![\"1\"](\"https:\/\/www.waseda.jp\/top\/en\/assets\/uploads\/2015\/09\/1.jpg\")
<\/a><\/p>\nWhile some countries do achieve rapid economic growth, others suffer from long-term stagnation. This is because government <\/i>policies<\/i> have a large impact on whether economies grow or stagnate. In the case of developing countries, official development assistance (ODA) from developed countries also plays a major role. However, Professor Todo believes that excessive ties between government and <\/i>business<\/i> could undermine the diverse ties necessary for growth<\/i> and lead to economic stagnation<\/i>. In <\/i>part two of this volume of Frontline Research<\/i>, Professor Todo <\/i>refers to his own research projects to <\/i>speak about international cooperation <\/i>and the<\/i> ties between politics and <\/i>the <\/i>economy<\/i>.<\/i><\/i><\/p>\nThe role of<\/b> international cooperation in the <\/b>economic development of developing countries<\/b><\/b><\/h3>\n
It has long been argued whether ODA projects actually help developing countries achieve economic growth and reduce poverty. However, measuring the effectiveness of these projects is more difficult than most assume.<\/p>\n
Let us think of a scenario where talented athletes are selected to compete in the Olympics and participate in special training programs. Even if the athletes win medals, it is unclear as to what actually helped them win: the training program or their own capabilities. This is the same for ODA projects. If a project team consists solely of people with great potential, it is very difficult to separate the project\u2019s effectiveness from the capabilities of the participants.<\/p>\n
However, using econometrics, there are ways to accurately measure the effectiveness of projects by separating these two factors. One of these approaches is called \u201cmatching.\u201d As the name suggests, this approach matches one group not involved with the project but with similar capabilities to project participants and measures the effectiveness of said project by comparing the two groups.<\/p>\n
I have used this matching approach in my own research and found that technical cooperation projects conducted by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) in Indonesia\u2019s manufacturing industry were producing remarkable results. This may be the first such effort toward the quantitative impact assessment of JICA projects.<\/p>\n
<\/a>Technical cooperation project in Indonesia (Source: Yasuyuki Todo)<\/p><\/div>\n
Another approach is randomized controlled trials (RCT). RCT is a method to measure the effectiveness of projects by randomly allocating project participants and non-participants so that comparisons can be made after matching the average capabilities of both groups. This method is often used to analyze the efficacy of medicine.<\/p>\n
JICA conducted its first RCT-based impact assessment in 2010, on the \u201cSchool for All Project\u201d led by University of Tokyo Professor Yasuyuki Sawada in the West African country of Burkina Faso. Approximately 300 elementary schools were randomly divided into two groups. In one group, a school management committee made it possible for local residents to get actively involved in school management.<\/p>\n
The research revealed that the project not only had a positive impact on the children\u2019s education but also contributed to the development of mutual trust between local residents and an informal financial system within the local community.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Elementary schools in Burkina Faso (both photos) (Source: Yasuyuki Todo)<\/p><\/div>\n In Burkina Faso and other least less-developed countries (LLDC), some factors behind economic stagnation are the immature markets and insufficient law enforcement by the government. Our research suggested that enhancing the community\u2019s capabilities can make up for the government\u2019s flaws, and that international cooperation for projects in which residents participate can strengthen such communities.<\/p>\n Strong ties between government (politics) and <\/b>businesses<\/b> (economy) <\/b>cause<\/b> economic stagnation<\/b><\/b><\/p>\n I am currently working on an empirical analysis of the interaction between politics and economy in middle-income countries. You may have heard of the \u201cmiddle income trap\u201d – an economic situation where a developing county grows out of the LLDC classification and attains middle income, only to be stuck at that level and be unable to transform into a developed country.