Congratulations to Dr Köhler, Senior Research Officer at the DPRU, on receiving a Y1 rating from South Africa’s National Research Foundation. The Y1 rating recognizes young researchers who show strong promise of establishing themselves as leaders in their fields. @TimothyKohler

That’s a wrap on #JobsAndDev2026! 🇭🇰 Huge thanks to @HKUST_IEMS for fantastic hosting & to all presenters & attendees for 2 days of brilliant discussions! Grateful to our partners: @HKUST_IEMS @UNUWIDER @WorldBank @ilo @AFD_en @giz_gmbh @IBS_Warsaw See you in 2028! 🌍

UCT congratulates Judge Navi Pillay, who received an honorary doctorate from the university in 2010, on being awarded the 2026 Nobel Peace Prize in recognition of her contributions to justice and human rights. This prestigious honour celebrates her impact on the pursuit of peace, equality and human dignity.

After a great evening of Chinese cuisine & performances, Day 2 of #JobsAndDev2026 at @HKUST is live! 🇭🇰 Today features a keynote on manufacturing by Prof. Uta Schönberg, a policy panel on AI & work, two parallel sessions and more. 🔗 jobsanddevelopmentconference…

Day 1 of the #JobsAndDev2026 at @HKUST in Hong Kong 🇭🇰 wrapped up! Today featured a DPRU special session with researchers @mj_oos, Ben Stanwix, Francois Steenkamp & @TimothyKohler presenting on social protection policy, intergenerational mobility & the Just Energy Transition.

The 2026 Jobs & Development Conference is officially underway today at @HKUST in Hong Kong! 🇭🇰 Hosted by @HKUST_IEMS and supported by the DPRU and other partners @UNUWIDER, @WorldBank, @ilo, @AFD_en, @giz_gmbh & @IBS_Warsaw. jobsanddevelopmentconference… #jobsanddev2026

Can social grants help people find jobs? @TimothyKohler @HaroonBhorat and Ben Stanwix find in the short-term, yes: "..a cash transfer can make it easier to search for work, but cash alone... is unlikely to generate jobs at scale." @SALDRU1 @DPRU_UCT econ3x3.org/articles/promise…

What does a just transition look like for Mpumalanga? #DPRU & #PCC brought together key stakeholders to validate Economic Complexity Study findings and help shape practical policy pathways for a just transition in Mpumalanga. #EvidenceToAction

Some work published earlier:- Promises and limits: What the SRD grant tells us about cash transfers in constrained labour markets Article here: lnkd.in/dHX_7Bpc Working paper here: lnkd.in/dE_Prj3p

"What is the data really telling us about South Africa's labour market?" That question shaped Prof Haroon Bhorat's keynote at #GTACPEC, highlighting why evidence must sit at the heart of solutions to youth unemployment. #GTACPEC #PublicEconomics #UnemploymentData #BigData

AI is reshaping Africa's future of work. AGAIN Project Planning Workshop brought leading African research partners to Cape Town to develop a shared strategy & implementation roadmap for continent-wide AI research. @HaroonBhorat #AGAINNetwork #DPRU #UCT Supported by #IDRC & #FCDO

Demographic change. Digitalisation. Industrialisation. Human capital. Forces shaping Africa's future. Prof @HaroonBhorat presented on Economic Growth & Development in Sub-Saharan Africa. @UCT_news and @DPRU continues to drive impactful policy dialogue & transformational change.

The DPRU is contributing to evidence-based thinking, pushing the conversation beyond statistics — toward bold action & scalable solutions. At #BreakingBarriers, Prof @HaroonBhorat reminded us: SA doesn’t lack talent , it lacks absorption at scale. Young people are ready. Are we?

Grateful to be in Paris 🇫🇷 this week to participate in the World Inequality Conference hosted by @WIL_inequality at @PSEinfo. In part because of a fantastic programme incl. many leaders in the field, but also a chance to catch up with many old/current/new colleagues and friends!

New working paper on the labour market effects of automation in South Africa’s🇿🇦 formal manufacturing sector, w/ @hirschmania @martinsneto_as & Siphelele Ngidi (@Wits_SCIS). Thanks to @UNUWIDER for supporting this work! 🔗: lnkd.in/d68gyDDp

Integrity builds. Failure compounds. Strong institutions don’t happen by chance—they’re built. DPRU brought Prof Edward Kieswetter’s SARS turnaround story to UCT—with Prof @HaroonBhorat as the MC. This is what institutional leadership looks like. #DPRU #SARS #SouthAfrica

New @UNUWIDER working paper out with @mj_oos. We examine the role of race in explaining intergenerational educational mobility in South Africa🇿🇦 over 5 decades spanning Apartheid and democracy. Many findings - both encouraging & sobering! Abstract + full paper below.

Congratulations Dr Tim Köhler (DPRU) - winning the 2025 ESSA Founders’ Medal for best PhD dissertation! His research on COVID-19 impact on SA’s labour market reveals major job losses, rising inequality & key policy insights. @TimothyKohler #DPRU #ESSA #Economics #SouthAfrica