Fourth Annual Pretoria-Stellenbosch PhD Workshop in Economics

July 9, 2024

The Departments of Economics at the University of Pretoria and at Stellenbosch University are jointly organising a workshop for junior researchers. We invite submissions from any 

– PhD student or postdoc

– at a South African university

– in economics or a closely allied quantitative social science (e.g. finance, political science, demography, public health).

The specific department in which a student is enrolled is not important; we welcome submissions from students in e.g. business, law, or statistics departments.

This year’s workshop will be hosted by the University of Pretoria on July 9, 2024. It will be held in a hybrid format, with some overseas discussants participating remotely, while other academics will attend in person. Authors of accepted papers will have their accommodation and domestic travel expenses covered in full.

We will accept at most ten (10) papers.

The goal of the workshop is to provide junior researchers with feedback at the highest possible level, and exposure to new ideas at the international research frontier. 

Accepted authors will also gain new networking opportunities, as professional economists from the public and private sector will also be invited to the post-workshop dinner. 

Send submissions to [email protected]. Only full papers will be considered. Submissions are due on or before May 31, 2024. Acceptance decisions will be sent out by June 10, 2024.

Selection Committee

Jesse Naidoo, University of Pretoria

Mamello Nchake, Stellenbosch University

Marisa von Fintel, Stellenbosch University

Keynote Speakers

Chris Blattman (University of Chicago) is a political scientist who studies violence and crime in both rich and poor countries. His recent research has focused on organised crime in Colombia; his previous research has covered topics such as the effects of commodity prices on armed conflict, the causes and consequences of the use of child soldiers in Uganda, and behavioural interventions to reduce gang violence in Chicago.

Jane Kabubo-Mariara (Partnership for Economic Policy, Kenya) is the Executive Director of PEP. Under her leadership, PEP has developed and delivered a range of programs that foster best practices for evidence-informed policymaking. Her current research interests include environmental and natural resource economics, child poverty, youth employment, labour markets and income distribution. 

Discussants

Rachael Meager (University of New South Wales) is an econometrician and development economist. Within econometrics, their interests are in uncertainty quantification, generalisability, and evidence aggregation from a Bayesian perspective. Within development economics, they have written on the effects of microcredit and on interventions to improve management practices in small businesses in developing countries.

Simon Franklin (Queen Mary University of London) is an economist working at the intersection of labour economics and urban economics, particularly in the developing world. His research has examined topics such as job search and commuting patterns in Ethiopia,  and the effects of public housing programmes in South Africa.

David Berger (Duke University) is a macroeconomist interested in monetary economics, housing markets, and finance. His recent research has also examined the effects of imperfect competition in the US labour market.

Jason Kerwin (University of Minnesota) is a development economist who works on health and education, particularly in Malawi, Uganda, and India. He has studied interventions to address the low quality of education in developing countries, beliefs about disease risk under pandemic conditions, and mechanisms to increase savings amongst low-wage workers.

Jacobus Cilliers (Georgetown University) is an economist who studies education in Sub-Saharan Africa. He has studied the effects of first-language instruction on childrens’ reading skills, investment in teacher training, and performance incentive schemes for teachers.

Francesco Amodio (McGill University) is an economist interested in firm productivity and labour markets in developing countries. His research has covered topics such as the relationship between self-employment and monopsony, the relationship between trade and political violence, and human resource management within firms.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I submit a paper that’s already been published?

No.

I’ve already graduated and have taken on a job outside academia, or as a permanent staff member at a university. Can I still submit? 

No. Only current students or postdocs at a South African university are eligible.

Can I join the workshop remotely? 

No. Student (or postdoc) authors must attend in person.

I’ve already presented at a prior UP-SU workshop. Can I still submit?

If you are submitting a new paper, yes. Papers that have already been submitted in prior years will not be considered, whether they were accepted or not.