J-PAL Africa

🌍✨ Researcher Spotlight: Faustina Twumwaa Gyimah ✨🌍 We’re delighted to spotlight Faustina Twumwaa Gyimah, one of our 2024 Ghana Summer School course participants! Faustina is a doctoral candidate in Development Studies at the University of Ghana, passionate about advancing Sub-Saharan Africa's development through research and policy. Her interests span maternity protection, inclusive education, maternal, child and adolescent health, as well as infectious and non-infectious diseases. You can learn more about her by visiting her website: https://lnkd.in/dqG_ud6b This post is part of our ongoing series that highlights the profiles of African researchers that have attended our courses. Learn more about the training courses we offer here: https://lnkd.in/dvqpj7JB #GhanaSummerSchool #BuildYourOwnAcademicWebsite

[REMINDER] Apply for J-PAL Africa’s Pre-PhD Webinar for African Students! Discover opportunities to pursue a PhD in economics and related fields abroad. Hear from admissions faculty at top institutions in the UK and Europe like University of Oxford, Tinbergen Institute, CERDI, Doctoral College Clermont Auvergne University, ETH Zürich, Stockholm University, Trinity College Dublin, Université catholique de Louvain, and Berlin School of Economics. Gain tips on applications, funding, and program details. 📅 Date: Oct 10, 2024, 3:30 PM GMT 2  ☑ Apply here: https://lnkd.in/daBmrtsP ⏳Deadline: Oct 4

🌍✨ Researcher Spotlight: Carlos Kokuvi Tetteh  ✨🌍 We’re delighted to spotlight Carlos Tetteh, one of our 2024 Ghana Summer School course participants! Carlos is a PhD candidate at the Institute of Statistical, Social and Economic Research (ISSER), University of Ghana. With a strong background in economics and a focus on green financing, climate adaptation, and sustainable development, he is passionate about finding financial solutions to support African climate resilience. You can discover more about Carlos by visiting his website: https://lnkd.in/djc9EA26 This post is part of our ongoing series that highlights the profiles of African researchers that have attended our courses. Learn more about the training courses we offer here: https://lnkd.in/dvqpj7JB #GhanaSummerSchool #BuildYourOwnAcademicWebsite

Over 850 million people still do not possess an official #identity, limiting their ability to fully participate in the global economy and society (World Bank, 2022). In Sub-Saharan Africa, despite important investments in digitizing identification systems, there is little rigorous #evidence on the most (cost-)effective approaches for deploying such reforms, as well as their overall impact on enhancing service delivery, strengthening governance, fostering financial inclusion, and minimizing inefficiencies and leakages in public programs. Through the Digital Identification and Finance Initiative in Africa (DigiFI), J-PAL Africa aims to fill the evidence gap by co-generating policy-relevant evidence on how African governments, private companies, and NGOs can leverage digital payments and identification systems to improve lives through better public service delivery, governance, and financial inclusion. How to Get Involved? DigiFI is currently accepting RCT, pilot, proposal development grants and policy outreach proposals aimed at leveraging digital identification and finance systems to improve public service delivery and financial inclusion in Sub-Saharan Africa. Proposals will be reviewed on a rolling basis. For more details on our Request for Proposals (RfP) and to submit your proposals, visit: https://lnkd.in/gDrcBzX2. This call is open to J-PAL affiliates, Invited Researchers to any J-PAL research initiative or regional office, and J-PAL postdoctoral researchers. Please direct any questions to [email protected] African Scholars Program J-PAL Africa is invested in creating opportunities for African Scholars to develop and drive the research agenda on the African continent.  Please refer to the website on the DigiFI African Scholars Program (https://lnkd.in/dps5HzFd) for more information about the resources and funding opportunities available to researchers from the region. @ID4Africa

REMINDER: Applications are still open for J-PAL Africa’s Pre-PhD webinars! If you are an African student applying for a PhD in Economics or a related field abroad, join our panel of admissions experts from Yale University, University of Michigan, University of Delaware, Cornell University, University of Virginia, McGill University, Tufts University, University of Houston, University of Oxford, Tinbergen Institute, CERDI Université Clermont Auvergne, ETH Zürich, Stockholm University, Trinity College Dublin, Université catholique de Louvain and other leading universities in the US, Canada, the UK, and Europe. Gain valuable insights on crafting successful applications, meeting language requirements, and exploring funding opportunities 📖 🎓 💡 . Apply for the webinar by September 12th 2024, 11:59 pm GMT 2 here: https://lnkd.in/d2nvh6zh Explore if a phD is your path on our blogpost: https://lnkd.in/ePcqCrMm

