ek Seeking for Faculty Positions at University of Shanghai for Science and Technology By feeds.nature.com Published On :: Wed, 23 Oct 2019 06:58:17 +0000 About us University of Shanghai for Science and Technology (USST) emerged from the University of Shanghai founded in 1906 and the German Medical and Engineering School set up in 1907. Carrying on its motto of “Integrity, Righteousness, Diligence, Love, Pondering, Learning, Aspiration, Ambition”, USST aims to cultivate students with knowledge, ambitions, as well as socialist core values. Adhering to the strategy of “developing in partnership with outstanding faculty”, the university now has 16… Full Article
ek Faculty Positions at IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research at Peking University By feeds.nature.com Published On :: Wed, 23 Oct 2019 07:05:34 +0000 Applications are invited for Principal Investigator (PI) positions at IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research at PKU. Positions are open at all ranks from Assistant, Associate to Full Investigator ship. The Institute was established in 2012 with support from Peking University, IDG and Patrick J. McGovern and Lore Harp McGovern, who are committed to improving human welfare, communication and understanding through their support for neuroscience research. The Institute consists of neural and c… Full Article
ek Seeking for Multiple Faculty Positions in Capital Normal University (CNU) By feeds.nature.com Published On :: Tue, 05 Nov 2019 10:12:57 +0000 About CNU Capital Normal University (CNU) was founded in 1954. Being a national “Double-First Class” university and “Province-Ministry Co-sponsored” (Beijing and the Education Ministry) university, CNU has extensively broad disciplines including literature, sciences, engineering, management, law, education, foreign languages and arts. For over 60 years, CNU has cultivated more than 200 thousand graduates specializing in various fields. Currently, CNU is an important talent training base of Be… Full Article
ek Recruitment of Faculty for Peking University International Cancer Institute (PKUICI) By feeds.nature.com Published On :: Fri, 15 Nov 2019 07:36:57 +0000 About Peking University International Cancer Institute (PKUICI) Peking University International Cancer Institute(PKUICI) was formally established in 2019. With the support of School of Basic Medical Sciences, Cancer Hospital, People's Hospital, Biomedical Pioneering Innovation Center (BIOPIC), School of Life Sciences, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Public Health, College of Engineering and other affiliated hospitals of Peking University, PKUICI is aimed to attract and create wor… Full Article
ek Seeking for Faculty Positions at University of Shanghai for Science and Technology By feeds.nature.com Published On :: Thu, 21 Nov 2019 07:51:36 +0000 About us University of Shanghai for Science and Technology (USST) emerged from the University of Shanghai founded in 1906 and the German Medical and Engineering School set up in 1907. Carrying on its motto of “Integrity, Righteousness, Diligence, Love, Pondering, Learning, Aspiration, Ambition”, USST aims to cultivate students with knowledge, ambitions, as well as socialist core values. Adhering to the strategy of “developing in partnership with outstanding faculty”, the university now has 16… Full Article
ek Faculty Positions at IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research at Peking University By feeds.nature.com Published On :: Thu, 21 Nov 2019 07:58:22 +0000 Applications are invited for Principal Investigator (PI) positions at IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research at PKU. Positions are open at all ranks from Assistant, Associate to Full Investigator ship. The Institute was established in 2012 with support from Peking University, IDG and Patrick J. McGovern and Lore Harp McGovern, who are committed to improving human welfare, communication and understanding through their support for neuroscience research. The Institute consists of neural and c… Full Article
ek Seeking for Multiple Faculty Positions in Capital Normal University (CNU) By feeds.nature.com Published On :: Wed, 04 Dec 2019 08:58:51 +0000 About CNU Capital Normal University (CNU) was founded in 1954. Being a national “Double-First Class” university and “Province-Ministry Co-sponsored” (Beijing and the Education Ministry) university, CNU has extensively broad disciplines including literature, sciences, engineering, management, law, education, foreign languages and arts. For over 60 years, CNU has cultivated more than 200 thousand graduates specializing in various fields. Currently, CNU is an important talent training base of Be… Full Article
