Second Annual UP PhD Workshop in Economics Held

Posted on June 29, 2022

This year's workshop, organised by Manoel Bittencourt and Jesse Naidoo, was open to PhD students at all African universities, and also to PhD students at institutions outside the continent working on topics related to Africa. (The full programme is here.)

Michelle Pleace (University of Pretoria) presented her work on "impostor syndrome" in academia.

Both PhD students and academics from UP came to listen and give critique.

The workshop featured twelve presentations by students at universities in South Africa, Togo, Benin, Japan, the Netherlands, and the United States. These presentations included papers on development, health economics, political economy, labour economics and international finance. Professors from universities in Europe, the United States, and South Africa served as discussants and gave critique and suggestions to the student presenters.

Sibonelo Mbambo (University of Pretoria) presenting his work on the growth effects of local infrastructure investment.

Sibonelo Mbambo (University of Pretoria) presenting his work on the growth effects of local infrastructure investment.

The first keynote address, by Augustin Fosu of the University of Ghana, covered some of the "hidden curriculum" for publishing in high-quality journals in economics. The second keynote, by Nathan Nunn of Harvard University, discussed some of the unique features of development in Africa compared to other regions of the world. 

Practicing economists in the public and private sector were also invited to attend the workshop dinner and meet with the students. Trust Gangaidzo, of Stellenbosch University, said of the workshop that "[it] was a great platform to share, learn and receive constructive feedback, and network."

From left to right: Margaux Giannaros (ERSA), Patrick Kelly (Statistics South Africa), and Trust Gangaidzo (Stellenbosch University).

From left to right: Margaux Giannaros (ERSA), Patrick Kelly (Statistics South Africa), and Trust Gangaidzo (Stellenbosch University).

The call for papers for next year's workshop will be issued in early 2023.

The workshop participants.

- Author Jesse Naidoo

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