KIEL-CEPR African Economic Development Conference (AEDC)

Africa is at the doorstep of the European Union and holds great potential. Due to recent geopolitical upheavals, natural disasters, and the COVID-19 pandemic, firms are adjusting their global supply chains. As a result, Africa could play a much more prominent role than it has until now. However, many African economies struggle to unlock their potential due to constraints such as access to finance, low competitiveness, labor market-related challenges, and the political economy, often made worse by instability and the effects of climate change.

The Kiel-CEPR African Economic Development Conference (AEDC) will bring together top economics researchers and policymakers to discuss state-of-the-art research on the constraints hindering economic development across the continent and to overcome them. 

The 2-day conference will take place at the Federal Ministry of Finance in Berlin, Germany on 12 and 13 September 2024. The conference is jointly organized by the Kiel Institute for the World Economy and CEPR with generous support from the German Federal Ministries of Finance and Federal Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate Action, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, and in collaboration with the African School of Economics.

Confirmed speakers include Leonard Wantchekon, Stefan Dercon and Christopher Woodruff.