Trade and Regulation Policy Group
Trade and Regulation Policy Group - Short
Academic Courses and Seminars
Current courses
Previous courses
If external funding becomes available,
these courses may be offered this year
Introduction to Economy-wide Policy Impact
Analysis (4-8 April 2005 - Gauteng)
Most economics courses focus either on
macroeconomic relationships or on their micro foundations.
However, at the practical level of public sector policy analysts
and policy makers, considerable attention is paid to the
industry/sector or meso level of economic activity. Key sector
analysis, sectoral impact studies, partial and general
equilibrium trade and industry analysis are frequently conducted
both in the public and the private sector.
Input-output analysis, complemented by means of social
accounting matrices is often used as a tool to conduct such meso-level
economic enquiry. Researchers frequently use these tools to
analyse the impact of policy-related and other changes on the
economy. The tools are also extended to address broader
concerns, such as the impact of policy on the environment.
Economic modelling techniques that capture economy-wide impacts
of policy changes are increasingly being used in South African
academic, consulting and research circles. To cater for this
increased demand, the School of Economics at the University of
Cape Town in conjunction with the Trade and Industrial Policy
Strategies (TIPS) are offering the fifth one week introductory
course in economy-wide policy impact analysis at the end of
March or the beginning of April 2004.
The course is designed and presented by academics and experts
in the field of economy-wide policy modelling. Lectures are used
to introduce the theory and provide insight into the scope of
research possible using the particular modelling technique. More
importantly, each lecture is followed by a hands-on exercise
where the theory or model is applied using economic data from
South Africa and other Southern African countries where
appropriate. Apart from imparting the practical skills needed to
apply the theory, these exercises familiarise participants with
key features of the South African economy. Each participant will
also present a brief project using the modelling tools learnt
during the course. An afternoon slot will be reserved for guest
lectures on real live applications highlighting the usefulness
and shortcoming of these techniques.
By the end of the course, participants will be equipped with
sufficient theoretical and practical skills to engage in impact
analysis within their research, consulting or academic
environments. The course also provides a solid grounding for
those who wish to enter into the field of computable general
equilibrium (CGE) modelling. For these participants a CGE
modelling course will be offered at a later stage.
Course fees: R4 500 (which includes teas and
lunches).
If you wish to be considered for admission to this course,
please send your CV to Dirk Ernst van Seventer (dirk@tips.org.za).
Closing date for registration is 28 February 2005. Further
information on registration, accommodation and required
preparation can be obtained from the course conveners:
Course Outline, lecture notes and exercises
Click
here for more information on the course outline and reading
list
Click
here to download the material for the 2003 course
Click
here for pictures of the 2003 course
Click
here for pictures of previous courses
For more information contact:
Dirk
Ernst van Seventer
dirk@tips.org.za
Lawrence
Edwards
Lawrence.Edwards@uct.ac.za
Tools for Trade Policy
Analysis , December 6-10 2004
Objective of the
Course
The objective of
this course is to provide researchers and government personnel
working in the area of trade with a fundamental understanding of
trade policy and the tools used to undertake its analysis. It is not
a classic international trade course taught at graduate schools, but
rather focused on the practitioner faced with having to brief the
minister or trade negotiator on how to respond to trade issues and
negotiations that arise. As such, the theory discussions will
concentrate not on the rigorous mathematics but rather an intuitive
understanding of all the complexities of how trade policy changes
affect an economy. It also has a strong emphasis on useful partial
equilibrium policy tools that can be used to provide a reasonable
assessment of the impact of trade policy changes on the economy
(from output to labour to consumers) relatively quickly and with the
kind of data that is available in the region.
For further
information on previous courses click here.
Advanced Workshop on Economy-Wide Modelling, 7-14 January
2004
Motivation
and Background: The Department of Economics at the
University of Cape Town has hosted two short courses annually in policy analysis
using economy-wide modeling techniques since 2000. These courses and other
efforts have contributed to a growing use of economy-wide models for policy
analysis in the southern Africa region. This workshop seeks to build on this
existing momentum. The primary goal of the workshop is to augment the skills of
current practitioners in the region.
