As we commemorat
e Women’s Month under the theme “Celebrating 30 Years of Democracy Towards Women’s Development” we are pleased to showcase a handful of the women, leaders in their fields, who will be presenting at the Public Economics Conference this year.
The hybrid conference runs from 3 – 5 September 2024 and will be focus on the theme of “Technology and data for enhanced government service delivery”.
The programme kicks off with a keynote address by Melanie Garson, Tony Blair Institute for Global Change and University College London. Her keynote will focus on “A resilient government for the 21st century” and she will unpack the impact of new and emerging technologies on international relations. She explores the geopolitics of the internet, tech diplomacy, artificial intelligence, and information disorder and the role of tech companies as geopolitical actors and the ways leaders can build a tech-forward foreign policy.
We are also excited that GTAC’s own Mbali Buthelezi will be facilitating a session on 4 September “How digital technologies can enable equitable access to public services, as an example in basic education and health”. Mbali is a dynamic economist and public policy professional, with 11 years of expertise in government advisory roles, specialising in public expenditure, policy and regulatory analysis, project management and strategic planning. Be sure to catch her as she guides discussions on how emerging technologies can address challenges in public service delivery and policy implementation. 
We are also thrilled to announce that Smita Kuriakose, Lead Economist at the World Bank, will be participating in the panel discussion on Wednesday 4 September. The panel is titled “Panel discussion with ecosystem actors: ensuring efficiencies through digital data-driven interventions and how far are we from a holistic ecosystem support effort?”
Smita leads transformative projects in private sector development, innovation, and entrepreneurship across Southern Africa. Her insights into how innovation can fuel competitiveness and economic growth are not to be missed.
The PEC programme is full of interesting sessions, check out the full programme here.
There is still time to register for virtual attendance of the conference. Click here to register.