Category: Poor Numbers
Want a fully funded PhD and work with me @Noragric & @UniNMBU on the politics of numbers?
International Environment and Development Studies (Noragric) at the Norwegian University of Life Sciences is calling for applications for PhD positions. The positions are fully funded, and are enumerated as full time job according to Norwegian regulations. Full details of all the positions here. One...
Read more ›
Podcast: how economists have misunderstood economic growth in African countries
On Sunday 13 December I was speaking about my book at the CBC Sunday Edition. Listen to the recording here. A few weeks back I was on the Economic Rockstar Podcast - listen to the episode here.
Power of indicators: an emerging literature
There is a rise of indicators. The so called data revolution is finding its feet, so I do not expect it to let up anytime soon. The Economist provided one overview in their report on 'How to lie with indices'. As one would expect...
Read more ›
Book Talk: Africa – Why Economists Get it Wrong @SAISAfrica OCT 7, 5PM
Why did economists spend two decades explaining something that never happened ?
For the past two decades, mainstream economists who study African economic growth have been trying to explain something that never happened. Economists have focused almost exclusively on one question: Why has economic growth failed in Africa? You can read the motivation for my book...
Read more ›
A reading list for the data revolution
If you have sat through more than two conferences and workshops on the post-2015 development agenda or the Sustainable Development Goals (or tracked #SDGs or #data2015 on Twitter) you will be aware that there is a certain repetition of ideas. The same soundbites are...
Read more ›
Development by Indicators: Knowledge and Governance
In this workshop organized at Nantes by Boris Samuel and me on May 5 and 6, 2015 we will investigate the role of indicators in economic development. We will explore how numbers structure knowledge about economic development and how they give rise to social...
Read more ›
Why so grumpy? The datarevolution and its discontents
In "Big Questions for Big Data and what it can do for African Economic Development" I wrote about some of the basic knowledge problems that remain in development statistics, and concluded that, as of yet, Big Data does not seem well equipped in addressing...
Read more ›
Statistical Tragedy in Africa? Evaluating the Data Base for African Economic Development
On Monday, salve April 6, thumb 2015 - 10:00am to 11:30am the special issue in the Journal of Development Studies: Statistical Tragedy in Africa? Evaluating the Data Base for African Economic Development which I edited with Deborah Johnston is being launched at the Center...
Read more ›