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on Africa |
| By: | Schulte, Erik V.; Kaplan, Lennart |
| Abstract: | Global powers increasingly use trade as a tool of geopolitical influence. But can trade also foster soft power? We provide novel evidence on this relationship by combining geo-referenced survey data from 22 African countries sourced from the Gallup World Poll with Chinese import data. Exploiting plausibly exogenous variation in manufacturing imports induced by the "China shock, " we find that trade does not affect African citizens' attitudes towards China in the aggregate. However, the China shock is associated with higher perceived incomes and contributes to more favorable views of China in African countries with low technological intensity. Most notably, among citizens in democratic regimes, increased trade exposure is associated with more favorable perceptions of China, suggesting that political context mediates the effectiveness of trade-based soft power. |
| Keywords: | Trade, soft power, China-Africa, China shock, Gallup World Poll |
| Date: | 2025 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:zbw:cegedp:320431 |
| By: | Salmi, Jamil; Amegah, Alice; Shinde, Aarya Rajendra |
| Abstract: | This study explores the link between digital skills, innovation, and economic transformation in the context of Africa, focusing on the role and potential contribution of higher education institutions in the development of advanced skills for the digital transition. It documents relevant global case studies from Asia, Australia, Europe, and North America that showcase good examples of investment in skills development through higher education and their impact on innovation and economic growth. The study investigates the evolving global demand for digital skills and explores how advanced digital skills can create new economic development opportunities for Africa and help solve the big challenges faced by the subcontinent, such as food security, health threats, learning poverty, and climate change. It takes stock of existing capacities for digital skills training in Sub-Saharan Africa and proposes a bold vision for improving and expanding digital skills education programs. |
| Date: | 2025–06–30 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wbk:hdgens:203093 |
| By: | Salmi, Jamil; Amegah, Alice; Shinde, Aarya Rajendra |
| Abstract: | This study explores the link between digital skills, innovation, and economic transformation in the context of Africa, focusing on the role and potential contribution of higher education institutions in the development of advanced skills for the digital transition. It documents relevant global case studies from Asia, Australia, Europe, and North America that showcase good examples of investment in skills development through higher education and their impact on innovation and economic growth. The study investigates the evolving global demand for digital skills and explores how advanced digital skills can create new economic development opportunities for Africa and help solve the big challenges faced by the subcontinent, such as food security, health threats, learning poverty, and climate change. It takes stock of existing capacities for digital skills training in Sub-Saharan Africa and proposes a bold vision for improving and expanding digital skills education programs. |
| Date: | 2025–06–30 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wbk:hdgewp:203093 |
| By: | Bazoumana Ouattara |
| Abstract: | This paper examines how African cities can reconcile rapid urbanization and development imperatives with urgent decarbonization goals through structural transformation. It begins by mapping key sources of urban carbon-energy poverty, inefficient buildings, poor planning, transport systems, waste management, and construction practices-and quantifies their contributions to emissions. |
| Keywords: | Structural transformation, Urbanization, Green cities, Investments, Governance, Carbon emission intensity, low-carbon future |
| Date: | 2025 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:unu:wpaper:wp-2025-43 |
| By: | Sam Jones; Felix Schilling; Finn Tarp |
| Abstract: | We link a new database of politically exposed persons with the complete register of firms established in Mozambique since Independence. Focusing on the network of connections between firm owners, we use a generalized event study analysis to show that holders of political office achieve significant gains in the number of companies owned and their structural power (centrality) within the business-owner network. These gains are concentrated in joint-stock firms active in provision of business services, and our results persist when we aggregate the data to the family-level. |
| Keywords: | Firm ownership, Benefits, Political connections, Rent-seeking, Mozambique |
| Date: | 2025 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:unu:wpaper:wp-2025-47 |