Reza Che Daniels

Contact Information

Lecturer, School of Economics
Research Associate, SALDRU
Office Number 5.63
Leslie Social Sciences Building
University of Cape Town
Ph: +27-(0)21-650-2721
Fax: +27-(0)21-650-2854
Reza.Daniels@uct.ac.za

Background:

I joined the School of Economics in 2005 and teach in micro, development and labour economics. My research interests span theoretical and applied aspects of economics, though my focus historically has been more on the latter.

Professional Societies that I belong to include:

• Economic Society of South Africa
• African Econometric Society
• International Association for Research in Income and Wealth

My research interests are:

1.a. Econometrics: Theoretical
My research in this field focuses on deficient data and the implications for estimation and inference. The theoretical locus and literature for this research spans specific subject areas in econometrics and mathematical statistics. An example of excellent work in this field is provided by Francesca Molinaris treatment of deficient data (and many related topics). Important links include:

• African Econometric Society: http://www.africametrics.org/
• Econometric Society: http://www.econometricsociety.org/
• International Statistical Institute: http://isi.cbs.nl/
• Francesca Molinari: http://www.arts.cornell.edu/econ/fmolinari/

1.b. Econometrics: Applied
Applied dimensions to my interests in econometrics focus on working with survey data (at the household and firm level). Economic issues that are confronted by such a focus are diverse: consider the fact that policy in South Africa and abroad is increasingly debated using the results of survey data. However, the design of these probability-based instruments introduces important qualifiers to the analysis of such data. UCT has many scientists actively engaged in this field of research, centred around the Southern Africa Labour and Development Research Unit (SALDRU). An important international working group with particular emphases on income, employment and wealth is the Luxembourg Income Study. The World Bank Living Standards Measurement Surveys (LSMS) and Investment Climate Surveys are also very useful. Important links include:

• SALDRU: http://www.saldru.uct.ac.za/
• Luxembourg Income Study: http://www.lisproject.org/
• World Bank LSMS: http://www.worldbank.org/lsms/
• UN Stats Division: http://unstats.un.org/unsd/methods.htm

2. Labour Economics
Within the subject, my interests presently lie in human capital theory and job search theory. In addition, I have focussed on several applied problems over the course of the last few years, ranging from skills shortages to trade unions to earnings. South Africas huge unemployment problem brings into focus many issues related to the labour market, arguably the most important of which is labour market policy and regulation. A useful research centre that focuses on this issue is the Centre for the Study of African Economies (CSAE) at Oxford University. Useful links include;

• Development Policy Research Unit: http://www.commerce.uct.ac.za/Research%5FUnits/DPRU/
• CSAE: Unemployment Research: http://www.csae.ox.ac.uk/resprogs/usam/default.html
• The Society of Labor Economists: http://client.norc.org/jole/SOLEweb/sole.htm
• European Association of Labour Economists http://www.eale.nl/

3. Development Economics
My interests in this broad field are fairly eclectic. Since the 1990s, development theory has undergone substantial revision and updating, and this process has resulted in a plethora of innovative ideas being (re)introduced to the field (e.g. economics of information, theory of coordination problems, institutional economics). A useful reference that explains this process is the text "Frontiers of Development Economics", edited by Gerald Meier and Joseph Stiglitz. Quite apart from this body of work, the new economic geography literature in combination with more recent work on industrial policy pose very interesting, and in my view complementary, economic growth questions. Lastly, Hernando De Soto's innovative look at the problems of the informal sector and economic development raise intriguing policy and research questions. Useful links include:

• Joseph Stiglitz: http://www.gsb.columbia.edu/faculty/jstiglitz/
• Angus Deaton: http://www.wws.princeton.edu/deaton/
• Tony Venables: http://econ.lse.ac.uk/staff/ajv/research_material.html
• Hernando De Soto: http://www.ild.org.pe/home.htm

4. Distributional implications of public policy
Who benefits from economic policy? This question underlies much of my work and has been a focus throughout my research career. The use of benefit incidence analyses and other quantitative methodologies that allow researchers to accurately identify the beneficiaries of public policy initiatives provides an excellent basis to conduct such investigation. Applications in my research have been to trade and poverty, micro finance, and redistribution of rights in the fishing industry and its impact on poverty. Excellent SA policy research can be found at the Development Policy Research Unit (link above) and Economic Research Southern Africa. A useful international association that serves as a clearing house for such research is the World Institute for Development Economics Research (WIDER). The Global Poverty Research Group also has some excellent resources. Useful links include:

• Economic Research Southern Africa: http://www.econrsa.org/
• Trade & poverty: http://www.saldru.uct.ac.za/saldru_trade&poverty.html
• WIDER: http://www.wider.unu.edu/
• Global Poverty Research Group: http://www.gprg.org/