2025 WEHIA (Winter) Workshop of Economics with Heterogeneous Interacting Agents

13-16 February 2025, Suzhou, China

Hosts: Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University & Tianjin University

Click for Event Agenda

The Annual Workshop on Economics with Heterogeneous Interacting Agents (WEHIA) is organised by The Society for Economic Science with Heterogeneous Interacting Agents (ESHIA). Since its first meeting in 2003, the annual WEHIA has represented a unique opportunity to present and discuss the latest research on various aspects of the economy and financial markets as a complex system made up of heterogeneous interacting agents. The workshop is intended to foster diversity in the approach and methodology used to analyse economic and financial issues. The past workshops have been held across most European countries.

Founded in 2006, ESHIA aims to provide a unique medium of communication for multidisciplinary approaches, either empirical or theoretical, to the study of complex socio-economic problems. It intends to promote the cross-fertilization of ideas and the exchange of concepts and techniques developed within diverse scientific disciplines including economics, social sciences physics, and computer science. The focus of ESHIA is especially on simulating and synthesizing emergent phenomena and collective behaviours to understand real complex economic and social systems. ESHIA is particularly keen to showcase the combination of agent-based computing/modeling in IT with finance/economics issues such as market microstructure design, policy analysis, systemic risk, and financial engineering. Agents, heterogeneity, and interactions are key concepts in this multidisciplinary approach in coping with important issues with complexity in nature and provide a novel driving force to study, either empirical or theoretical, of the socio-economic systems research.

Keynote Speakers

• Professor Shu-Heng CHEN, Department of Economics at National Chengchi University
• Prof Giulia Iori, Department of Economics at Ca’Foscari University of Venice

Main Topics of the Conference (not limited):

• Agent-Based Models (ABMs): Theory, Computation, and Estimations
• Asset Pricing, Capital Market Efficiency, and Anomalies
• Economics, Financial and Social Networks
• Experimental Economics
• Bounded Rationality and Learning
• Evolutionary Game Theory
• Big Data and Artificial Intelligence in Economics and Finance
• Complex Economic Systems in the Era of AI
• Economic Policy and Growth on Climate Change
• Economic Growth and Technical Change
• Market Microstructure and Cryptocurrency Research
• Experiment and Simulation with LLM agents

Scientific Committee

Organising Committee

Paper Submission

Please submit in the form of extended abstracts (max 2 pages) or full paper as a PDF file via the submission website. The first page of the submitted material must contain authors’ affiliations and, at least, three keywords. In the case of co-authored research, the submitter will be assumed to be the presenter, unless specified differently. One paper per person is allowed. The submission system opens on 1 October 2024. Further details will be posted on the conference website.

• Deadline for the submission: 3 November 2024
• Notification of acceptance: 10 November 2024

Best Paper Awards

To encourage excellent research, the conference will offer three best paper awards:

• Best paper-1st Prize CNY3,000 (USD440)
• Best paper-2nd Prize CNY2,000 (USD230)
• Best paper-3rd Prize CNY1,000 (USD150)

To be considered for the best paper awards, the submission should be in full paper.

Organised Sessions

Proposals for organised sessions are welcome. Please send your proposal to WEHIA2025.IBSS@xjtlu.edu.cn

Registration and Fees

Participants who wish to present a paper must register and pay the submission fee by 30 November 2025. The payment registration link will be released on 10 November 2024. Details will be posted on the conference website.

• Fee for regular participants: CNY2,500/USD370
• Fee for currently enrolled (PhD) students: CNY1,500/USD220

Important Dates

Visa Issue

For foreign participants, if you hold a China visa, please share it with us for case-by-case reviewing; if you don't have a visa (or are eligible for visa exemption), please contact us to obtain an invitation letter for an F-visa application.

Conference Location

Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University (South Campus)

Address: 8 Chongwen Road, Suzhou Industrial Park, Suzhou, Jiangsu, 215123 China

Recommended Hotels

We recommend the following two hotels close to the conference location if you decide to attend the conference. The accommodation fee should be paid at your own expense. Please book hotel rooms in advance in case of no vacancies.

•  Xi'an Jiaotong-Liverpool International Conference Center 苏州西交利物浦国际会议中心
  Standard Room Price: 380 RMB/night
  Address: 99 Ren'ai Road (Ren'ai Lu), Suzhou, 215123, Jiangsu, China
  Reservation Phone Number: (+86) 151-5145-7598
  Reservation Website (Please click here to book your room)

• Jinjiang Inn, Suzhou Industrial Park Dushu Lake Gaojiao Area 锦江之星独墅湖高教区店
  Reference Room Price: 379 RMB/nightAddress: No.8 Xue Tang Street, Suzhou Industrial Park (SIP)
  Reservation Phone Number: +86 153-5841-4040
  Reservation Website (Please click here to book your room)

• Worldhotel Grand Dushulake Suzhou 苏州独墅湖世尊酒店
  Standard Room Price: 600 RMB/night
  Address: No.299 Qiyue Street, Suzhou Industrial Park (SIP)
  Reservation Phone Number:  +86 150-5045-7875
  Reservation Email: reservations@worldhotelgranddushulake.com (Please indicate that you will book the room at the XJTLU agreed price)

• Four Points by Sheraton Suzhou 苏州福朋喜来登酒店
  Standard Room Price: 680 RMB/night
  Address: No. 8 Yueliangwan Road, Suzhou Industrial Park (SIP)
  Reservation Phone Number:  +86 139-1576-5312
  Reservation Email: reservation.suzhou@fourpoints.com (Please indicate that you will book the room at the XJTLU agreed price)

Transportation to XJTLU

From the Railway Station (in Suzhou) to XJTLU

• From Suzhou Industrial Park Station: Take the subway line 8 and get off at Songtao Street Station, then walk for 15 minutes

• From Suzhou Railway Station: Take the subway line 2 and get off at Songtao Street Station, then walk for 15 minutes

• From Suzhoubei Railway Station: Take the subway line 2 and get off at Songtao Street Station, then walk for 15 minutes

From the Airport (in Wuxi and Shanghai) to XJTLU/Suzhou

• By Train

Please refer to the information above after you arrive in Suzhou.

• By airport bus to Suzhou

• By Taxi

Note: The above information is for reference only.

University Map:

Contact Email

Please direct all questions to WEHIA2025.IBSS@xjtlu.edu.cn