In this talk Professor Stefan Dercon, Co-Director of the new Oxford Martin Programme on African Governance, will discuss some of the recent demographic, economic and political trends across Africa, and how regional challenges are being handled. Is Africa rising to these challenges?

By no means conclusive, the talk aims to give a flavour of the risks and opportunities for change across the continent, exploring some of the key research and policy questions at stake.

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About the speaker

Professor Stefan DerconStefan Dercon is Co-Director of the Oxford Martin Programme on African Governance; Professor of Economic Policy at the Blavatnik School of Government and the Economics Department, and a Fellow of Jesus College. He is also Director of the Centre for the Study of African Economics.

Since 2011 he has been Chief Economist of the Department for International Development (DFID), the government department in charge with the UK’s aid policy and spending. While he returned to Oxford in 2015 to teach and conduct research, he continues with his role at DFID on a part-time basis.

Stefan is a development economist, applying economic analysis and statistics to understand the causes and consequences of poverty and the key economic development challenges of developing countries. He has worked extensively in Ethiopia and Tanzania, as well as in India, Peru, Vietnam, Kenya and other countries. One specific area of interest is the study of the consequences of climatic, health and other risks faced by poor populations, their impact on poverty and the quest for appropriate public policy responses. His book, Dull Disasters: How Planning Ahead Will Make A Difference, co-authored with Daniel Clarke, was published in 2016 by Oxford University Press.