  | Discussant: TBD

Abstract: TBD

09/06/2027

Mathéo DORVILLERS - TBD

PhD Supervision:  Michael BREI and Jean-Baptiste DESQUILBET  | Research axis:  Decision-making  | Discussant: TBD

Abstract: TBD

07/07/2027

Houssem-Eddine KELLOU - TBD

PhD Supervision:  Etienne BILETTE de VILLEMEUR and Bruno VERSAEVEL (EMLyon)  | Research axis:  Decision-making  | Discussant: TBD

Abstract: TBD

Previous seminars:

23/09/2026

Mamadou Foune TOUNKARA - Who Gets Taxed, and How Much? The Spatial Dimensions of Taxation among Micro and Small Enterprises in Mali

PhD Supervision:  Fabrice DEFEVER | Research axis:  Economic and Financial Flows  | Discussant: Mikaël PASTERNAK

Abstract: Who gets taxed, and how much, may depend not only on what firms do, but also on whether the state can see and reach them. This paper studies the spatial dimensions of taxation among informal micro and small enterprises in Mali. We distinguish between the visibility of an economic activity—captured by the type and physical characteristics of its business premises—and its geographic proximity to tax and municipal authorities. Using nationally representative data covering urban and rural areas across Mali, we combine information on tax payments with geographic coordinates and detailed characteristics of business locations. We measure each enterprise’s distance to the nearest administrative office and examine its relationship with both the probability of paying taxes and the amount paid. To account for the local economic environment, we complement the survey with a nationwide census of more than 200,000 establishments, using their GPS coordinates to construct measures of surrounding business density. Our results reveal a systematic gradient in tax compliance according to business visibility: enterprises operating from fixed premises are more likely to pay taxes than less visible forms of activity, and this pattern is observed across different types of agglomerations. We further find that proximity to administrative institutions is systematically associated with tax compliance, even after accounting for observable firm characteristics, local business density, and agglomeration-level differences. The findings highlight geographic accessibility and the visibility of economic activity as potentially important dimensions of taxation in contexts where informality is widespread.

07/10/2026

David KURJAK - Green Power, Lower Prices? Evidence from a Meta-Analysis of Electricity Markets

Abstract: This study investigates whether renewable energy reduces wholesale electricity prices and whether the reported effects are affected by publication selection. We combine 123 estimates from 11 studies using meta-analysis and meta-regression. The published literature shows predominantly negative price effects. However, less precise estimates tend to report stronger price reductions. After correcting for funnel asymmetry, the average effect on the PCC scale is not statistically different from zero. In a complementary analysis using harmonized semi-elasticities, the corrected effect remains negative and statistically significant. We also find systematic differences across technologies and estimation methods. Wind generally shows a stronger price-reducing effect than solar PV. Overall, our results suggest that the magnitude of the merit-order effect varies substantially across studies and market settings.