UNRISD Director to present the opening paper at the Guy Mhone Memorial Conference in Lusaka, Zambia on July 25

UNRISD Director Thandika Mkandawire will present the opening paper at the 2008 Guy Mhone Memorial Conference on Development coordinated by the Council for Economic and Social Science Research in Africa (CODESRIA).

In his paper, entitled “Derailing Industrialization,” Thandika argues that some of the ways in which mis-readings of African economic history have led to the dismissal of industrial policy as playing a role in economic development in Africa. He argues that such mis-readings, combined with the impossibility of strategic planning in the era of structural adjustment policies (SAP) have led to both de-industrialization and destruction of institutional capacity across the continent.

Thandika`s presentation will be part of a three-day conference around the theme of “Rethinking Trade and Industrial Policy for African Development. The conference honours the memory of leading economist and former CODESRIA Executive Committee member Guy Mhone. The conference will involve three days of presentations relating to this year’s theme in the context of CODESRIA’s commitment to promoting a critical rethinking of all aspects of socio-economic development in Africa.