Public Economics Winter School
Launched in 2016, the annual Public Economics Winter School is an important component of GTAC’s public economics capacity building initiative.
Launched in 2016, the annual Public Economics Winter School is an important component of GTAC’s public economics capacity building initiative.
The Winter School offers an opportunity for post-graduate economics students and young economists working in government to engage with senior public sector officials and university academics locally and internationally. Each year, three themes are covered over the course of five days. Students attend lectures that are presented by experts in a wide range of fields. The programme concludes with student presentations on the themes that were covered.
Thus far, five Winter Schools have taken place. The COVID-19 pandemic meant that it was not possible for the school to be held in 2020.
2022 Public Economics Winter School
The sixth Public Economics Winter School will be held virtually, in partnership with National Treasury. The Winter School will run from 30 August – 1 September 2022 under the theme “Reviving public infrastructure investment for community development”.
The programme will expose students and officials to practical challenges in the infrastructure sector and in municipal management. The programme aims to link insights from public economics and development theory to the real-life decision processes and institutional realities of “building a better life for all”.
2021 Public Economics Winter School
The fifth Public Economics Winter School was a virtual event held in partnership with the Department of Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation (DPME). It ran from 17 – 19 August 2021.
The 2021 Winter School focused on a crucial public economics issue – the impact and consequences of Covid-19 on South Africa’s people and the economy. The programme capitalised on the research done as part of the Covid-19 Country Report, as well as the NIDS-CRAM research, with the theme Covid-19: Policy choices towards containment and recovery.
2019 Public Economics Winter School
The fourth Public Economics Winter School ran from 8-12 July 2019 at the South African Reserve Bank. The three themes covered were as follows:
- Taxes, User Charges and Behavioural Change
- Education Financing and Outcomes
- Fiscal Policy and Fiscal Sustainability
2018 Public Economics Winter School
The third Public Economics Winter School ran from 9-13 July 2018 at the South African Reserve Bank. The three themes covered were as follows:
- Tax Policy and Design
- Infrastructure Investment for Inclusive Growth
- Urban Integration and Human Settlement Investment
2017 Public Economics Winter School
The second Public Economics Winter School ran from 3-7 July 2017 at the University of Pretoria. The themes covered were as follows:
- Tax Policy and Design
- Housing and Urban Development
- The Role of the State in Financial Markets
2016 Public Economics Winter School
The first GTAC Public Economics Winter School took place from 11 -15 July 2016 at the University of Pretoria. The three themes covered were as follows:
- Tax Policy and Design
- Industrial Economic Competitiveness
- Health Reform and Social Security