Workshop for Young Economists on Macroeconomics and Finance in Africa

The Foundation for International Development Studies and Research (FERDI) and the National Bank of Rwanda (BNR) are pleased to announce a workshop for young African economists focusing on macroeconomics and finance in Africa. 

This event aims to:

• Bring together young African researchers specializing in macroeconomics and finance, with a particular interest in African central banks;
• Facilitate the exchange of knowledge between young researchers and experienced researchers and strengthen professional networks among participants.

Applications to participate in this event are now closed.

Thirteen young researchers (9 PhD students and 4 young PhD graduates) have been selected to take part in this workshop, which will feature Nicola Limodio from Bocconi University (Italy). 

DAY 1

Keynote Presentation "Economic Transformation & Macroeconomic Policy Challenges and Opportunities in Africa & the Rwandan Experience" (Leonard RUGWABIZA)

Session 1: Climate change
• Environmental Policies, Non-Tariff Measures, and Export Survival of Green Goods (Socrates Kraido MAJUNE)
• How do climate change adaptation efforts shape banks' lending behavior in WAEMU countries? (Yves KACOU)

Session 2: Digital
• Institutional quality and artificial intelligence readiness: A twin catalyst for growth in Sub-Saharan Africa (Placide Aime KWIZERA)
• Digitalization and the labor market in Senegal: What impact does the Plan Sénégal Emergent have? (Yasser BOINA)
• The Macroeconomic Relevance of Mobile Money (Mphatso Elias ACKIM)

Session 3: Financial stability
• Assessing the Systemic Risk in the Rwandan Banking Sector using Clustering Approach (Patrick MUGENZI)
• Inflation-at-Risk in the WAEMU through the lens of commodity price movements (Ruben DJOGBENOU)

DAY 2

Keynote Presentation "Developing the Mortgage Market: Technology, Property Rights, and Banking" (Nicola LIMODIO)

Session 4: Macroeconomic policy
• Monetary policy shocks and inflation: The impact of backed vs. unbacked public debt in a policy mix regime (Marrium MUSTAPHER)
• Thou Shalt Not Exit: Capital Controls on Outflows and the Composition of External Liabilities in SSA (Nour-Eddine ECHCHARFI)
• Do macroprudential policies improve depositor confidence in the banking system in developing countries? (Bertrand THOM)

Session 5: Access to credit
• Monetary Policy and Bank Risk-Taking in Africa (Djeneba DRAME)
• Private sector debt service, loan maturity, and economic growth in developing countries (Christian NYALIHAMA)
• Is there elite capture in credit access? Empirical evidence from Côte d'Ivoire (Oscar AMPOFO)

The scientific committee:
Joshua Abor (Univ. Ghana Business School) ∣ Désiré Avom (Univ. Yaoundé II-SOA), Alfred Bizoza (Univ. Rwanda), Olivier Damette (Univ. Lorraine), Samuel Guérineau (Cerdi, Univ. Clermont Auvergne), Michael Goujon (Cerdi, Univ. Clermont Auvergne), Richard Kabanda (Univ. Rwanda), Thierry Kalisa (NBR), Mathias Karangwa (NBR), Kangni Kpodar (FMI), Florian Léon (Ferdi), Andrea Presbitero (FMI), Babacar Sene (UCAD Dakar), Laurent Weill (Univ. Strasbourg). 

For any inquiries, please use the following email address: macrofinance.africa@ferdi.fr