On behalf of CIRANO and the Sam M. Walton College of Business at the University of Arkansas, the organizers invite papers for the 6th Annual Workshop on Networks in Trade and Finance to be held Friday September 29 and Saturday September 30, 2017 in Montreal, Canada. This conference builds on the successful CIRANO Workshops on Networks in Trade and Finance that have taken place in Montreal and Fayetteville, Arkansas over the last five years. The program for the workshop in October 2016 can be viewed at

THEME: Networks are everywhere. Global trade, supply chains, financial markets, the World Wide Web, professional and social communities are examples of interconnected systems that are important to the structure and function of the modern world. Networks are a general yet powerful means of representing patterns of connections or interactions between parts of such systems. The network approach facilitates an understanding of mechanisms and reveals patterns in the data that are difficult to see using other approaches. Of particular recent interest is the role of networks in facilitating the development and dissemination of innovation and new technologies. With this as the leitmotiv, this workshop aims to bring together a group of researchers in the related areas of trade, finance, economic development, sociology, and business, with the following goals:
– Demonstrate the value of the network approach for generating novel insights into these areas.
– Foster a cross-disciplinary exchange of ideas and methods within the field of researchers in these areas.
– Explore the potential for real-world applications of the network approach that will be of value to practitioners in various fields of business and government, such as finance, logistics, healthcare, transportation, communication, economic development, and social media.

Both theoretical and applied studies are welcomed.

PAPER SUBMISSION PROCEDURE: Extended abstracts or papers (completed papers preferred) should be sent to the e-mail address networks.conference@cirano.qc.ca before July 15, 2017. The workshop program will be determined by July 30. For general questions regarding the conference email kali@uark.edu

SUPPORT: There will be no registration or other fees. For those on the workshop program the organizers will provide accommodation for two nights in Montreal. Lunch and dinner during the workshop will be provided for all registered participants. The conference will take place from 9am to 5pm on Friday September 29 and from 9am to 1pm on Saturday September 30. The conference dinner will be on Friday September 29.

PROGRAM COMMITTEE:
Raja Kali, University of Arkansas and CIRANO
Ari Van Assche, HEC Montreal and CIRANO
Ekaterina Turkina, HEC Montreal
Arya Gaduh, University of Arkansas
Andrea Civelli, University of Arkansas