ek Seeking for Faculty Positions at University of Shanghai for Science and Technology By feeds.nature.com Published On :: Wed, 18 Dec 2019 10:34:54 +0000 About us University of Shanghai for Science and Technology (USST) emerged from the University of Shanghai founded in 1906 and the German Medical and Engineering School set up in 1907. Carrying on its motto of “Integrity, Righteousness, Diligence, Love, Pondering, Learning, Aspiration, Ambition”, USST aims to cultivate students with knowledge, ambitions, as well as socialist core values. Adhering to the strategy of “developing in partnership with outstanding faculty”, the university now has 16… Full Article
ek Faculty Positions at IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research at Peking University By feeds.nature.com Published On :: Wed, 18 Dec 2019 10:37:37 +0000 Applications are invited for Principal Investigator (PI) positions at IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research at PKU. Positions are open at all ranks from Assistant, Associate to Full Investigator ship. The Institute was established in 2012 with support from Peking University, IDG and Patrick J. McGovern and Lore Harp McGovern, who are committed to improving human welfare, communication and understanding through their support for neuroscience research. The Institute consists of neural and c… Full Article
ek Project on Managing the Atom Seeking Full-Time Research Associate By www.belfercenter.org Published On :: Mar 12, 2020 Mar 12, 2020The Managing the Atom (MTA) project at the Harvard Kennedy School is seeking a full-time Research Associate to support research projects directed by Professor Matthew Bunn on a range of nuclear policy topics including strategic stability and the future of nuclear arms control, reducing the risks of nuclear theft and terrorism worldwide, stemming the spread of nuclear weapons, and addressing key constraints on and risks of nuclear energy. Reporting to the MTA co-principal investigator Prof. Matthew Bunn, the Research Associate will play a major role in researching and writing papers and reports in these areas. Full Article
ek Spotlight: Tarek Masoud By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Mar 24, 2020 Mar 24, 2020Our Spotlight in this newsletter is on Prof. Tarek Masoud, Faculty Chair of the Middle East Initiative (MEI). In talking about MEI, Masoud says the Initiative is one of the most important ways in which HKS and Harvard engages with the contemporary Middle East. “It’s a bridge," he says. "My goal to make it into a superhighway.” Full Article
ek Spotlight: Tarek Masoud By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Mar 24, 2020 Mar 24, 2020Our Spotlight in this newsletter is on Prof. Tarek Masoud, Faculty Chair of the Middle East Initiative (MEI). In talking about MEI, Masoud says the Initiative is one of the most important ways in which HKS and Harvard engages with the contemporary Middle East. “It’s a bridge," he says. "My goal to make it into a superhighway.” Full Article
ek Idea Exchange with Montek Singh Ahluwalia: Send us your questions By archive.indianexpress.com Published On :: Mon, 26 Mar 2012 10:31:48 GMT Montek Singh Ahluwalia, Deputy Chairman of the Planning Commission, will be our guest at Idea Exchange on Tuesday, March 20 at 4 pm. Send us your questions for him here. Full Article
ek Idea Exchange with Montek Singh Alhuwalia: Send us your question By archive.indianexpress.com Published On :: Tue, 18 Sep 2012 11:41:33 GMT Deputy Chairman of the Planning Commission, Montek Singh Alhuwalia is our guest at the Idea Exchange on September 19. Send us your questions. Full Article
ek Environmental Insights Interview with Jos Delbeke By www.belfercenter.org Published On :: Jan 8, 2020 Jan 8, 2020Jos Delbeke, Professor at the European University Institute in Florence and at the KU Leuven in Belgium, recounted the history of carbon pricing and voiced his optimism for further international efforts to combat climate change in the newest episode of "Environmental Insights: Discussions on Policy and Practice from the Harvard Environmental Economics Program." Full Article
