Workshop on Sustainable Growth and Diversification in September 2018 in Pretoria, South Africa
The fourth and final annual CEDS research workshop “Sustainable growth and diversification” was held from September 10-14, 2018 at the University of Pretoria (UP) in South Africa. This year’s workshop hosted 18 professors and guest researchers, as well as 17 PhD and MPhil students, who came together from nine different countries to present and discuss their current research projects.
The first day was dedicated to the discussion of PhD and Master students’ papers. The workshop was opened by the South African CEDS coordinator André Jordaan, the dean of the Economic and Management Sciences faculty, Elsabe Loots and one of the German project directors, Heike Joebges. Subsequently, the students presented their projects in two parallel groups. Their contributions were discussed and commented on by fellow students and the international professors and guest researchers.
The second day covered a methodological session by Claudius Gräbner on “Measures of economic complexity” and a “Speed-Dating-Session” where the students had the possibility to discuss possible future research collaborations. During a parallel session, the professors of the CEDS network had time to discuss the future of the project.
The following two days were dedicated to seven different thematic sessions where the professors and guest researchers presented their research projects on the workshop topic. This included a session of UNCTAD representative Jörg Mayer on “Digitalization and industrialization: friends or foes?" The corresponding paper of the same title was published at UN publications and can be accessed here. Massimo De-Luca, the Head of Trade & Economics Delegation of the European Union to South Africa elaborated on the question of “How international trade and FDI contribute to regional value chains”. The thematic sessions opened discussions of old and new challenges for development and an analysis of the potential for sustainable and employment creating growth in a globalized world.
On the final day, the workshop participants made a field trip and visited the South African Nissan production plant and a local handcraft market to underline the theoretical knowledge of the workshop with real world examples.