<\/p>\n I believe that when ties within a developing country become too strong, people become less willing to work with foreigners. Diverse ties do not form and the community does not attain diverse knowledge, resulting in economic stagnation. When an economy slows down, there is a protectionist tendency to blame foreign countries, and this pushes people to become isolationist. Once this vicious cycle begins, the country becomes locked into a trap and will have difficulty getting out of it.<\/p>\n I am now conducting an experimental study by implementing research projects in Indonesia and Vietnam based on the hypothesis that ties between politics and businesses are one of the causes of a vicious cycle of isolationism and economic stagnation. By doing this research and collecting corporate data, I have also collected individual data through interviews with business owners. During interviews, I ask questions that measure the personal ties between business owners and politicians as well as their awareness of globalization.<\/p>\n Preliminary empirical analysis indicated that when business owners have stronger political ties, they are more susceptible to protectionism, suggesting the possibility of a vicious cycle of economic stagnation as described above.<\/p>\n Posing in front of a provincial office building in Indonesia (Source: Yasuyuki Todo)<\/p><\/div>\n One way to break a vicious cycle is to build ties with outsiders. As part of a social experiment during my research in Vietnam, I implemented training programs for small and medium-sized businesses to promote exports. Using this experiment, I want to examine whether ties between companies that have succeeded in exports, and government institutions responsible for export promotion, will make other companies more open to the global economy and encourage them to start exporting.<\/p>\n This research still has a long way to go. The project was initially launched by a research team of political scientists and historians at the National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies. My subsequent transfer to the Faculty of Political Science and Economics at Waseda University has provided me an ideal environment to interact with talented political scientists on a daily basis. An infrastructure for carrying out academic research is gradually developing and I am determined to get involved in new research projects that go beyond the framework of economics.<\/p>\n Part 1<\/a> 1991: B. A., Asian Studies, University of Tokyo \u30fbTodo, Yasuyuki, Kentaro Nakajima, and Petr Matous, \u201cHow Do Supply Chain Networks Affect the Resilience of Firms to Natural Disasters? Evidence from the Great East Japan Earthquake,\u201d Journal of Regional Science<\/i>, 55(2), 209-229, 2015. DOI: 10.1111\/jors.12119<\/p>\n http:\/\/www.cirje.e.u-tokyo.ac.jp\/research\/workshops\/emf\/paper2013\/emf0527.pdf<\/a><\/p>\n http:\/\/onlinelibrary.wiley.com\/doi\/10.1111\/jors.12119\/full<\/a><\/p>\n \u30fbTodo, Yasuyuki and Hitoshi Sato, \u201cEffects of Presidents’ Characteristics on Internationalization of Small and Medium Firms in Japan,\u201d the Journal of Japanese and International Economices, 34, pp. 236-255, 2014.<\/p>\n http:\/\/www.sciencedirect.com\/science\/article\/pii\/S0889158314000483<\/a><\/p>\n \u30fbMatous, Petr, Yasuyuki Todo, Tatsuya Ishikawa, \u201cEmergence of Multiplex Mobile Phone Communication Networks across Rural Areas: An Ethiopian Experiment,\u201d Network Science, 2(2), 162-188, 2014.<\/p>\n http:\/\/dx.doi.org\/10.1017\/nws.2014.12<\/a><\/p>\n \u30fbTakahashi, Ryo and Yasuyuki Todo, \u201cThe Impact of a Shade Coffee Certification Program on Forest Conservation: A Case Study from a Wild Coffee Forest in Ethiopia,\u201d Journal of Environmental Management<\/i>, 130(30), 48-54, 2013.<\/p>\n http:\/\/jica-ri.jica.go.jp\/ja\/publication\/workingpaper\/impact_of_a_shade_coffee_certification_program_on_forest_conservation_a_case_study_from_a_wild_coffe.html<\/a><\/p>\n http:\/\/www.sciencedirect.com\/science\/article\/pii\/S0301479713005483<\/a><\/p>\n \u30fbTodo, Yasuyuki, “Impacts of Aid-Funded Technical Assistance Programs: Firm-Level Evidence from the Indonesian Foundry Industry,” World Development, 39(3), pp. 351-362, 2011.<\/p>\n http:\/\/econpapers.repec.org\/paper\/etidpaper\/08024.htm<\/a><\/p>\n http:\/\/www.sciencedirect.com\/science\/article\/pii\/S0305750X10001415<\/a><\/p>\n \u30fbTodo, Yasuyuki and Satoshi Shimizutani, \u201cOverseas R&D Activities and Home Productivity Growth: Evidence from Japanese Firm-Level Data,\u201d Journal of Industrial Economics, 56(4), pp. 752-777, 2008.