ek Former European Commission Climate Negotiator Jos Delbeke Shares Firsthand Account of Carbon Pricing Evolution in New Episode of “Environmental Insights” By www.belfercenter.org Published On :: Jan 8, 2020 Jan 8, 2020Jos Delbeke, Professor at the European University Institute in Florence and at the KU Leuven in Belgium, recounted the evolution of carbon pricing and voiced his optimism for further international efforts to combat climate change in the newest episode of “Environmental Insights: Discussions on Policy and Practice from the Harvard Environmental Economics Program.” Full Article
ek Spotlight: Tarek Masoud By www.belfercenter.org Published On :: Mar 24, 2020 Mar 24, 2020Our Spotlight in this newsletter is on Prof. Tarek Masoud, Faculty Chair of the Middle East Initiative (MEI). In talking about MEI, Masoud says the Initiative is one of the most important ways in which HKS and Harvard engages with the contemporary Middle East. “It’s a bridge," he says. "My goal to make it into a superhighway.” Full Article
ek Philippine oil firms seek ethanol mandate suspension By www.argusmedia.com Published On :: 06 May 2020 09:59 (+01:00 GMT) Full Article Biofuels Oil products Ethanol Gasoline Asia-Pacific Southeast Asia Philippines
ek Whitmarsh seeks wing clarification By en.espnf1.com Published On :: Sat, 31 Jul 2010 15:33:48 GMT McLaren team-boss left television viewers in no doubt what he thought about the legality of Red Bull's flexible front wing after Sebastian Vettel and Mark Webber dominated qualifying for the Hungarian Grand Prix Full Article
ek Schumacher seeks rules clarification By en.espnf1.com Published On :: Sun, 27 Jun 2010 16:56:45 GMT Michael Schumacher has called for clarification of the safety car rules after the seven-time world champion completed his worst ever race finish in 259 grand prix starts Full Article
ek Spotlight: Tarek Masoud By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Mar 24, 2020 Mar 24, 2020Our Spotlight in this newsletter is on Prof. Tarek Masoud, Faculty Chair of the Middle East Initiative (MEI). In talking about MEI, Masoud says the Initiative is one of the most important ways in which HKS and Harvard engages with the contemporary Middle East. “It’s a bridge," he says. "My goal to make it into a superhighway.” Full Article
ek Spotlight: Tarek Masoud By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Mar 24, 2020 Mar 24, 2020Our Spotlight in this newsletter is on Prof. Tarek Masoud, Faculty Chair of the Middle East Initiative (MEI). In talking about MEI, Masoud says the Initiative is one of the most important ways in which HKS and Harvard engages with the contemporary Middle East. “It’s a bridge," he says. "My goal to make it into a superhighway.” Full Article
ek The Economic Gains of Cloud Computing: An Address by Federal Chief Information Officer Vivek Kundra By webfeeds.brookings.edu Published On :: Wed, 07 Apr 2010 09:00:00 -0400 Event Information April 7, 20109:00 AM - 11:00 AM EDTFalk AuditoriumThe Brookings Institution1775 Massachusetts Ave., NWWashington, DC Register for the EventCloud computing services over the Internet have the potential to spur a significant increase in government efficiency and decrease technology costs, as well as to create incentives and online platforms for innovation. Adoption of cloud computing technologies could lead to new, efficient ways of governing.On April 7, the Brookings Institution hosted a policy forum that examines the economic benefits of cloud computing for local, state, and federal government. Federal Chief Information Officer Vivek Kundra delivered a keynote address on the role of the government in developing and promoting cloud computing. Brookings Vice President Darrell West moderated a panel of experts and detailed the findings in his paper, "Saving Money through Cloud Computing," which analyzes its governmental cost-savings potential. After the program, panelists took audience questions. Video Cloud Computing a Fiscally Smart MoveCloud Computing Saves Money, Makes Government More OpenCloud Computing Will Fundamentally Change Government OperationsGovernment on Cloud Will Yield Cost-Effective System Audio The Economic Gains of Cloud Computing Transcript Uncorrected Transcript (.pdf) Event Materials 20100407_cloud_computing0407_cloud_computing_kundra_remarks0407_cloud_computing_kundra_presentation Full Article