Format:
The workshop will delve deeply into four topical
areas. The study of each topic will likely include: presentation of recent
contributions to the literature by instructors as well as current work being
undertaken by selected participants, reproduction of results from at least one
of the presented papers, a model extension, and in-depth discussion. Possible
topic areas include:
- regional
modeling,
- public
finance,
- analysis
of trade agreements,
- poverty
and income distribution implications of policy change,
- dynamics,
and
- imperfect
competition.
In
addition, some practical aspects of conducting research, such as managing data
and organizing output, will also be covered.
Instructors:
Channing
Arndt, Purdue University
Rob Davies
Joseph Francois, Erasmus University
Scott McDonald, Sheffield University (provisional)
Sherman Robinson, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI)
With
assistance from: Lawrence Edwards, University of Cape Town; Christen Lungren,
University of Sussex; Dirk van Seventer, Trade and Industrial Policy Stategies; and James Thurlow, University of Natal and IFPRI.
Contact:
Persons interested in participating in the
workshop should contact Lawrence Edwards (Lawrence.Edwards@uct.ac.za).
A fee will be requested of all participants in order to meet the costs of
holding the workshop. Course slots will be strictly limited.
Accommodation:
Accommodation is notoriously difficult
to obtain in January. A list of available accommodation
(including prices) are available from this link. Please book
early to avoid disappointment.
Maps:
A map of the UCT campus is available from the following site:
http://www.uct.ac.za/generic.php?m=/contacts/campus.php
An Introductory Course on Computable General Equilibrium
Modelling, 30 June -11 July 2003
Whilst
most economic course work focuses either on macroeconomic
relationships or on their micro foundations, at the practical
level of public sector policy analysts and policy makers,
considerable attention is paid to the industry or sector level
of economic activity. Key sector analysis, sectoral impact
studies, partial and general equilibrium trade and industry
analysis are frequently conducted both in the public as well as
the private sector.
The use
of economic modelling techniques that capture economy-wide
impacts of policy changes is growing in the South African
academic, consulting and research circles. To cater for this
increased demand, the School of Economics at the University of
Cape Town in conjunction with International Food Policy Research
Institute (IFPRI) are hosting a two week intensive computable
general equilibrium (CGE) modelling course in Cape Town between 30
June and 11 July 2003. As in previous years, the course is
open to suitable candidates from outside of the University of
Cape Town.
The course builds on material designed by
IFPRI who have been involved in the development of this course
over the past two years. The course combines theory, data, and
application, with emphasis on hands-on computer training. In the
theory area, it surveys basic micro, macro, and trade theory,
all of which are applied in economic models. Other topics
dealing with government finance, regulation and environmental
economics may also be dealt with. The general equilibrium models
developed are structured around Social Accounting Matrices
(SAMs) which provide a practical and consistent framework for
organising economic data. The course presents this framework and
leads students from simple SAM based models to more complex CGE
models.
For
economic modelling the course teaches the GAMS programming
languages. The different parts of the course are tightly
integrated and cumulative - the course moves from the simple to
the complex; both theoretical and applied skills developed at
earlier stages are drawn upon and further developed at later
stages. At each stage extensive computer-based exercises are
provided. By the end of the course participants will be
competent in the programming and use of standard CGE models.
This
is a Masters level course and is open to all students with at
least an Honours degree containing the requisite background in
economic theory and quantitative techniques.
A fee will be requested of all
participants in order to meet the costs of holding the workshop.
Course slots will be strictly limited.
For
further information regarding the course and available accommodation,
please contact
Lawrence Edwards (Lawrence.Edwards@uct.ac.za)
(Tel: 021 650 2723)
Click
here for maps of UCT. Lectures will take place Upper Campus
in Leslie Commerce Lecture theatre 2B (See grid C3 on map).
Click
here for the 2003 course material
Click
here for outline of modelling course in 2002.
Click
here for pictures of modelling course in 2002.
Click
here for pictures of modelling course in 2001.
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