The African Economic Research Consortium’s (AERC) mission to increase the pool of professional economists through research and graduate training in economics came to fruition yet again, when the 2007 Joint Facility for Electives (JFE) for the collaborative Masters and PhD programmes opened on 9th July 2007.

The programme, which is hosted annually by the AERC at the Kenya Commercial Bank (KCB) Management Centre in Karen, was officially opened by Ms. Esther Koimett, Investment Secretary, Ministry of Finance, Kenya and a member of the AERC Programme Committee at a colorful ceremony attended by scholars, students and other notable people.

In her keynote address, Ms. Koimett hailed the AERC for the foresight of the collaborative training programmes, which are a show case in the continent and beyond, enhancing the capacity of African researchers to conduct policy-relevant economic inquiry in their own countries and promoting the retention of such capacity in African institutions. Ms. Koimett noted that AERC has aptly filled the niche and made significant effort to push Africa’s development agenda forward through its Training and Research programmes.

The 2007 JFE brings together 123 students on the Collaborative Master’s Programme (CMAP) and 23 on the Collaborative PhD Programme (CPP). Of the 123 CMAP students, 88 are male and 35 female, representing 16 African nationalities, respectively. Notably, AERC, through the JFE programme, has to date supported over 1500 students on CMAP and 115 on CPP. Besides the master’s and PhD students, the JFE also brings together a team of eminent professors, who reside at the facility to teach students in both graduate programmes.

Since the AERC commenced the JFE in 1993, the facility has been very positively rated among training centers in Africa and beyond. The depth of coverage and quality of the learning facility makes it a leading human capacity building outfit. Gathering students and professors from around the continent in one location for a duration of four months, not only germinates the seed of African unity, but also provides an opportunity for academic and social interaction - one that cannot be offered by universities individually.

In her speech, Ms. Koimett implored students not to rest on their laurels, but to continue to strive towards loftier goals, as fortitude and hard work embody a positive attitude that is backed by purpose. Taking note of the e-learning infrastructure that the AERC has put in place for students while at the JFE - the very elaborate and up-to-date library, latest books, top-of-the-range computers and well connected internet facilities, and a team of the best talents to teach each elective course on offer - Ms. Koimett urged the participating students to set high goals, work hard and exploit their full potential to ensure successful completion of their 16-week training at the JFE.
Also present at the ceremony was the AERC’s Director of Research, Prof. Olu Ajakaiye who took the time to introduce the AERC Research Agenda to the 2007 JFE participating students. Prof. Ajakaiye noted that the JFE provides a training ground for upcoming scholars who will soon join the AERC network, and whose research exploits will not only benefit individual countries, but also the African continent as a whole.