The conference – which was hosted for the first time, is set to become an annual event and sees postgraduate students taking to the podium to discuss issues such as comparative advantage, the concept of a two sector model, economic theory, inequality, wages, cluster development, modern sectoral development and development incentives.
Not only does the conference afford honours students the opportunity to hone their presentation skills, but also to gain self-confidence in conducting and presenting research within the academic sphere. The three-day conference saw seven sessions being conducted and 16 papers being delivered. Each session closed with a discussion session.
According to Prof Danie Meyer, subject head for economics, the overarching theme of the conference was: “Celebrating the legends of Development Economics”, and students had apply themselves in terms of researching the origins and major influences within the discipline.
“I am very proud of this initiative and the impact it had on our students,” said Prof Herman van der Merwe, executive dean of the Faculty of Economic Sciences and Information Technology, and added that he would like to see the conference taking place annually.
Some of the delegates who took part in the conference.
