Carlos Mendez

Carlos Mendez

Associate Professor of Development Economics

Nagoya University, JAPAN

About me

After studying Commercial Engineering in Bolivia and Chile, I worked as a consultant for Pro-Mujer International, The World Bank, DANIDA, and JICA. I have a M.A. and a Ph.D. in International Development from Nagoya University, Japan. My research interests focus on the integration of development economics, spatial data science, and applied econometrics to better understand and inform the process of sustainable development across regions. My current research deals with (1) geospatial big data analytics and socioeconomic development; (2) geospatial inequality, poverty, and growth interactions; (3) regional infrastructure and mobility flows; and (4) spatial structural change and productivity dynamics.

Download my CV.

Interests
  • Regional Development
  • Applied Econometrics
  • Spatial Big Data Analytics
  • Spatial Machine Learning
  • Development Macroeconomics
Education
  • PhD in International Development, 2015

    Nagoya University

  • MA in International Development, 2012

    Nagoya University

  • Lic in Commercial Engineering, 2008

    Bolivian Catholic University

QuaRCS-lab Japan

In the QuaRCS-lab and its global network, we conduct research on quantitative regional and computational science. We exploit the integration of development economics, spatial data science, and applied econometrics to understand and inform the process of sustainable development across subnational regions and countries.

When the sun goes down and the lights turn on, there’s still a lot to explore.
Let’s study regional development from outer space!


QUIZ: Based on the regression NTL = a + b(t), the map below shows the trends of nighttime lights. An RGB composite is used for visualization, where positive and negative slope values are represented by red and blue gradients respectively, and the intercept is represented by a green gradient.
Given these parameters, how would you interpret the yellow and cyan colors?
(Hint: Copy and paste this quiz into ChatGPT)

What about the distribution of population? What can we learn from the spatial dynamics of population?
(Click anywhere on the map below and discover it.)

Other Publications

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(2026). Minimum wage differentials and commuting across districts. Asia-Pacific Journal of Regional Science.

Cite DOI Video Published article

(2025). Predicting subnational GDP in Vietnam with remote sensing data: A machine learning approach. Letters in Spatial and Resource Sciences.

Cite DOI AI Podcast Open access article

(2023). Regional Okun’s law and endogeneity: evidence from the Indonesian districts. Applied Economics Letters.

PDF Cite Slides DOI

(2023). Convergence clubs and spatial structural change in the European Union. Structural Change and Economic Dynamics.

PDF Cite DOI

Recent & Upcoming Presentations

Posts & Tutorials

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Spatial Dynamic Panel Data Modeling in R: Cigarette Demand Across US States
Spatial Dynamic Panel Data Modeling in R: Cigarette Demand Across US States
Mar 27, 2026
A hands-on guide to spatial panel data modeling using the SDPDmod package in R — from Bayesian model comparison through static and dynamic SAR/SDM estimation with Lee-Yu bias correction to direct, indirect, and total effect decomposition — applied to cigarette demand across 46 US states (1963–1992).
Spatial Dynamic Panels with Common Factors in Stata: Credit Risk in US Banking
Spatial Dynamic Panels with Common Factors in Stata: Credit Risk in US Banking
Mar 27, 2026
Estimate spatial dynamic panel models with unobserved common factors using the spxtivdfreg package in Stata — an IV approach that handles spatial lags, temporal persistence, endogenous regressors, and latent factors simultaneously
Visualizing Regression with the FWL Theorem in R
Visualizing Regression with the FWL Theorem in R
Mar 27, 2026
A hands-on guide to the fwlplot package in R — from understanding the Frisch-Waugh-Lovell theorem through simulated confounding to visualizing fixed effects in real panel data — showing what “controlling for” looks like as a scatter plot.
Visualizing Regression with the FWL Theorem in Stata
Visualizing Regression with the FWL Theorem in Stata
Mar 27, 2026
A hands-on guide to the scatterfit package in Stata — from understanding the Frisch-Waugh-Lovell theorem through simulated confounding to visualizing fixed effects in real panel data — showing what “controlling for” looks like as a scatter plot.
Difference-in-Differences for Policy Evaluation: A Tutorial using R
Difference-in-Differences for Policy Evaluation: A Tutorial using R
Mar 26, 2026
A guide to Difference-in-Differences with staggered treatment — from TWFE pitfalls through Callaway-Sant’Anna group-time ATTs, doubly robust estimation, and HonestDiD sensitivity analysis — applied to minimum wage effects on teen employment.

Projects

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metricsAI
An introduction to econometrics with Python and AI in the cloud
GeoDevelopment Dashboards
Interactive geospatial dashboards for monitoring regional development
DS4Bolivia
A Data Science Repository to Study GeoSpatial Development in Bolivia
GeoDevelopment Observatory of Cambodia
A public access platform for the analysis, monitoring, and evaluation of sustainable regional development in Cambodia
Computational data science notebooks and apps for development studies
Computational data science notebooks and apps to foster development studies.

Students

Doctoral students

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Abdulah Rusli (Indonesia)

PhD student 2023-2026

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Bimo Arvianto (Indonesia)

PhD student 2025-2028

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Cesar Echevarria (Peru)

PhD student 2024-2027

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He Du (China)

PhD student 2025-2028

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Leiva Favio (Peru)

PhD student 2023-2024

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Li Jiaqi (China)

PhD student 2023-2026

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Li Xiaomeng (China)

PhD student 2025-2028

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Phon Sophat (Cambodia)

PhD student 2024-2027

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Restrepo Katerine (Colombia)

PhD student 2023-2026

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Sour Heng (Cambodia)

PhD student 2023-2026

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Theara Khoun (Cambodia)

PhD student 2022-2025

Master students

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Kanyama Yuna (Japan)

Master student 2024-2026

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Mujkanovic Adin (Bosnia and Herzegovina)

Master student 2025-2027

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Prieto Laura (Colombia)

Master student 2024-2026

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