Keynote Speaker
Prof. Thi Kim Cuong PHAM
University of Paris Nanterre, Vietnam
Talk Topic
Keeping Up with the Joneses: Social Comparison and Relative Utility in Economic Analysis
About Professor Pham Thi Kim Cuong
Professor Pham Thi Kim Cuong is Chairperson of the International Society of Vietnamese Economists (ISVE), a Professor in the Department of Economics at the University of Paris Nanterre, and a member of EconomiX Research & Consulting. She received her Ph.D. in Economics from the Louis Pasteur University and later obtained the French Accreditation to Supervise Doctoral Research (HDR) from the University of Strasbourg.
Her research lies at the intersection of development, public, and behavioral economics. She examines key issues such as economic growth, foreign aid, and poverty reduction, alongside public policy challenges including environmental regulation and the provision of public goods. Her work also incorporates behavioral dimensions, focusing on relative utility, social status, and incentive structures.
Professor Cuong has an extensive publication record in both domestic and international journals, as well as in high-impact conference proceedings. She serves as a referee for a wide range of leading academic journals, including The Economic Journal, Mathematical Social Sciences, Journal of Economics, Revue d'Économie Politique, Economics and Statistics, European Journal of Political Economy, Journal of Socio-Economics, Autrepart (IRD), Macroeconomic Dynamics, and Journal of Public Economic Theory.
In addition to her research, she is actively engaged in mentoring young scholars and contributing to the development of advanced economics curricula that meet international standards. She has also been closely involved in promoting economic research and education, particularly in the Vietnamese context.
At VEAM 2026, Professor Cuong contributes a strong regional perspective, with a focus on the role of human capital and institutional factors in shaping economic resilience and long-term development in Southeast Asia.