ceesay-muhammed /economics/applied_micro_theory
$ open profile --audience="academic, policy, professional"

# Academic profile loaded successfully

Ceesay Muhammed

Economist | Auctions | Competition Policy | Transport Economics

I am an economist trained in applied microeconomic theory. My research studies auctions, procurement, competition, and transport markets, with applied experience in policy reporting, dataset construction, and technical training.

Auction Theory Competition Policy Transport Economics Applied Research
Muhammed Headshot
Profile image

// snapshot

  • Training: PhD in Economics, University of Naples Federico II
  • Recent role: Postdoctoral Researcher, University of Florence
  • Fields: Auctions, procurement, competition policy, transport economics
  • Location: Rome, Italy

// current focus

Current work studies investment incentives in procurement auctions, market structure in fleet industries under congestion, collusion in common value auctions, and related applied microeconomic questions in transport markets.

// analytical toolkit

I use game-theoretic modelling, applied microeconomic reasoning, data construction, and policy-facing analysis to translate complex market-design questions into clear arguments.

// professional bridge

Beyond publishing academic research, I have contributed to policy work, primary dataset construction, and statistics training for public-sector institutions.

@article entries

Asymmetric Auctions with Discretely Distributed Valuations

published

B.E. Journal of Theoretical Economics, 25(1): 99-118, 2025 - with Domenico Menicucci and Nicola Doni

We examine a two-bidder auction setting in which bidder valuations are asymmetrically distributed over a three-point support, derive the unique Bayes Nash equilibrium in closed form, and use it to compare revenue across auction formats.

Secret versus Public Rings in Common Value Auctions

published

International Journal of Economic Theory, 22: 63-90, 2026

For a second-price common value auction with an almost all-inclusive ring, I study whether the auctioneer should reveal the ring's presence and whether that revelation should be public or private to the nonring bidder.

Collusion with Not-So-Secret Rings

published

Journal of Quantitative Economics, 22(2): 563-570, 2024

Analyzes a first-price independent private value auction in which only one bidder privately knows collusion exists, showing how this changes bid shading and seller revenue relative to standard ring models.

# Under review and working papers

Investments in First-Price and Second-Price Procurement Auctions

Job market paper

with Domenico Menicucci and Nicola Doni

Revise and Resubmit at International Journal of Industrial Organization

Studies procurement auctions in which sellers invest before bidding, changing the distribution of production costs and the comparison between first-price and second-price formats.

Congestion and the Market Structure of Fleets

R&R, Revision Submitted

with Federico Boffa and Alberto Iozzi

Examines when monopoly or competition performs better in fleet markets once congestion, consumer heterogeneity, and the outside option of private transport are taken seriously.

Stochastic Orders and Social Preferences on Random Processes

archival working paper

With F. Ruscitti - presented at SAET 2023

Archival working paper on stochastic orders and social preferences over random processes.

# Projects in progress

Food Fraud for Horizontally Differentiated Products

in progress

Current project

Competing with Self-Providing Consumers

in progress

Current project

% profile.cv preview

Professional Summary

overview

Research economist with academic and applied experience

I am a research economist with more than 8 years of academic and applied experience across market design, competition policy, transport economics, policy reporting, and quantitative training. I have published peer-reviewed research, co-authored an ECOWAS policy report, and trained government staff through a World Bank-funded initiative.

Education

timeline

Academic formation

  • PhD in Economics - University of Naples Federico II, 2020
  • Postgraduate Courses in Mathematics - University of Perugia, 2018
  • MSc in Economics and Finance - University of Naples Federico II, 2016
  • BSc in Economics (minor in Mathematics) - University of The Gambia, 2014
  • Specialization in Islamic Science - ZAD Academy, Ongoing

Academic Positions

timeline

Research and visiting roles

  • Postdoctoral Researcher - University of Florence, 2023-2025
  • Senior Research Associate - CEIS Tor Vergata, University of Rome Tor Vergata, 2022-2023
  • Postdoctoral Researcher - Free University of Bozen-Bolzano, 2021-2022
  • Visiting Researcher - Department of Economics and Finance, University of Rome Tor Vergata, July 2025

Honours & Awards

recognition

Scholarships and distinctions

  • Full PhD Scholarship - University of Naples Federico II, 2016
  • Certificate of Achievement (Outstanding Graduate) - University of The Gambia, 2016
  • Merit Scholarship (Masters) - University of Naples Federico II, 2015
  • Winner - University of The Gambia Mathematics Competition, 2014
  • Winner - University of The Gambia Mathematics Competition, 2013
  • Gambia Government Scholarship - University of The Gambia, 2011

Certifications & Additional Training

development

Methods, regulation, and procurement training

  • Procurement & Sourcing (Certificate) - Rutgers University, 2024
  • Causal Machine Learning - University of Genoa, 2021
  • Regulation of Local Public Services - Turin School of Regulation, 2021
  • Postgraduate Course in Financial Time Series - Italian Econometric Association, 2019
  • Postgraduate Course in Panel Data Analysis - Italian Econometric Association, 2019

# experience.log

Data Analyst (Freelance)

2016

Center for Policy Research and Strategic Studies

Built the primary dataset and analyzed questionnaire data for an ECOWAS study on economic research institutions in West Africa, focused on The Gambia. The work supported a proposed Regional Economic Research Program, and I co-authored the final report with capacity-building recommendations.

Staff Trainer

2016

Gambia Bureau of Statistics

Delivered Basic Statistics training for staff of the Gambia Bureau of Statistics in a month-long World Bank-funded program run with the University of The Gambia. Sessions focused on hypothesis testing for differences in means, proportions, and variances.

# teaching.md

Industrial Organization

2022-2024

Teaching Assistant - University of Rome Tor Vergata

Undergraduate course administered to students in the Bachelor of Business Administration and Economics program. Topics included consumer and firm theory, market structure, public policy, price discrimination, game theory, and oligopoly.

Advanced Macroeconomics, Mathematical Economics

2020

Lecturer - University of The Gambia

Taught graduate-level macroeconomics and Mathematical Economics to students of the Masters in Economics program.