ek Figure of the week: Poverty and health care SDG projections in sub-Saharan Africa By webfeeds.brookings.edu Published On :: Wed, 15 Jan 2020 19:00:30 +0000 On January 8, the Africa Growth Initiative at Brookings released its annual Foresight Africa publication. This year’s special edition focuses on six key priorities for the next decade. The first chapter, Achieving the Sustainable Development Goals: The state of play and policy options, highlights recent progress and challenges facing the continent in achieving Agenda 2030. In his essay,… Full Article
ek Figures of the week: The costs of financing Africa’s response to COVID-19 By webfeeds.brookings.edu Published On :: Thu, 07 May 2020 16:21:13 +0000 Last month’s edition of the International Monetary Fund (IMF)’s biannual Regional Economic Outlook for Sub-Saharan Africa, which discusses economic developments and prospects for the region, pays special attention to the financial channels through which COVID-19 has—and will—impact the economic growth of the region. Notably, the authors of the report reduced their GDP growth estimates from… Full Article
ek Was Saudi King Salman too sick to attend this week’s Arab League summit? By webfeeds.brookings.edu Published On :: Mon, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 King Salman failed to show at the Arab League summit this week in Mauritania, allegedly for health reasons. The king’s health has been a question since his accession to the throne last year. Full Article Uncategorized
ek Charts of the Week: Jobs, rent, and businesses during coronavirus By webfeeds.brookings.edu Published On :: Fri, 27 Mar 2020 20:05:17 +0000 As the economic impact of the spreading coronavirus crisis continues to unfold, how will workers, businesses, and renters cope? Here are a few items from recent research and analysis from Brookings experts on COVID-19. How long will temporary layoffs remain temporary? Ryan Nunn and Jana Parsons examine how the number of both temporary and permanent… Full Article
ek Charts of the Week: COVID-19 and workers By webfeeds.brookings.edu Published On :: Fri, 03 Apr 2020 19:07:08 +0000 In this week's Charts of the Week, more data and analysis about how the coronavirus pandemic is affecting the workforce. For more on Brookings experts' response to coronavirus, visit our resource page. IMMIGRANTS' VITAL ROLE IN COVID-19 RESPONSE Note: In the U.S., physicians are computed as belonging to the categories physicians, surgeons, and physician assistants,… Full Article
ek Charts of the Week: People and places during coronavirus By webfeeds.brookings.edu Published On :: Fri, 10 Apr 2020 18:17:08 +0000 In Charts of the Week this week, a few items related to U.S. populations, people, and places related to the coronavirus pandemic. City growth is SLOWING Population growth in U.S. metro areas is slowing. William Frey observes that “as urban population disperses, smaller metropolitan areas, suburban counties, and populations residing outside of metropolitan areas are… Full Article
ek Charts of the Week: Coronavirus’s impacts on learning, employment, and deaths of Black Americans By webfeeds.brookings.edu Published On :: Fri, 17 Apr 2020 18:43:25 +0000 In this week's edition of Charts of the Week, a look at some of the impacts that the coronavirus pandemic is having on various policy areas, including education, jobs, and racial inequality. Learn more from Brookings scholars about the global response to coronavirus (COVID-19). Learning inequality during COVID-19 Worldwide nearly 190 countries have closed schools,… Full Article
ek Charts of the Week: COVID-19’s impact on different groups in America By webfeeds.brookings.edu Published On :: Thu, 23 Apr 2020 21:14:03 +0000 In Charts of the Week this week, more insights into how COVID-19 is having an impact on different groups in America. Learn more from Brookings scholars about the global response to coronavirus (COVID-19). COVID-19 spreading to suburban, whiter, and more Republican-leaning areas Bill Frey discusses how “new counties showing a high prevalence of COVID-19 cases… Full Article
ek Charts of the Week: Chinese tech, social distancing, aid to states By webfeeds.brookings.edu Published On :: Fri, 01 May 2020 10:00:23 +0000 In this week's Charts of the Week, a mix of charts from recent Brookings research, including China's technology, social distancing, and aid to states. Growing demand for China’s global surveillance technology In a new paper from the Global China Initiative, part of a release focused on China's growing technological prowess worldwide, Sheena Chestnut Greitens notes… Full Article
