Dr. Armenak Antinyan Discusses Temporary Migration from the South Caucasus

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YEREVAN, Armenia – On October 14, 2015 the American University of Armenia (AUA) College of Business and Economics (CBE) hosted Dr. Armenak Antinyan, Research Director of CRRC Armenia, for a presentation on “Relative Income and Temporary Migration: Empirical Evidence from the South Caucasus.” The talk was within the framework of the CBE’s Research Seminar Series, launched in fall 2015.

Dr. Antinyan presented his paper, which studies the connection between households’ relative deprivation and their members’ intentions to temporarily migrate abroad in the three transition economies of the South Caucasus- Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia. Considering a household’s absolute income and other relevant characteristics affecting emigration decisions, the speaker illustrated that a household’s relative position vis-à-vis its reference group is an important determinant of the intention to migrate abroad. In particular, individuals are more willing to temporarily migrate if their reference group members are richer than they are.

Armenak Antinyan holds a PhD in Behavioral and Experimental Economics from the Graduate School of Economics and Management at the University of Venice. In his research, Dr. Antinyan incorporates findings from psychology and sociology into economics to understand decision-making and judgment of economic agents. Currently, he works as Research Director at CRRC Armenia and, prior to moving back to Yerevan in September 2015, he held a post-doctoral research position at University of Erlangen-Nuremberg.

Founded in 1991, the American University of Armenia (AUA) is a private, independent university located in Yerevan, Armenia and affiliated with the University of California. AUA provides a global education in Armenia and the region, offering high-quality, graduate and undergraduate studies, encouraging civic engagement, and promoting public service and democratic values.