Congratulations to Dr. Tao Chen of the Department of Economics on his appointment as a Sponsored Research Chair (SRC) — a unique role in Arts which supports both industry and academic innovation.
As the first internationally sponsored chair in the Faculty, the appointment highlights Chen’s expertise in applied econometrics and modelling. In his SRC work, Chen will be using observational data to conduct causal inference related to embedded human decisions. This modelling work has many applications, says Chen, such as contributing to innovations in health-tech, financial trading automation, and smart cities.
“Dr. Chen’s SRC is wonderful news for the Faculty of Arts,” says Ana Ferrer, Associate Dean, Research. “University partnerships with external stakeholders are an important driver in making research socially relevant.”
According to the Department of Economics, Chen’s SRC is also expected to open opportunities for students and other scholars to engage in research addressing pressing economic, technological and social issues facing our world — all of which align well with Waterloo’s Global Futures framework.
“The Sponsored Research Chair is a significant milestone for the Department of Economics, highlighting its growing research capacity and commitment to fostering collaboration between academia and industry,” states the department’s announcement.