Globalisation is often cited as the dominant international economic trend stimulating the opening of the world economy. Many developing nations have significantly reduced their tariffs, opened their services sectors, and embraced foreign investment either unilaterally, or in bilateral trade agreements. Similarly, many rich nations including BRICs have had favourable experiences with unilateralism and regionalism to advance market-opening goals.
But despite the growth of international trade and capital flows, there are still wide disparities in development among and within countries. As the global economy expands, all nations big and small are increasingly being affected by the effects of globalisation. In this light, the objective of this conference is to provide a forum for academics and practitioners from all corners of the globe to critically address these effects with the aim of coming up with suggestions which will lead to solutions which can help to improve the performance of developing countries.
 

The international Conference on International Trade and Investment with the theme “Globalisation at Crossroads: Implications for the Developing World” comes at an opportune time. The conference will provide you with an opportunity to get acquainted with the latest thinking in international trade, investment, aid, regional integration, trade competitiveness, climate change, labour market issues and poverty.

As such, this conference invites conceptual or empirical research presentations, and/or country context case studies, thus enabling both academics and practitioners to understand the effects of globalisation on the socio-cultural, economic and technological dimensions of developing countries. Delegates are invited to present completed research projects or work in progress.  Submissions and presentations must address both the theoretical and practical implications of the findings.
 

Trade & Industrial Policy Strategies (TIPS) is an independent, non-profit, economic research institution based in Pretoria, South Africa. It was established in 1996 to support economic policy development, with an emphasis on industrial policy, in South Africa and the region.

TIPS has two main areas of work: trade and inclusive industrial policy; and sustainable development.

TIPS’s main objectives are to undertake in-depth economic analyses, especially at the industrial level; to provide quality research as the basis for improving industrial policy as well as broad economic development strategies; and to support an increasingly dynamic and evidence-based discourse on industrial policy and inclusive growth with academics, other researchers and stakeholders.

TIPS offers high-quality quantitative and qualitative research, project management, dialogue facilitation, capacity building a knowledge sharing. TIPS undertakes commissioned research, as well as policy papers and think pieces around industrial policy and economic development.

TIPS has more than 20 full-time staff members and works with a network of expert researchers and institution partners across South Africa and the world. Its activities are overseen by a Board of Directors comprising individuals involved in high-level policy formulation in South Africa. TIPS also has a Members Group that includes policymakers and researchers from across South Africa, which provides intellectual guidance and support for the organisation.

TIPS is committed to the growth a development of future economic researchers and operates a substantial intern and young economist development programme in-house.

International Carbon Action Partnership are running a summer school and have called for applications to attend. This is an excellent opportunity for policy makers in developing (and developed) countries who want to know about the practical steps in implementing Emissions Trading Schemes. It takes place in July and the deadline for applications is 15 April.

Tobias would like to invite ICAP members to volunteer as speakers. The preliminary program is attached for your information. We would be particularly interested in including ICAP speakers at the following sessions:

• Initial Experiences in other ETS (21 July);
• Defining the Scope and Coverage of a Trading System (22 July);
• Tools and Methodologies for Data Collection and Inventory Generation (22 July);
• Ensuring Operation of the Trading Scheme: MRV & Enforcement (25 July);
• Expanding the EU ETS -- The Integration of a New Sector (26 July);
• Developing Countries in the Global Carbon Market: Overview and Development (27 July).

If you are interested in volunteering as a speaker for either of the session above or another session, please give me an initial indication, also mentioning what session/topic you would like to cover. The ICAP Summer School Organizing Team will then discuss how volunteers could be best included in the program.

Dr Lederman will present his recent research piece prepared with William F. Maloney, Lead Economist from the Development Economics Research Group of the World Bank.  Dr Maloney has published extensively on issues related to international trade and finance, informality, developing country labour markets, innovation and growth. Dr Lederman will be accompanied by his colleague, Alberto Behar. Alberto studied at the University of Cape Town and attained his
doctorate in Economics from the University of Oxford. Prior to joining the World Bank, he was a post-doctoral research fellow in the Centre for the Study of African Economies in Oxford and he has published in the fields of Labour Economics and International Trade.

Please note that a draft of the manuscript can be found at:

Does What You Export Matter? In Search of Empirical Guidance for Industrial Policies

The Masters of Science in Social Protection
Financing is designed to enhance national
capacities of managers and financial
specialists responsible for the financial
planning and management of social
protection schemes, including cash transfers
and social insurance programmes, as well as
personnel working in government
ministries in charge of social protection
policy and financial management and in
organizations representing workers and
employers. It is expected that the students will acquire
the conceptual understanding, skills and
tools required to strengthen the
management, financial governance and
sustainability of existing social protection
schemes, promote future improvements,
and develop new financially sustainable and
well-managed schemes.

DTI in conjunction with Wits is soon to be launching this programme which is of interest for capacity building of staff in the areas of industrial policy and economic development.

Please could you circulate to relevant staff.

