UNU-WIDER summer school in collaboration with DPRU-UCT on labour markets and economic development 

UNU-WIDER, in collaboration with the Development Policy Research Unit (DPRU) at University of Cape Town (UCT), is launching a new, two-week intensive Summer School on applied labour economics. The course will take place in Cape Town during 18-29 November 2019. The aim of the training is to provide early-career scholars in the Global South with an understanding of the theories, methods and data availability for conducting high-quality analysis of applied labour economics. Deadline for application is 31 May 23:59 UTC+3.

The Summer School will provide participants with a toolkit in applied economics with special focus on the quantitative analysis of labour markets in developing countries. During the two weeks, participants will take part in lectures given by leading experts from UNU-WIDER’s global network and work intensively in the data lab to strengthen quantitative research skills.

Topics that will be addressed during the course include:

1. Fundamentals in labour market economics for development: concepts and definitions
2. Theories of labour markets in developing countries: segmented markets, policies and institutions
3. Inequality, poverty, and employment: main statistics, regression-based decomposition techniques
4. Labour statistics: data sources, quality, core indicators:
   1. quasi-experimental (propensity score matching, instrumental variables, regression discontinuity design, difference-in-differences)
   2. experimental: randomized control trial, lab-in-the-field
    
5. Analysis of employment transitions using panel data.

Applicants must be an early-career researcher and have shown ability to conduct research on developing economies. Applications from PhD candidates who are about to complete the dissertation will also be considered. Candidates should be fluent in oral and written English and possess good quantitative analytical skills. Application is open to researchers from universities and research institutes in Africa and other developing countries in Latin America and Asia. Applications from suitably qualified early-career female researchers are particularly encouraged.

If you have questions about the course or you experience any problems with the online application, please contact us at the following email address: summerschool@wider.unu.edu

More information here