Rashesh Shrestha

Rashesh Shrestha is an Economist with research interests in labor markets, economic development, and human capital investment. At ERIA, he conducts academic research and leads policy-oriented research projects on a wide range of themes including human capital, education, global value chains, trade facilitation, regulatory management system, and financial inclusion. Prior to joining ERIA, he was an Associate Lecturer at the Australian National University. He earned his PhD from the Department of Agricultural and Applied Economics at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He is originally from Nepal.

Expertise

• Labor Economics
• Applied Econometrics
• Asian Economies

Education

Professional Experience

Recent Publications

Journal Articles

• Shrestha, Vinish and Rashesh Shrestha. (forthcoming). “The Combined Role of Subsidy and Discussion Intervention in the Demand for a Stigmatized Product,” World Bank Economic Review.

• Vinish Shrestha & Rashesh Shrestha (2020). "Multigenerational Effect of Education Reform: Mother's Education and Children's Human Capital in Nepal." The World Bank Economic Review, 34(3):698-729.

• Shrestha, Rashesh. (2019). “Early Life Shocks, Cognitive Ability, and Labor Market Outcomes in Indonesia.” Asian Economic Papers, 18(2): 77-95.
  
• Shrestha, Rashesh & Ian Coxhead (2018). Can Indonesia Secure a Development Dividend from Its Resource Export Boom•, Bulletin of Indonesian Economic Studies, 54:1, 1-24.
• Coxhead, Ian, & Shrestha, Rashesh (2017). Globalization and School-Work Choices in an Emerging Economy: Vietnam. Asian Economic Papers, 16(2), 28-45.
• Coxhead, Ian, & Shrestha, Rashesh (2016). Could a Resource Export Boom Reduce Workers’ earnings• The Labour Market Channel in Indonesia. Bulletin of Indonesian Economic Studies, 52(2), 1-36.

Reports, book reviews, and book chapters 

• Oikawa, Keita, Venkatachalam Anbumozhi, Lurong Chen, Christopher L. Hardesty, Fusanori Iwasaki, Takuma Kato, Michikazu Kojima, Masanori Kozono, Fumitaka Machida, Melanie S. Milo, Asuka Nagatani, Han Phoumin, Kei Sudo, Aladdin D. Rillo and Rashesh Shrestha. (2023). ASEAN–Japan Cooperation in the New Emerging Agenda. ASEAN-Japan Economic Partnership for a Sustainable and Resilient Future. Jakarta: Economic Research Institute for ASEAN and East Asia.

• Shrestha, Rashesh. (2023). Human Capital for Economic Growth and Resilience in the Indo-Pacific. in Anita Prakash (eds.), Regional Integration in Indo-Pacific: Connectivity, Cooperation, and New Supply-Chain Linkages. ERIA Research Project Report FY2022 No. 19, Jakarta: ERIA, pp.92-101.

• Shrestha, Rashesh (2022). Skills Development System: Soft Infrastructure for Leapfrogging and Feedback. In ERIA (eds.) The Comprehensive Asia Development Plan 3.0 (CADP 3.0): Towards an Integrative, Innovation and Sustainable Economy. Jakarta: ERIA, pp. 277-292.

• Cavoli, Tony and Rashesh Shrestha (eds). (2021). Financial Inclusion in Asia and Beyond. Routledge.  [Link: https://www.routledge.com/Financial-Inclusion-in-Asia-and-Beyond-Measurement-Development-Gaps-and/Cavoli-Shrestha/p/book/9780367708405]

• Cavoli, Tony and Rashesh Shrestha. (2021) “The Nature and Landscape of Financial Inclusion in Asia.” In Cavoli, Tony and Rashesh Shrestha (eds). Financial Inclusion in Asia and Beyond. Routledge. (ERIA Discussion Paper No. 340)

•  Shrestha, Rashesh and Samuel Nursamsu. (2021). “Financial inclusion and household outcomes in Indonesia.” In Cavoli, Tony, and Rashesh Shrestha (eds.), Financial Inclusion in Asia and Beyond. Routledge. (ERIA Discussion Paper No. 344)

• Rashesh Shrestha & Ian Coxhead (2020). “Export boom, employment bust? The paradox of Indonesia’s displaced workers, 2000-2014.” In M. Bachetta and M. Helble, eds, Trade Adjustment in Asia: Past Experiences and Lessons Learned. Asian Development Bank Institute. (Working Paper:  ADBI Working Papers No. 874)
• Shrestha, Rashesh (2019). "Services Liberalization in ASEAN: Foreign Direct Investment in Logistics" edited by Tham Siew Yean and Sanchita Basu Das (eds) ISEAS, Singapore, 2018 Pp. 375+ xxvii, ISBN: 978 981 4786 18 8." Asian‐Pacific Economic Literature, 33:1, 140-141.
• Chia, Siow Yue, Rashesh Shrestha, Fukunari Kimura, and Ha Doan. (2019). “Skills Mobility and Common Certification Systems.” In Intal, P. and M. Pangestu, Integrated and Connected Seamless ASEAN Economic Community, Jakarta: Economic Research Institute for ASEAN and East Asia, pp. 77–95.
• Kimura, Fukunari, Rashesh Shrestha, and Dionisius Narjoko. (2019). “The Digital and Fourth Industrial Revolution and ASEAN Economic Transformation.” In Kimura, F., V. Anbumozhi, H. Nishimura. (eds.), Transforming and Deepening the ASEAN Community, Jakarta: Economic Research Institute for ASEAN and East Asia, pp.1–23.

Working Papers

• Paul Kenny, Rashesh Shrestha, and Edward Aspinall. “Commodity booms, conflict, and organized crime: Logics of violence in Indonesia's oil palm plantation economy” (revise and resubmit)

• Cavoli, Tony, David Christian, and Rashesh Shrestha. “SME Trade Finance for ASEAN: A Review.” (revise and resubmit). (ERIA Discussion Paper No. 422)

• Shrestha, Rashesh and Deborah Winkler. “Complementarity between global value chain activity and vocational education: Evidence from Indonesia” (ERIA Discussion Paper No. 360)

• Shrestha, Rashesh, and Deborah Winkler. “Can global value chain participation increase local human capital? Evidence from Indonesia.”
• Shrestha, Rashesh, Ha Doan, & Samuel Nursamsu. “Imported intermediate goods and employment”

• Shrestha, Rashesh & Daniel Suryadarma. “Education and productivity in ASEAN countries.”

Publications in popular press

• “East Asia must embrace greater labor mobility after the pandemic,” Nikkei Asia (July 17, 2021). [Link: https://asia.nikkei.com/Opinion/East-Asia-must-embrace-greater-labor-mobility-after-the-pandemic]

• “Key issues in post-pandemic ASEAN economic recovery,” The Jakarta Post (January 19, 2021) [link: https://www.thejakartapost.com/academia/2021/01/18/key-issues-in-post-pandemic-asean-economic-recovery.html]

• SMEs need right skills to shine in e-commerce. The Jakarta Post, June 2019.
• Education reform: A policy imperative for ASEAN’s changing labour market. Myanmar Times, June 2019.
• Diagnosing causes of inequality crucial for ASEAN. The Jakarta Post , April 2018.
• Why are Indonesians being left behind? East Asia Forum, September 2016.
• Embracing adversity. Republica, July 2015.
• Stop Child Labor in Nepal. Fair Observer, June 2015.