Quantitative assessment of sustainable development and growth in Sub-Saharan Africa
Kirsten Wiebe, UNU-MERIT
The relatively weak performance of African countries compared to countries in other world regions in all development aspects (economic, social and environmental) suggests that these aspects are not independent. The central research question is: How are the different aspects of sustainable development inter-related? This thesis develops and applies diverse quantitative economic methods (econometric complementarity analysis, development portfolio analysis, endogenous growth theory) to comprehensively analyze the interdependencies between different aspects of development: living standards/income, education and health. The main finding is that there is a positive mutual reinforcement between education and health outcomes. Furthermore, decent education and good health are necessary conditions for economic development and, hence, for overall sustainable human development.
About the speaker
Kirsten Wiebe studied Econometrics and Operations Research at Maastricht University (BSc 2005, MSc 2006), spending one semester abroad at Handelshögsskolan in Gothenburg, Sweden (focus on international and environmental economics). She has been working as a volunteer in Kinshasa, DR Congo in 2006 and is working as a junior researcher at the Institute of Economic Structures Research in Osnabrück, Germany, since 2007.
Venue: Minderbroedersberg 4-6, Maastricht
Date: 15 June 2012
Time: 10:00 - 11:30 CET