ek Charts of the Week: Housing affordability, COVID-19 effects By webfeeds.brookings.edu Published On :: Thu, 07 May 2020 18:37:39 +0000 In Charts of the Week this week, housing affordability and some new COVID-19 related research. How to lower costs of apartment building to make them more affordable to build In the first piece in a series on how improved design and construction decisions can lower the cost of building multifamily housing, Hannah Hoyt and Jenny… Full Article
ek Figures of the week: The costs of financing Africa’s response to COVID-19 By webfeeds.brookings.edu Published On :: Thu, 07 May 2020 16:21:13 +0000 Last month’s edition of the International Monetary Fund (IMF)’s biannual Regional Economic Outlook for Sub-Saharan Africa, which discusses economic developments and prospects for the region, pays special attention to the financial channels through which COVID-19 has—and will—impact the economic growth of the region. Notably, the authors of the report reduced their GDP growth estimates from… Full Article
ek Greek elections: The first defeat of populism in Europe? By webfeeds.brookings.edu Published On :: Wed, 10 Jul 2019 20:17:34 +0000 The liberal leader of the center-right New Democracy party, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, was sworn in as Greece’s prime minister on July 8, after last Sunday’s snap elections in which he won 39.8 percent of the votes, while the ruling populist Syriza party secured a 31.5 percent share. The electoral system, which confers a 50-seat bonus to… Full Article
ek This Week in Economic Numbers: State and Local Edition By webfeeds.brookings.edu Published On :: Tue, 29 May 2012 11:56:00 -0400 This week will bring a cornucopia of new data, an econo-nerd's dream. Unfortunately for some of us nerds, there won't be any releases on state and local government finances. (The Census Bureau generally has to wait for all states to report and, as you can imagine, some states are laggards.) However, there will still be a lot in this week's numbers for those who follow state and local government finances, pay into state and local coffers, or consume predominantly state and local public services like education, roads, and health care. Here are a few trends worth watching: First, Tuesday's March S&P/Case Shiller house price indexes will be important for states whose fortunes are tied to real estate, especially in the West and Southwest. Macroeconomic forecasters are predicting home prices will decline slightly compared to one year ago but continue to increase month-to-month, suggesting that perhaps the market has hit bottom. That would be good news for the housing sector. However, research from Federal Reserve Board economists Byron Lutz, Raven Molloy, and Hui Shan suggests that any boon to state and local revenues would be minor. They calculate the housing bust per se generated only a $22 billion drop in taxes over three years, equivalent to roughly 3 percent of annual state and local revenues excluding federal funds. Meanwhile, the latest Census data suggest that state taxes are growing, but at a pace that is slower than usual. More worrisome, the pace appears to be moderating. In recent weeks, California, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Rhode Island have all reported taxes coming in below projections. Also, local property taxes are likely to remain in the doldrums for some time. They tend to respond to house price changes with a delay and thus just started showing the effects of the housing bust in late 2010. Property taxes recently turned positive again, but these gains are anemic by historical standards and likely caused by rate hikes in some jurisdictions rather than improving property values. Next up this week are Bureau of Economic Analysis revisions to first quarter GDP. Macroeconomists will be attuned to how the revisions compare to advance estimates and what this portends for the recovery. They might also take note of whether these governments are detracting from growth - as they have done by an average of 0.2 percentage points in each quarter since 2008 - or contributing to it as usual. State and local watchers will be more focused on state and local spending, which unlike previous downturns, has declined in real per capita terms and not yet recovered. That leads us to the biggest number to watch this week - Friday's jobs report. State and local employment is already down by 665,000 jobs or about 3.5 percent from its pre-recession peak. Recent