SET is working with international and local partners in various regions and countries on economic transformation.
African Center for Economic Transformation
The African Center for Economic Transformation (ACET) is an economic policy institute supporting Africa’s long-term growth through transformation. In research, ACET seeks to investigate the drivers of economic transformation; examine the progress, platform, and prospects for transformation for African countries; and identify each country’s most promising pathways to transformation. Bringing an authentic African perspective, their staff comprises of economists, researchers, policy analysts, management consultants, and extractive industries experts based in their headquarters in Accra.
SET and ACET have collaborated for research on promoting manufacturing in sub-Saharan Africa presented at the first African Transformation Forum, and ongoing support to the Pan-African Coalition for Transformation (PACT) which came from it.
South Asia Watch on Trade, Economics and Environment
South Asia Watch on Trade, Economics and Environment (SAWTEE) was launched in 1994 as a loose regional network of non-governmental organizations from five South Asian countries: Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. Taking into consideration the emerging need for fair, effective and meaningful integration of South Asian countries into the regional as well as global economies, the major motto of this regional initiative has been “GLOBALIZATION YES, BUT WITH SAFETY NETS”.
SET and SAWTEE have collaborated on research into skills and inclusive job creation in Nepal, which aimed to inform the UK Department for International Development in Nepal and influence Nepalese government policy-making around skills and other interventions.
Kenya Association of Manufacturers
Kenya Association of Manufacturers (KAM) is the representative organisation for manufacturing value-added industries in Kenya. KAM provides an essential link for co-operation, dialogue and understanding with the Government by representing the views and concerns of its members to the relevant authorities. In pursuit of its core mandate of policy advocacy, KAM promotes trade and investment, upholds standards, encourages the formulation, enactment and administration of sound policies that facilitate a competitive business environment and reduce the cost of doing business. KAM aims ate wealth at both corporate and individual levels by advocating for a competitive environment for businesses to operate, thereby creating better industries, growing the economy, creating jobs and hence resulting in better standards of living for Kenyans.
Ahead of the first 2017 Kenyan presidential election, KAM and SET collaborated to develop a 10-point policy agenda to promote manufacturing and job creation.
The Center for New Structural Economics (CNSE) at Peking University aims to promote in-depth research and application of New Structural Economics, forging a platform to lead internationally theoretic research in new development ideas, to offer policy advice, and to provide educational programs. Proposed and championed by Professor Justin Yifu Lin, New Structural Economics applies the neoclassical approach, based on the given factor endowments and endowments structure at any specific time, to study the determinates of economic structure, including technology, industry, infrastructure and institutions, and its dynamic evolution in the process of economic development. It underscores the essential roles of an effective market as well as a facilitating government in achieving rapid, inclusive and sustainable development.
SET and CNSE collaborated on a joint firm-level survey of Chinese light manufacturing firms across garments and footwear, toys, ICT and household appliances sub-sectors, to explore domestic pressures on the sector and evaluate the extent to which these are driving outward direct investment to low-cost parts of Southeast Asia and sub-Saharan Africa.
The Nigerian Economic Summit Group is a leading private sector think-tank and Policy Advocacy Group committed to the development of a modern globally competitive economy. The NESG engages government, private sector, and civil society on key development issues and economic policies in Nigeria. The strategic roles of the Group include those of being a; Dialogue Partner: Shaping policy through public debate, Connector: Instituting change through influence, Watchdog: Shaping policy through research and advocacy, Intervener: Instituting change through influence that mobilizes action.
NESG’s Real Sector Policy Commission and SET have engaged in research around backward linkages and local content policy in Nigeria, with the aim of promoting economic transformation and providing practical policy support to the Nigerian government.
The Economic and Social Research Foundation was established in 1994 as an independent, not-for-profit institution for research and policy analysis. The formation of ESRF was based on the assumption that there was need and demand for an improved understanding of policy options and development management issues, and that the capacity for this was lacking in the Tanzania civil service. ESRF addressed this gap by putting into place qualified Professional Staff, modest resources and a favourable research environment for the analysis and discussion of economic and social policy. The primary objectives of the Foundation are to strengthen capabilities in policy analysis and development management and to enhance the understanding of policy options in the government, the public sector, civil society, and the donor community and the growing private sector.
