IDEP e-Newsletter Volume 2 Num 2

The period between April and July 2004 corresponds to the implementation of the second semester of the 2003/04 academic year, with eleven courses delivered including examinations for the 2003-2005 cohorts.

Training seminars were organized for fourteen (14) trainees from the 2002-2004 batch. The seminars enabled trainees to present their theses and avail themselves of the different comments, criticisms and suggestions with a view to improving their research work.

Six theses were successfully defended by the 2003/2004 MA trainees, as follows:

1- MUTUMURA, Javan B. : Les déterminants de la pauvreté en milieu rural au Rwanda:Analyse par l'approche microéconomique ;

2- HYDARA, Y. Sheriff: The determinants of primary school enrolment in The Gambia;

3- AUDU, Isa: The impact of debt and debt service burden on economic growth and investment: The case for Nigeria;

4- David, B.AKPAN: Financial liberalization and endogenous growth :The case of Nigeria;

5- OLANIYAN, Safiu O.: Determinants of non oil exports in Nigeria;

6- KANE, Amadou Habib: L'impact des dépenses publiques sur la croissance économique d'un pays en développement: le cas du Sénégal.

Internship

Mr. Mohamed Mahmoud Ould JIDDOU from the University of Cocody, in Côte d'Ivoire, worked as a Research Officer with the Training Division from 03 June to 03 September 2004. His area of research covered the HIPC matters relating to Côte d'Ivoire. IDEP encourages researchers from African universities to undertake similar programmes at its secretariat in Dakar, Senegal.

Short Courses

Course on Regional Integration in Africa

The Francophone session of this five-week training course in regional integration was held from 22 March to 23 April 2004. The Arab Bank for Economic Development in Africa (BADEA) sponsored participants from the African Union Commission Secretariat (AU) and the Regional Economic Communities (RECs), while other participants from member States were sponsored by the African Union. A total of 34 participants comprising senior professionals occupying high level positions in their respective institutions attended the course. They included ministers, permanent secretaries and directors responsible for regional integration matters in their various institutions.

Course on Applied Econometrics for Economic Policy-Making

The main aim of the course was to provide participants with econometric techniques the mastery of which is becoming increasingly important in professional circles. The session started on 21 June and ended on 16 July 2004.

The participants (9 women and 15 men) came from various parts of Africa and represented 25 different countries: 4 from Central Africa, 10 from West Africa, 4 from Southern Africa, 1 from North Africa and 5 from East Africa.

The specific countries represented were: Benin, Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Comoros, Congo, Cote D'Ivoire, Gambia, Guinea, Guinea Bissau, Kenya, Lesotho, Morocco, Niger, Nigeria, Uganda, Democratic Republic of Congo, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Sudan, Swaziland, Tanzania, Togo, Zambia and Zimbabwe. As in other IDEP short-term courses, participants were high level policy-makers from Governments and other bodies. This session was fully sponsored by IDEP.

Public Lecture

Two public lectures were organized as part of the IDEP Monthly Seminars Programme. The Speakers were all eminent personalities drawn from the United Nations and Member States. The following lectures were delivered during June 2004.

Date: 09-06-04

Speaker: Dr. Benoît SOSSOU BREDA Dakar, Senegal

Topic: The role of Education in Africa's Socio-economic Development.

Date: 30-06-04

Speaker: H.E. Rantobeng William MOKOU Ambassador of Republic of South Africa in Senegal

Topic: South Africa: Ten years of Democratic Freedom and Future Prospects.

COLLABORATION AND PARTNERSHIPS

IDEP Director visits the Republic of South Africa

From 29 June to 7 July 2007, the Director, Mr Diéry Seck, travelled to the Republic of South Africa where he attended a conference and visited the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Finance and the NEPAD Secretariat. At the Ministry of Foreign Affairs he met with Mr. Ben Joubert, Advisor, Africa, Multilateral, with whom he discussed bilateral issues. At the Finance Ministry, he met with Mrs. Kamilla Gumede, Deputy Director of the Treasury and discussed issues relating to collaboration with IDEP in all aspects of its work and the participation of the Republic of South Africa in IDEP's governing organs and training programmes, especially with regard to capacity building for NEPAD. At the NEPAD Secretariat, Mr Seck met with Dr. Mohammed Jahed, Chief Economist. They explored opportunities for close collaboration between the two organizations.

IDEP's Deputy Director & Chief, Training Division Visits Ethiopia

The Deputy Director and Chief of the Training Division, Mr Aloysius Ajab Amin, travelled to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia where he held meetings with Ethiopian authorities and the African Union (AU) from 14 to 18 June 2004.

Meeting with Officials of the Ethiopian Ministry of Finance and Economic Development.