trends suggest that cuts may be abating, but this total masks differences across subsectors - state education has been adding jobs while losses continue in all other subsectors, especially at the local level. Ongoing state and local job losses also distinguish this recession from previous downturns in the modern era. This may be in keeping with the depths of this Great Recession. However, it's hard to imagine state and local residents aren't feeling the pinch of higher property tax burdens or lower services. To take one example, Governor Jerry Brown has proposed closing California's $16 billion budget gap by converting state employees to a four day work week and closing state parks. From a macro perspective, the fiscal tightening may be over. But that doesn't mean state and local governments aren't still a real drag. Authors Tracy Gordon Publication: Real Clear Markets Image Source: © Daniel Shanken / Reuters Full Article
ek Figures of the week: The costs of financing Africa’s response to COVID-19 By webfeeds.brookings.edu Published On :: Thu, 07 May 2020 16:21:13 +0000 Last month’s edition of the International Monetary Fund (IMF)’s biannual Regional Economic Outlook for Sub-Saharan Africa, which discusses economic developments and prospects for the region, pays special attention to the financial channels through which COVID-19 has—and will—impact the economic growth of the region. Notably, the authors of the report reduced their GDP growth estimates from… Full Article
ek Seeking solutions for Somalia By webfeeds.brookings.edu Published On :: Thu, 29 Mar 2018 15:15:10 +0000 Despite important progress through years of international counterterrorism, counterinsurgency, and state-building assistance, peace and sustainable stabilization remain elusive in Somalia. Al-Shabab remains entrenched throughout vast parts of Somalia and regularly conducts deadly terrorist attacks even in Mogadishu. Capacities of Somali national security remain weak, and while the Trump administration has significantly augmented U.S. anti-Shabab air… Full Article
ek Figures of the week: The costs of financing Africa’s response to COVID-19 By webfeeds.brookings.edu Published On :: Thu, 07 May 2020 16:21:13 +0000 Last month’s edition of the International Monetary Fund (IMF)’s biannual Regional Economic Outlook for Sub-Saharan Africa, which discusses economic developments and prospects for the region, pays special attention to the financial channels through which COVID-19 has—and will—impact the economic growth of the region. Notably, the authors of the report reduced their GDP growth estimates from… Full Article
ek What drove oil prices through the floor this week? By webfeeds.brookings.edu Published On :: Wed, 22 Apr 2020 19:53:48 +0000 The coronavirus pandemic has sent crude oil prices plummeting, so much so that the price for West Texas Intermediate oil dropped below zero dollars earlier this week. In this special edition of the podcast, Samantha Gross joins David Dollar to explain the factors influencing recent changes in demand for oil and the long-term effects the… Full Article
ek Figure of the week: Might a few outlier economies explain Africa’s abnormally high inequality? By webfeeds.brookings.edu Published On :: Fri, 08 Jul 2016 12:00:00 -0400 On Thursday, July 7, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) revised its economic outlook for South Africa. Despite “considerable economic and social progress” since 1994, the IMF report cited high income inequality, among other factors, in its projection of slow growth and increased unemployment in the medium term. Earlier this year, in the Brookings Africa Growth Initiative’s Foresight Africa 2016, we explored this pressing problem—high income inequality—across the continent. The initial takeaway was that sub-Saharan Africa has greater in-country income inequality than other developing countries around the world. However, after separating seven outlier economies—Angola, the Central African Republic, Botswana, Zambia, Namibia, Comoros, and South Africa—we noted that income inequality, measured by the Gini coefficient, in the rest of the region actually mirrors the rest of the developing world, which currently stands at 0.39. All seven outlier economies have Gini coefficients above 0.55, a level reached by only four other countries worldwide: Suriname, Haiti, Colombia, and Honduras. It is important to explore precisely why this disparity exists. Notably, sub-Saharan