Together, SET and ESRF have worked to provide expertise, advice and backstopping support to the implementation Tanzanian National Planning Commission around their second Five-Year Development Plan.
The Global Commission on the Economy and Climate is a major international initiative to examine how countries can achieve economic growth while dealing with the risks posed by climate change. Chaired by former President of Mexico Felipe Calderón, the Commission comprises former heads of government and finance ministers and leaders in the fields of economics and business. The New Climate Economy is the Commission’s flagship project. It provides independent and authoritative evidence on the relationship between actions which can strengthen economic performance and those which reduce the risk of dangerous climate change.
NCE and SET collaborated for a joint publication on social and environmental change and economic transformation in sub-Saharan Africa.
REPOA was formed in 1994 in Tanzania with the mandate to contribute to the alleviation of poverty in its multiple dimensions through research and capacity building. Over time, REPOA’s mandate has expanded beyond alleviating poverty to encompass growth and socio-economic transformation for poverty reduction. Their mission is to be a leading research institution in the production of knowledge that will contribute to improving the lives of people in Tanzania.
The Growth Dialogue, established in 2010 with government support, and the Growth Dialogue Institute, were established in 2014 with corporate support. They seek to connect high level policymakers and thought leaders with those whose policy decisions can benefit from practical experience and the latest work on economic growth.
The Institute for Advanced Study is one of the world’s leading centres for theoretical research and intellectual inquiry. The Institute exists to encourage and support curiosity-driven research in the sciences and humanities—the original, often speculative thinking that produces advances in knowledge that change the way they understand the world.
SET is working with UNECA (aka ECA) which was established by the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) of the United Nations (UN) in 1958 as one of the UN’s five regional commissions, ECA’s mandate is to promote the economic and social development of its member States, foster intra-regional integration, and promote international cooperation for Africa’s development. Made up of 54 member States, and playing a dual role as a regional arm of the UN and as a key component of the African institutional landscape, ECA is well positioned to make unique contributions to address the Continent’s development challenges.
International Food Policy Research Institute
The International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) provides research-based policy solutions to sustainably reduce poverty and end hunger and malnutrition in developing countries. Established in 1975, IFPRI currently has more than 500 employees working in over 50 countries. It is a research center of the CGIAR Consortium, a worldwide partnership engaged in agricultural research for development. The SET programme has been working with IFPRI experts Danny Leipziger, Dani Rodrik, Maggie McMillan and John Page.
Centre for the Study of the Economies of Africa
The Centre for the Study of the Economies of Africa (CSEA) is a non-profit think tank that conducts independent, high quality applied research on economic policy issues in Nigeria and the rest of Africa. CSEA was established in 2008 by Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Nigeria’s former Minister of Finance. CSEA’s strategic location in Abuja enables the Centre to serve as a forum for policy dialogue by stakeholders from the government, national assembly, private sector, civil society and the media. CSEA’s mission is to enhance development outcomes in Africa through evidence-based research.
The mission of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) is to promote policies that will improve the economic and social well-being of people around the world. The OECD provides a forum in which governments can work together to share experiences and seek solutions to common problems. They work with governments to understand what drives economic, social and environmental change. They measure productivity and global flows of trade and investment, and analyse and compare data to predict future trends.
Cambodia Development Resource Institute
The Cambodia Development Resource Institute (CDRI) works to produce independent, objective, high quality policy-relevant development research, to maximise its accessibility to policy makers, influencers and stakeholders and to have it affect policy in six interrelated areas that are key for Cambodia’s sustainable development – agriculture, economics, education, environment, governance and health. CDRI undertakes its programmes and projects in partnership with Cambodian government institutions and their international development partners, other research and tertiary education institutions and civil society organisations. It disseminates its research knowledge and products through a number of communication strategies: conferences, broadcast media print media.