Research Revival: Intervarsity Postgraduate Research Conference 2024

For the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic, the three Western Cape Universities, namely Stellenbosch University (SU), The University of the Western Cape (UWC) and the University of Cape Town (UCT), brought postgraduate students together to showcase their Economics research. Stellenbosch hosted the conference, which was organized by two staff members from the Department of Economics, Michael J. Meyer and Kholekile Malindi. Attendance was impressive, with 140 delegates attending from the three universities, and participation was enthusiastic in terms of questions and discussions between presentations. Sessions were also chaired by students themselves.

The conference is intended to develop students' skills to communicate their research and respond to critical questioning, as well as foster collaborative relationships beyond their own institutions, which are vital for promoting research impact and furthering the careers of young researchers. This essential significance of effective communication skills in articulating research ideas, connecting with peers who share common research interests, and networking to obtain feedback from the regional community were underscored in a captivating keynote address by Professor Ada Jansen, the Departmental Chair of Economics at Stellenbosch University.

The topics in the presentations covered many diverse fields within economics. For a list of the presentations, click below.

• Sinead Morrow (SU) - A critique of the long-run neutrality of money: A case study of South Africa
• Kayla Bennett (UWC) - Analysing inflation dynamics in South Africa: a new-Keynesian approach
• Catherine Smith (UCT) - Taking Stock: The Historical Evolution of the System of National Accounts and its Relation to Natural Capital
• Hany Girishkumar (UCT) - The impact of financial innovation on economic growth in South Africa: an empirical study
• Euan Chew (UCT) - Labour and Technological progress in horticultural growth: An analysis of Total Factor Productivity in the Mpumalanga Lowveld
• Tlotlo Mooketsi (SU) - Trade structure and the pattern of trade in selected industries: prospects for bilateral value chains between Botswana & South Africa
• Sebastian Breitenbach (UCT) - The Effect of Port Fees on Trade: A Case Study of South Africa’s Export Market between 2011 and 2020
• Ramzan Kamoto (SU) - Alleviating poverty in South Africa through a Negative Income Tax or a Universal Basic Income Grant: Comparative Results from a Microsimulation Model
• Rufolzer Magomane (UWC) - Evaluating the impact of higher education on income poverty in South Africa
• Annika Pretorius (SU) - Gender-Based-Violence as a public health crisis
• Faith Damon (UWC) - An exploration of female educational outcomes in South Africa over the nineteenth century