Africa is not only an outlier in income inequality, but also in the relationship between economic growth and poverty reduction. Generally, in the developing world, every 1 percent of growth reduces poverty 4 percent. In sub-Saharan Africa, however, every 1 percent of growth only reduces poverty by 3 percent. In Foresight Africa 2016, Brookings Nonresident Senior Fellow Haroon Bhorat suggests that this disparity may be because of the commodity booms that have sustained growth periods in African economies, which bring extraordinary returns to capital but limited job growth. Alternatively, these commodity booms may have accompanied a fall in manufacturing output; growth is thus concentrated in the low-productivity services sector. In any case, this graph forces us to consider exactly what type of structural transformation is necessary for continued economic growth and acknowledge that inequality in sub-Saharan Africa might require different solutions in different countries. For a more in-depth discussion on this issue, see Foresight Africa 2016 and Bhorat’s discussion of African inequality in relation to the Sustainable Development Goals. Omid Abrishamchian contributed to this post. Authors Mariama Sow Full Article
ek Figure of the week: Annual Nelson Mandela lecture focuses on the potential of Africa’s youth By webfeeds.brookings.edu Published On :: Thu, 21 Jul 2016 15:53:00 -0400 On Monday, July 18, 2016, the world celebrated Nelson Mandela International Day, a day recognizing the former president of South Africa’s commitment to fostering peace and freedom. Every year the Nelson Mandela Foundation hosts a lecture, inviting prominent individuals to discuss significant social issues affecting the African continent. For this year’s lecture, Bill Gates was selected to speak on the theme of “Living Together” in front of a packed stadium in Pretoria. Gates focused on a topic Mandela returned to repeatedly throughout his life—the power of the youth. In the words of Gates, “…young people are better than old at driving innovation because they are not locked in by the limits of the past… we must clear away the obstacles standing in young people’s way so that they can seize all of their potential.” Unfortunately, South Africa, the second-largest economy on the continent, has the highest youth unemployment rate at 54 percent, as seen in the figure below. Surprisingly, according to the figure the highest rates of youth unemployment lie in the upper-middle-income countries as classified by GNI per capita. Additionally, these unemployment rates might be depressed due to the fact that unemployment refers to people looking for jobs, and many of Africa’s youth are forced into the informal sector after giving up on their search for employment. Although youth unemployment in Africa is often seen as a growing challenge, a number of experts interpret the large youth population as an opportunity, as long as the youth have access to the economic opportunities through which they can channel their energy into progress. As Africa’s youth is predicted to grow exponentially, achieving broad-based economic growth and development will rely on breaking down the barriers to economic opportunity, by investing in human capital (through education) and in improving business environments. Figure 2.3. Youth unemployment will continue to be a growing challenge in 2016 Interestingly, GDP and income classification have little correlation with youth unemployment rates. For example, South Africa, which has the second-largest economy on the continent and is considered an upper-middle-income country based on its GNI per capita, has the highest youth unemployment rate at nearly 54 percent. Meanwhile, the Liberian economy, which is nearly 200 times smaller than South Africa’s, has a youth unemployment rate 10 times smaller. Youth unemployment is measured as the share of the labor force (ages 15-24) without work but available for and seeking employment. Estimates may be low in some low-income countries like Liberia because many young people cannot afford not to work to seek employment and as a result, end up in low-paying jobs. Source: Youth unemployment figures from World Development Indicators and GDP data from the World Bank databank. See the Brookings Africa Growth Initiative’s Foresight Africa 2016 report, from which the figure below comes, for more highlights on the growing challenge of youth unemployment in Africa. In addition, earlier this month the Brookings Institution hosted an Africa Policy Dialogue on the Hill on jobs in Africa, alluding to the shortcomings of the educational systems and the importance of infrastructure and electricity to support business and attract investment. For a summary of the conversation, see here. Tor Syvrud contributed to this post. Authors Amy Copley Full Article
