Experience

Tinbergen Institute

• Netherlands
• Research
• 1 - 100 Employee

• Doctoral Student

  • Jun 2022 - Present

  I have officially enrolled for a joint PhD at the Tinbergen Institute (through Vrije University Amsterdam). The Oppenheimer Memorial Trust generously supports my research. I have officially enrolled for a joint PhD at the Tinbergen Institute (through Vrije University Amsterdam). The Oppenheimer Memorial Trust generously supports my research.



Stellenbosch University

• South Africa
• Higher Education
• 700 & Above Employee

• Doctoral Student in Economics

  • Jun 2022 - Present

  The focus of my doctorate is the teacher demographic transition. Half of South Africa's 410k teachers will retire in the next 10 years. Fewer than half the required number of teacher graduates are graduating per year.My first two chapters will estimate the causal effect of class sizes (which are rapidly increasing) and teacher ability on learner outcomes using contemporary econometric techniques. My third chapter will look at the relationship between class size (number of learners in a class) and learner-teacher ratios (the ratio of learners to teachers at a school or regional level). Some schools have smaller class sizes with the same ratio of learners to teachers in the school than the average. How to improve the allocation of teachers and learners to classes is not well understood.As with my Master's thesis, the spatial inequality of South Africa's education system remains central to my thinking. I hope to use the power of GIS mapping to communicate & visualise the underlying injustices of South Africa's education system. Show less

• Teaching Assistant

  • Jul 2022 - Present

  I am Nic Spaull's TA for his graduate-level Economics of Education course (771/871). I am teaching the statistical analysis of international large-scale learning assessments, such as TIMSS & PIRLS. I have designed assessments to ensure the learners can validly compare nations' learning levels between countries and over time. I look forward to designing a tutorial on the conflicting causal literature on the fundamental inputs to education.



Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab (J-PAL)

• United States
• Research
• 400 - 500 Employee

• Research Associate

  • Jun 2022 - Nov 2022

  JPAL Africa is monitoring and evaluating a pilot intervention with the Western Cape Education Department and the Western Cape Department of the Premier. The pilot aims to reduce norms of violence during adolescence. The programme teaches strategies inspired by cognitive behavioural therapy, designed by Chris Jaffe from BAM Chicago. My role encompasses all research aspects of this project. JPAL Africa is monitoring and evaluating a pilot intervention with the Western Cape Education Department and the Western Cape Department of the Premier. The pilot aims to reduce norms of violence during adolescence. The programme teaches strategies inspired by cognitive behavioural therapy, designed by Chris Jaffe from BAM Chicago. My role encompasses all research aspects of this project.



Money and Macro

• Groningen, Netherlands

• Research Economist

  • Sep 2021 - Oct 2022

  I draft educational entertainment scripts for the YouTube channel Money and Macro. The channel is run by Dr Joeri Schasfoort, to whom I was previously a research assistant at the University of Cape Town. Most recently, I have analysed the historical causes of global inequality. https://www.youtube.com/c/MoneyMacro I draft educational entertainment scripts for the YouTube channel Money and Macro. The channel is run by Dr Joeri Schasfoort, to whom I was previously a research assistant at the University of Cape Town. Most recently, I have analysed the historical causes of global inequality. https://www.youtube.com/c/MoneyMacro



Funda Wande

• South Africa
• Non-profit Organizations
• 1 - 100 Employee

• Research Economist

  • Sep 2021 - Dec 2021

  I primarily researched the relationship between class size and learning outcomes for a forthcoming chapter in an Oxford University Press South Africa volume on early grade mathematics education. I primarily researched the relationship between class size and learning outcomes for a forthcoming chapter in an Oxford University Press South Africa volume on early grade mathematics education.



FAO

• Italy
• Non-profit Organizations
• 700 & Above Employee

• Agricultural Economics Intern

  • Sep 2020 - Aug 2021

  My primary area of research was climate change adaptation for farmers in Sub-Saharan Africa. I additionally drafted conference proposals and worked on various internal policy documents. I am acknowledged in the following study, published in World Development: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.worlddev.2021.105546 My primary area of research was climate change adaptation for farmers in Sub-Saharan Africa. I additionally drafted conference proposals and worked on various internal policy documents. I am acknowledged in the following study, published in World Development: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.worlddev.2021.105546



University of Cape Town

• South Africa
• Higher Education
• 700 & Above Employee

• Research Internship

  • Jun 2020 - Oct 2020

  I worked on an agent-based model of covid-19 for highly unequal societies supervised by Joeri Schasfoort. I am acknowledged in the pre-print, available: https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.07.30.20164855v1.full.pdf I worked on an agent-based model of covid-19 for highly unequal societies supervised by Joeri Schasfoort. I am acknowledged in the pre-print, available: https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.07.30.20164855v1.full.pdf



University of Cape Town

• South Africa
• Higher Education
• 700 & Above Employee

• Philosophy and Economics Tutor

  • Jan 2018 - Dec 2018