🎓 J-PAL Africa’s Pre-PhD webinars are back! We’re hosting two sessions for African students planning to apply to PhD economics programs overseas. These webinars will give participants the chance to engage with admissions faculty from North American universities such as Yale University, Princeton University, University of Michigan, University of Delaware, Cornell University, University of Minnesota, University of Virginia, McGill University, Tufts University, and UK and Europe universities such as University of Oxford, Tinbergen Institute, CERDI University Clermont Auvergne, ETH Zürich, Stockholm University, Trinity College Dublin, Université catholique de Louvain, and Nova School of Business and Economics. Panelists will share tips on enhancing your application, understanding language requirements, and exploring funding opportunities at their institutions. Each webinar will conclude with school-specific details on the application process, requirements, and program structures. The first session, focusing on North American schools, will take place on *9 September 2024 at 3:30 PM GMT 2. The second, focusing on UK and European universities is scheduled for 10 October 2024 at 3:30 PM GMT 2 . 📌 Apply for both webinars here: https://lnkd.in/d2nvh6zh. Applications close on 12 September at 11:59 PM GMT 2!

📣 African Scholar Spotlight: In this spotlight, we speak with Oluwabunmi Adejumo a lecturer and researcher at Obafemi Awolowo University in Nigeria and a J-PAL and Center for Effective Global Action (CEGA) funded Scholar. She discusses how development economics allows her to contribute to addressing the persistent challenges in underdeveloped regions, her research interests, and advice for future Scholars. Read more here: https://lnkd.in/gDy8kEVV This post is part of our ongoing series that celebrates the work and insights of African economists leading the charge in randomised evaluations. Through the African Scholars Program, we are committed to fostering more opportunities for African researchers to drive impactful research agendas across the continent through randomised evaluations! Discover more about the African Scholars Program here: https://lnkd.in/g8fvkkMU.

📣 African Scholar Spotlight: In this spotlight, we speak with Oluwabunmi Adejumo a lecturer and researcher at Obafemi Awolowo University in Nigeria and a J-PAL and Center for Effective Global Action (CEGA) funded Scholar. She discusses how development economics allows her to contribute to addressing the persistent challenges in underdeveloped regions, her research interests, and advice for future Scholars. Read more here: https://lnkd.in/gDy8kEVV This post is part of our ongoing series that celebrates the work and insights of African economists leading the charge in randomised evaluations. Through the African Scholars Program, we are committed to fostering more opportunities for African researchers to drive impactful research agendas across the continent through randomised evaluations! Discover more about the African Scholars Program here: https://lnkd.in/g8fvkkMU.

📅 One week left to apply for our Policy Manager roles to lead exciting portfolios in Firms and Health (applications due on Monday, September 9) 📅 👷♀️ The Policy Manager - Firms will spearhead efforts to develop partnerships and generate new research aimed at identifying the most effective and cost-efficient strategies for fostering growth in small and medium enterprises in Africa, which can contribute to job creation. 💧 The Policy Manager - Health will spearhead efforts to increase access to clean water, building on evidence from Kenya, Malawi, and a meta-analysis. Specifically, the Policy Manager will scope opportunities to design, pilot, and scale a chlorine voucher program embedded within government systems across the continent. 👉 Learn more and apply here:  Firms: https://lnkd.in/d8SNgeUG Health: https://lnkd.in/d_qF-uAi 

We're thrilled to share some exciting news from Ghana! 🇬🇭 This August, we had the privilege of running two impactful courses in Accra: 1️⃣ A five-day deep dive into social impact evaluation at the Ghana Institute for Management and Public Administration (Aug 19-23) for a group of 47 policymakers, implementers, donors and researchers from across Africa. 2️⃣ A two-day intensive on advanced research methods at the University of Ghana Business School (Aug 26-27) for a group of 25 Ghanaian graduate students. These courses weren't just about theory – they were hands-on experiences that equipped participants with practical skills in designing and implementing randomized evaluations and maximizing policy impact. A big thank you to our hosts, Development Impact West Africa (DIWA) and University of Ghana Business School | UGBS, for partnering with us on these courses. Here's to fostering evidence-based decision making and creating lasting impact! 🌟 Interested in attending a J-PAL Africa training course in the future? Find out more here: https://lnkd.in/dvqpj7JB