The main aim of Mr Amin's visit was to discuss IDEP's programmes and activities and how the Ethiopian Government could benefit from them. Matters relating to the Government's support to IDEP through its contributions as a member State were also discussed. Specifically, meetings and discussions were held with the Economic Advisor, Mr. Abii Tsige, who was pleased to learn about IDEP's efforts in training Ethiopian public servants, a number of whom were well placed in the public and private sectors. Further discussion related to ways in which the relationship between IDEP and the Ethiopian Government could be strengthened.

Meeting with Officials of the African Union Commission (AU) Development.

The principal objective of the meeting was to express IDEP's gratitude for the collaboration regarding the sponsoring of the Regional Integration training programme at IDEP, and to seek ways and means for further cooperation. Mr Amin met with Dr. Maxwell Mkwezalamba, Commissioner for Economic Affairs; Dr. René Kouassi, Director of Economic Affairs; and Mr. Charles Awitor, Senior Economist. Discussions with the AU officials included further collaboration in finding sources of funding for future courses in the Regional Integration programme and the participation of experienced AU Commissioners in IDEP's course on "Governance and Economic Policy in Africa". Furthermore, AU and IDEP plan to explore possibilities for developing courses on the "Harmonization of African Economic Policies."

NEWS UPDATE

Activities of Staff

Conference of the African Econometric Society.

IDEP Director Mr. Diery Seck attended the Ninth Conference of the African Econometric Society (AES) which was held from 30 June to 2 July, 2004 at the University of Cape Town. Approximately 150 participants attended the Conference, most of them practicing econometricians. In addition, four keynote speakers and two professionals of the South African finance sector gave presentations on the practical use of econometrics in portfolio and physical investment. The purpose of the conference was to allow African economists who specialize in econometrics to present their research output and get feedback from their peers. It also served as a venue for the Annual General Meeting of the Society. Participants were mainly academics from South African and Nigerian universities. Very few Francophone participants were present. At the Annual General Meeting, a decision to hold the 10th conference of the AES in Nairobi was confirmed and the African Economic Research Consortium will be the host institution. The first nine conferences were organized in South Africa. The Director proposed IDEP to host the 11th conference in Dakar to allow for stronger participation of Francophone researchers and to bring academics and researchers closer. The proposal was approved and as a result, IDEP will host the conference of the AES in 2006.

United Nations Millennium Project mission to Senegal (10 – 11 February 2004) in Dakar

This mission led by Professor Jeffrey Sacks was aimed at defining and discussing modalities to boost progress toward the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). The mission held two meetings with the United Nations Agencies in Senegal, which is among a limited list of countries selected for launching innovative poverty reduction strategies in line with the operationalisation of MDGs. IDEP was represented at the meeting by Mr. Matar Gaye.

UNESCO-IICBA's Workshop

The Deputy Director and Chief of the Training Division, Mr Aloysius Ajab AMIN travelled to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia where he attended a workshop.The workshop, which was organized by UNESCO-IICBA on the topic of Master's Degree Programmes in Economics in Educational Planning in Africa, was held on 4 and 15 June 2004. The Master's Degree Programme is one of the three components of the IICBA's programme on Education Planning and Economic Development in Africa. It aims at creating synergies between the education sector and the economic sector in Africa and will be implemented by several universities and other academic institutions in Africa as an open and distance learning curriculum with short-term face-to-face sessions. Five modules to be used for the Master's Degree programme were discussed. The workshop was attended by eminent academicians, economists and social science researchers from African universities, the UN and social research organizations.

Passing on Know-How

Through its capacity building programmes in member States, IDEP designed, implemented and installed a multi-faceted Library Management System at the Management Development Institute (MDI) campus at Kanifing in The Gambia during the month of June 2004. The work carried out consisted of the development of a user-friendly factual and bibliographic database and an information management system that is capable of handling multimedia operations using the latest information and communication technologies.

Its use will maximize the automation of routine library management tasks by reducing routine tasks and replacing them with automated library management sub-systems.

The automated information processing system will free man-hours for the library staff to help users in research and information content analysis.

Financed by the World Bank in collaboration with the Gambian Association of Accountants (GAA), the programme also included the training of MDI library and research staff in modern information management techniques and applications. The new system will increase MDI's capacity to make an effective impact on national policy development and management in the Gambia. IDEP envisages carrying out similar programmes in other member States upon request. Member States that are interested in receiving such services may contact the Institute for further information.

Staff Training

TOMSTOCK Software training was given to staff members of Finance and General Services.

Landscape

The backyard of IDEP measuring 1000 sq. metres has been turned into a beautiful garden where IDEP trainees and staff can spend their spare time. The well laid out and planned garden has totally changed the environment and the look of the Institute.

United Nations African Institute for Economic Development and Planning – IDEP

BP 3186, Dakar (Senegal) Tel: (221) 823-1020, Fax: (221) 822-2964

Email: idep@unidep.org Internet: http://www.unidep.org