ek Charts of the Week: Housing affordability, COVID-19 effects By webfeeds.brookings.edu Published On :: Thu, 07 May 2020 18:37:39 +0000 In Charts of the Week this week, housing affordability and some new COVID-19 related research. How to lower costs of apartment building to make them more affordable to build In the first piece in a series on how improved design and construction decisions can lower the cost of building multifamily housing, Hannah Hoyt and Jenny… Full Article
ek Figures of the week: The costs of financing Africa’s response to COVID-19 By webfeeds.brookings.edu Published On :: Thu, 07 May 2020 16:21:13 +0000 Last month’s edition of the International Monetary Fund (IMF)’s biannual Regional Economic Outlook for Sub-Saharan Africa, which discusses economic developments and prospects for the region, pays special attention to the financial channels through which COVID-19 has—and will—impact the economic growth of the region. Notably, the authors of the report reduced their GDP growth estimates from… Full Article
ek Figure of the week: Taxing mobile transactions in Kenya By webfeeds.brookings.edu Published On :: Wed, 07 Aug 2019 20:34:01 +0000 This week, the Africa Growth Initiative at Brookings published a new policy brief, “Taxing mobile phone transactions in Africa: Lessons from Kenya.” The brief discusses the limited ability of increased tax rates on mobile money transactions and mobile phone airtime to raise a significant amount of new tax revenue. According to the brief, these taxes… Full Article
ek Figures of the week: Perceptions of COVID-19 in South Africa, Kenya, and Nigeria By webfeeds.brookings.edu Published On :: Thu, 02 Apr 2020 17:59:43 +0000 On March 17, GeoPoll released the results of their survey deployed to determine perceptions and understanding of COVID-19 in South Africa, Kenya, and Nigeria. South Africa currently has the highest number of diagnosed cases of the virus of any African country, and, while the number of diagnosed cases is currently low in Nigeria and Kenya,… Full Article
ek Figure of the week: Illicit financial flows in Africa remain high, but constant as a share of GDP By webfeeds.brookings.edu Published On :: Thu, 05 Mar 2020 12:00:45 +0000 This month, the Africa Growth Initiative at Brookings published a policy brief examining trends in illicit financial flows (IFFs) from Africa between 1980 and 2018, which are estimated to total approximately $1.3 trillion. A serious detriment to financial and economic development on the continent, illicit financial flows are defined as “the illegal movement of money… Full Article
ek Charts of the Week: Housing affordability, COVID-19 effects By webfeeds.brookings.edu Published On :: Thu, 07 May 2020 18:37:39 +0000 In Charts of the Week this week, housing affordability and some new COVID-19 related research. How to lower costs of apartment building to make them more affordable to build In the first piece in a series on how improved design and construction decisions can lower the cost of building multifamily housing, Hannah Hoyt and Jenny… Full Article
ek Figures of the week: The costs of financing Africa’s response to COVID-19 By webfeeds.brookings.edu Published On :: Thu, 07 May 2020 16:21:13 +0000 Last month’s edition of the International Monetary Fund (IMF)’s biannual Regional Economic Outlook for Sub-Saharan Africa, which discusses economic developments and prospects for the region, pays special attention to the financial channels through which COVID-19 has—and will—impact the economic growth of the region. Notably, the authors of the report reduced their GDP growth estimates from… Full Article
ek What drove oil prices through the floor this week? By webfeeds.brookings.edu Published On :: Wed, 22 Apr 2020 19:53:48 +0000 The coronavirus pandemic has sent crude oil prices plummeting, so much so that the price for West Texas Intermediate oil dropped below zero dollars earlier this week. In this special edition of the podcast, Samantha Gross joins David Dollar to explain the factors influencing recent changes in demand for oil and the long-term effects the… Full Article
