I am currently finalizing work on my doctoral degree in economics at the School of Economics of the University of Cape Town (South Africa). My PhD project is titled “The Political Economy of Human Capital Transfers in Developing Countries in the 20th Century”.

My thesis investigates the role of human capital transfers as a strategy of governance of empires by European colonial powers in the 20th century and the contribution which such transfers had on the process of decolonisation. I argue that human capital formation is important because it raises productivity and growth but it also potentially lowers the cost of conflict in ways that might be detrimental to growth. There is a growing consensus in the economic literature which sees economic and social institutions as important determinants of economic growth performance and I am thinking that we need to analyse the effects of institutions in the specific historical and cultural context in which they developed (or were created). Statements like “secure property rights guarantee higher investment and growth” are void of normative content if they are not contextualized in specific historical experiences. 

My research interests are in: International Political Economy, Development Economics, Applied Game Theory, Economic History and Applied Macro-Econometrics.

Lifepoint: “For if by one man’s offense death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life as kings by one, Jesus Christ”. Rom 5:17