Shujiro Urata is a Professor of Economics at the Graduate School of Asia-Pacific Studies, Waseda University, Faculty Fellow at the Research Institute of Economy, Trade and Industry (RIETI), Research Fellow at the Japan Center for Economic Research (JCER), and Senior Research Advisor at the Economic Research Institute for ASEAN and East Asia (ERIA). Professor Urata received his Ph.D. in Economics from Stanford University. He specialises in international economics and has published a number of books and articles on international economic issues. His recent co-edited books include Bilateral Trade Agreements: Origins, evolution, and implications, Routledge, 2005; Multinationals and Economic Growth in East Asia, Routledge, 2006; Free Trade Agreements in the Asia-Pacific, World Scientific, 2010; and Economic Consequences of Globalization: Evidence from East Asia, co-editor, Routledge, 2012.