Professor Wolfgang Lutz visits SALDRU for Human Capital for Sustainable Development in Africa training
Image: Participants of the training session on a social walk in Kirstenbosch. Credit: Nicola Branson.
As part of the Human Capital for Sustainable Development in Africa and Coastal Regions project between SALDRU and IIASA, SALDRU had the honour of hosting Professor Wolfgang Lutz, the winner of the Yidan 2024 Prize, for a three-week working visit.
During the first two weeks, Professor Lutz held one-on-one discussions with six early-career scholars: three PhD candidates and three postdoctoral fellows, to engage with their research interests and explore how their work could contribute to the broader project objectives. The meetings offered a great chance for strategic alignment, cooperation, and mentoring.
The team also met to review the content in the African Human Capital Data Sheet and participated in a guided exploration of the Wittgenstein Centre’s Human Capital Data Explorer platform. Scholars examined educational attainment pyramids for their respective countries and explored fertility data available through the platform. Professor Lutz further provided practical guidance on how to identify, extract, and interpret key demographic and human capital indicators for research.
The third week was dedicated to an intensive five-day training programme for the six scholars. Guillaume Marois led the morning sessions on microsimulation modelling, while Endale Kebede led the afternoon sessions on human capital and long-term economic performance. Three ACEIR colleagues also participated in the training.
On Tuesday afternoon, Professor Lutz, Endale Kebede, and Guillaume Marois presented a seminar titled Africa’s Human Capital, 1970–2070: Reconstructions, Skills and Scenarios. Members of SALDRU attended the seminar in large numbers, and the presentation provided a comprehensive overview of long-term demographic and human capital trends across the continent. The visit deepened collaboration within the Human Capital for Sustainable Development initiative, enhanced research capacity, and promoted meaningful engagement.