Applications must be submitted to Hellen Mogoshao no later than Friday 11 March.

Please see below for documentation.

In 2011 TIPS will be holding a workshop combining both levels of modelling, i.e., Economy-Wide Policy Impact Analysis and CGE modelling. The workshop will be structured so that participants can select whether to attend the whole event, to complete only that part dealing with Economy-Wide Policy Impact Analysis or, if they have the background, to attend only the latter part dealing with CGE models.
The workshop is designed and presented by academics and experts in the field of economy-wide policy modelling. It integrates theory, real world data, hands-on computer work and real world application.

In Part I of the workshop, participants will

• be introduced to, Supply-Use Tables and Social Accounting Matrices;
• learn how to develop and interpret various impact multipliers based on data in these tables;
• extend the use of the approaches to examine, for example, indirect energy demand, cost push inflation and supply bottlenecks.
• These applications will all be developed in Excel.

In Part II, participants will

• review the micro, macro and trade theories underlying standard CGE models;
• be given an overview of parameter and elasticity estimation methods which typically provide the data on which CGEs are built;
• be exposed to issues involved in using models for specific applications, such as the analysis of trade, public finance, regulation and environmental economics; and
• present a mini-project analysing a real world issue using the techniques they have learned

Fees for attending Part I are R6,000, R13,000 for Part II only and R19,000 for the combined workshop. These fees exclude VAT (where applicable) but include teas and light lunches during the workshop. For non-Developing Country participants the fees are US$1,250 and US$2,500 and US$3,500 respectively. A 10% discount is offered to more than one application from a single institution.

Participants are responsible for their own travel and accommodation costs and are expected to bring their own Laptop PC, including and external pointing device (mouse). TIPS can recommend guest houses to participants, but it will be their responsibility to make bookings. Participants of Part II and the combined workshop should download the latest version of the GAMS software (http://www.gams.com/download/) but will be provided with a workshop specific licence for the larger applications during the event. This licence will remain active for about 3 months following the workshop.
Applications for participation can be sent to denves@xtra.co.nz and should be accompanied by a completed form (see below) stating background and reason for participation. Places are limited and will be allocated to qualified applicants on a first come first served basis. In the event of the workshop being over subscribed, applicants for the combined course will be given preference. The convenors reserve the right to cancel the workshop application do not exceed a minimum.
 

Applications should be received by June 10, 2011. Successful applicants will be notified and invoiced by June 13, 2011. Payment will be due by July 8, 2011, failing which reserved places will be offered to other applicants on a first come (measured by payment received), first serve basis.
 

The discussion will draw on information gathered on a face to face basis by Stephen Timm from
entrepreneurs and government agencies in Brazil, India and South Africa in 2010. The discussion
will focus on the following issues:

1. How can business support, a culture of entrepreneurship, market support (set-asides) and finance in be improved in South Africa?
2. How can Seda and Khula function better using learnings from India, Brazil?
3. What role can incubation play in South Africa hinging on Brazil's experience?
4. What can South Africa learn from Brazil and India on using clusters to boost SME development?
    

The report, which contains some key learnings on Brazil and India in the area of business support, market access and access to finance for small businesses is available on TIPS' home page
(www.tips.org.za) together with an executive summary.
 

Jennifer Widner is Professor of Politics and International Affairs at Woodrow Wilson School of Public and
International Affairs and Director of the Mamdouha S. Bobst Center for International Peace Justice at Princeton
University. Before joining Princeton in 2004, she was Professor of Political Science at the University of Michigan
and Associate Professor of Government at Harvard until 1994.  
Professor Widner's specialization is on Democratic Institutions and on Constitutions in developing countries,
particular in Africa. Her current research focuses on constitution writing and constitutional design, as well as
institutions and service delivery in developing countries, especially Africa.  Her interests are however across a
range of areas, in constitution writing and conflict resolution, in institutional performance, in the development of
judicial institutions, and in African politics. 
 
She has published extensively and across a variety of journals (Democratization, Journal of Development
Studies, Daedalus, the American Journal of International Law, etc.) on a range of topics.  She is author or editor
of several books, including Building the Rule of Law (W. W. Norton), a study of courts and law in Africa and
Economic Change and Political Liberalization in sub-Saharan Africa (John Hopkins University Press).

What if unemployed people in South Africa had a right – a real right – to a minimum level of regular work on decent terms? In 2005, India passed a law guaranteeing rural households up to 100 days of work a year, at minimum wage rates. Over 55 million households now participate in the programme.

Real policy innovation able to change society in significant ways is rare. India’s employment guarantee is an innovation of this magnitude, with implications for social and economic policy, and for the role of the state as employer of last resort when markets fail. In the process, India has given new meaning to the concept of a right to work – opening new policy doors.

This policy brief analyses the context of structural unemployment in marginal areas in South Africa, briefly describes India’s employment guarantee programme, explores the rationale for an employment guarantee in South Africa – and considers lessons from South Africa’s Community Work Programme (CWP) on how such a guarantee could work in practise.