African Economic Research Consortium

African Economic Research Consortium
Name	African Economic Research Consortium
Abbreviation	AERC
Formation	1988
Type	Pan-African research network
Headquarters	Nairobi, Kenya
Region served	Sub-Saharan Africa

Contents

African Economic Research Consortium

The African Economic Research Consortium was established in 1988 as a pan-African research institute and network headquartered in Nairobi with links to regional centers and international partners. It operates at the intersection of policy analysis involving institutions such as the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund, the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa, the African Development Bank, and national research bodies like the Kenya Institute for Public Policy Research and Analysis, the University of Lagos, the University of Ibadan, and the University of Cape Town. The consortium engages scholars from networks including the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean, the Centre for the Study of African Economies, the Overseas Development Institute, and the Brookings Institution.

History

AERC’s stated mission aligns with agendas promoted by the African Union Commission, the United Nations Development Programme, the African Development Bank Group, and national ministries of finance and planning to strengthen policy-relevant research capacity across universities such as the University of Ibadan, Addis Ababa University, University of Dar es Salaam, and University of Zambia. Objectives emphasize producing applied analysis for institutions like the World Trade Organization, the International Labour Organization, and the Food and Agriculture Organization while supporting scholars engaged with programs operated by the Global Development Network and the International Growth Centre.

Governance structures involve a board of directors drawing members from institutions such as the African Development Bank, the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund, national central banks like the Central Bank of Nigeria and the Central Bank of Kenya, and academia represented by University of Ghana and Makerere University. Funding sources have included multilateral agencies like the World Bank, bilateral donors such as DFID and the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency, philanthropic foundations including the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and partnerships with regional financiers such as the African Union and the New Partnership for Africa's Development.

Research programs span themes in macroeconomic policy connected to the International Monetary Fund, trade policy linked to the World Trade Organization, agricultural economics relevant to the Food and Agriculture Organization, labor studies associated with the International Labour Organization, and governance topics of interest to the African Union. Publications include working papers circulated through networks like the Global Development Network, policy briefs used by ministries such as Ministry of Finance (Kenya), and commissioned studies for organizations like the World Bank Group and the African Development Bank. Collaborative outputs have been cited in forums including the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa conferences and workshops hosted by the Centre for Policy Research and the Overseas Development Institute.

Capacity initiatives involve doctoral training consortia modeled after programs at institutions such as the Institute of Development Studies, doctoral grants for candidates affiliated with Addis Ababa University and University of Lagos, and short courses coordinated with the World Bank Institute and the United Nations Institute for Training and Research. Workshops bring together faculty from University of Cape Town, University of Dar es Salaam, University of Nairobi, and policy officials from ministries like the Ministry of Finance (Uganda) and the Ministry of Planning (Rwanda). Alumni networks connect researchers to placements at organizations including the African Development Bank, the World Bank, and regional think tanks like the Institute for Fiscal Studies.

AERC has partnered with international agencies such as the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund, the United Nations Development Programme, bilateral donors including DFID and the Royal Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and academic collaborators like the Centre for the Study of African Economies and the Overseas Development Institute. Its research has influenced policy dialogues at the African Union Summit, inputs to NEPAD strategies, and national reform programs in countries including Kenya, Ghana, Uganda, Tanzania, and Nigeria, and has informed multilateral lending operations by the African Development Bank and the World Bank Group.

Critiques have centered on donor dependence similar to debates involving the World Bank and IMF, tensions over research autonomy noted in comparisons with the Overseas Development Institute and the Centre for the Study of African Economies, and challenges of scale affecting outreach across regions including West Africa, East Africa, and Southern Africa. Operational constraints mirror issues faced by institutions like the University of Nairobi and Makerere University in retaining staff, securing sustainable funding from partners such as the African Development Bank and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and balancing policy relevance with academic rigor as seen in discussions involving the Institute of Development Studies and the Global Development Network.

Category:Research organizations Category:Organizations established in 1988 Category:Pan-African organizations