<\/p>\n http:\/\/www.rieti.go.jp\/jp\/publications\/dp\/07e008.pdf<\/a><\/p>\n http:\/\/onlinelibrary.wiley.com\/doi\/10.1111\/j.1467-6451.2008.00363.x\/full<\/a><\/p>\n \u30fbTodo, Yasuyuki and Koji Miyamoto, \u201cKnowledge Spillovers from Multinational Enterprises and the Role of R&D Activities: Evidence from Indonesia,\u201d Economic Development and Cultural Change, 55(1), pp. 173-200, 2006.<\/p>\n http:\/\/papers.ssrn.com\/sol3\/papers.cfm?abstract_id=668508<\/a><\/p>\n http:\/\/www.jstor.org\/stable\/10.1086\/505729<\/a><\/p>\n \u30fb\u958b\u767a\u7d4c\u6e08\u5b66\u5165\u9580\uff0c\u65b0\u4e16\u793e\uff0c2015<\/p>\n \u30fb\u65e5\u672c\u7d4c\u6e08\u306e\u5e95\u529b\uff0d\u81e5\u9f8d\u304c\u76ee\u899a\u3081\u308b\u3068\u304d\uff0d\uff0c\u4e2d\u592e\u516c\u8ad6\u65b0\u793e\uff0c2011\uff0e<\/p>\n \u30fb\u9014\u4e0a\u56fd\u5316\u3059\u308b\u65e5\u672c\uff0c\u65e5\u672c\u7d4c\u6e08\u65b0\u805e\u51fa\u7248\u793e\uff0c2010\uff0e<\/p>\n \u30fb\u6280\u8853\u4f1d\u64ad\u3068\u7d4c\u6e08\u6210\u9577\uff0d\u30b0\u30ed\u30fc\u30d0\u30eb\u5316\u6642\u4ee3\u306e\u9014\u4e0a\u56fd\u7d4c\u6e08\u5206\u6790\uff0d, \u52c1\u8349\u66f8\u623f, 2008.<\/p>\n \u30fb\u201cEconomic Networks for More Innovative and Resilient Economies,\u201d June 26, 2015, Vox.<\/a><\/p>\n \u30fb\u201cFrom Collusion to Competition? Japanese Business Groups in the 21st Century,\u201d June 16, 2015, Vox.<\/a><\/p>\n \u30fb\u201cFor Coin and Country: Easing Japan-China Tensions through Social, Economic, and Political Equilibrium,\u201d the Georgetown Journal of International Affairs, December 12, 2014.<\/a><\/p>\n \u30fb\u300c\u30b5\u30d7\u30e9\u30a4\u30c1\u30a7\u30fc\u30f3\u3092\u901a\u3058\u305f\u77e5\u8b58\u4f1d\u64ad\uff0d\u9060\u304f\u306e\u3064\u306a\u304c\u308a\u3068\u5f37\u3044\u3064\u306a\u304c\u308a\u306e\u52b9\u679c\uff0d\u300d\uff0c\u7d4c\u6e08\u7523\u696d\u7814\u7a76\u6240\u30a6\u30a7\u30d6\u30b5\u30a4\u30c8\uff0c2015\uff0e\u3000<\/a><\/p>\n \u30fb\u300cTPP\u306e\u6210\u9577\u52b9\u679c\u63a8\u8a08\u300d\uff0c\u7d4c\u6e08\u7523\u696d\u7814\u7a76\u6240\u30a6\u30a7\u30d6\u30b5\u30a4\u30c8\uff0c2013\uff0e<\/a><\/p>\n \u30fb\u300cTPP\u53c2\u52a0\u306e\u610f\u7fa9\u3000\u56fd\u969b\u5316\u3001\u751f\u7523\u6027\u5411\u4e0a\u306e\u9375\u306b\u300d\uff0c\u65e5\u672c\u7d4c\u6e08\u65b0\u805e\u300c\u7d4c\u6e08\u6559\u5ba4\u300d\uff0c2011.<\/a><\/p>\n \u30fb\u300c\u5fa9\u8208\u3092\u8d85\u3048\u305f\u65b0\u305f\u306a\u9ad8\u5ea6\u6210\u9577\u3078\u300d\uff0c\u7d4c\u6e08\u7523\u696d\u7814\u7a76\u6240\u30a6\u30a7\u30d6\u30b5\u30a4\u30c8\uff0c2011\uff0e<\/a><\/p>\n \u30fb\u300c\u65e5\u672c\u7d4c\u6e08\u4f53\u8cea\u5f37\u5316\u306e\u65b9\u5411\u3000\u4eca\u3053\u305d\u300e\u5185\u9700\u3088\u308a\u8f38\u51fa\u300f\u3067\u300d\uff0c\u65e5\u672c\u7d4c\u6e08\u65b0\u805e\u300c\u7d4c\u6e08\u6559\u5ba4\u300d\uff0c2009\uff0e<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/a><\/p>\n<\/a>
\nPart 3<\/a><\/p>\nProfile<\/h5>\n
<\/a><\/p>\n
\n1994: Graduated from Institute of Developing Economies Advanced School
\n1995: M.A., Food Research Institute, Stanford University
\n2000: Ph.D., Economics, Stanford University
\n2000: Assistant Professor, Department of Economics, Southern Illinois University
\n2001: Lecturer, Faculty of Economics, Tokyo Metropolitan University
\n2002: Assistant Professor, Faculty of Economics, Tokyo Metropolitan University
\n2005: Assistant Professor, School of International Politics, Economics and Business, Aoyama Gakuin University
\n2007: Associate Professor, Graduate School of Frontier Sciences, University of Tokyo
\n2010: Professor, Graduate School of Frontier Sciences, University of Tokyo
\n2012: Department Head, Graduate School of Frontier Sciences, University of Tokyo
\n2014-present: Professor, Graduate School of Economics, Faculty of Political Science and Economics, Waseda University
\nCurrently serving as Faculty Fellow at the Research Institute of Economy, Trade and Industry, Visiting Fellow at the JICA Research Institute, member of the Governing Council of the Japan External Trade Organization, member of the Performance Evaluation Committee of The Overseas Human Resources and Industry Development Association, and member of the Trade Committee of the Industrial Structure Council at the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry.
\nPersonal website http:\/\/www.f.waseda.jp\/yastodo\/index.html<\/a><\/p>\nResearch<\/b><\/h5>\n
Writings<\/h5>\n
\u00a0Articles<\/h5>\n