In 2022 UNU-WIDER launches an intensive winter school course on tax policy research.

The aim of the course is to provide African researchers with an understanding of the theories, methods, and data availability for conducting high quality analysis on tax and development economics. Another aim is to get these scholars involved in UNU-WIDER's Domestic Revenue Mobilization (DRM) and SA-TIED programmes.

The course will take place in two parts. Part one is a 3-day online Stata and Statistics bootcamp to be held 31 May – 2 June 2022. Part two is an in-person course for one week, co-hosted with the Department of Economics at Stellenbosch University in Cape Town, South Africa during 11-15 July 2022.

Key objectives

The Winter School will provide participants with a toolkit in applied public economics with special focus on the quantitative analysis of tax and public economics in developing countries. Part one will provide participants with a basic understanding of how to use Stata for data analysis and understanding statistical concepts in economics. During part two of the Winter school, participants will take part in lectures given by leading experts from UNU-WIDER’s global network and work intensively in the computer lab to strengthen their quantitative research skills.

Beyond providing a methodological toolkit using practical examples, one of the main aims of this course is to sensitize participants to the key factors that make up policy relevant research. This may include innovativeness and the ability to make causal claims.

The course will also help creating small networks sharing similar interests in different countries and will allow UNU-WIDER to have a roster of local policy researchers to be engaged in its projects within the DRM and SA-TIED programmes.

This course is part of the UNU-WIDER project Building up efficient and fair taxation. The project is part of UNU-WIDER's DRM programme. The DRM programme is financed by the Norwegian development co-operation agency Norad.