WIDERAngle

Expert commentary from our network

About

The WIDERAngle publishes expert commentary and analysis of the latest research in global development. The WIDERAngle supports UNU-WIDER’s missions to undertake research and policy analysis on the most pressing concerns affecting humanity and provides a forum for knowledge sharing, discussion, and debate.

 

To see past newsletters, visit our WIDERAngle archive.

 

Write for the WIDERAngle

We accept submissions that represent sincere efforts to advance knowledge on topics related to the promotion of sustainable and equitable development for all. Although many of our writers are established in their fields, we particularly encourage submissions from early-career researchers, policy professionals, and writers who represent Global South countries and perspectives.

 

For guidelines on WIDERAngle submissions, please refer to our Guidelines for submissions.

 

Send submission queries to editorialteam@wider.unu.edu.

 

EDITORIAL TEAM

Executive Editor: Annett Victorero

Managing Editor: Timothy Shipp

Assistant Editor: Tristan Reid

 

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South Africa’s emergency social grant proves to be a critical tool in the fight against poverty — it should be expanded

by Maya Goldman, Brynde Kreft, Ntuthuko Hlela
coins and clock
South Africa's unemployment rate stands at a staggering 32.1%—one of the highest in the world. Coupled with an alarming poverty rate, where nearly half of the population lives below the poverty line, the socioeconomic landscape is dire. Amidst these challenges, the special COVID-19 Social Relief of Distress (SRD) grant is a critical tool in the fight against poverty and unemployment.However, with the recent extension of the SRD grant to March 2025, and a reduced budget allocation of ZAR 34...

Does the Kuznets Curve still matter 70 years on? Yes! Here’s why

by Ravi Kanbur, Andy Sumner, Kunal Sen
Photo by <a href="https://unsplash.com/@towfiqu999999?utm_content=creditCopyText&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=unsplash">Towfiqu barbhuiya</a> on <a href="https://unsplash.com/photos/a-glass-jar-filled-with-coins-and-a-plant-joqWSI9u_XM?utm_content=creditCopyText&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=unsplash">Unsplash</a>
Seventy years ago, Simon Kuznets was immortalised by his finding that inequality rises first and then falls later—the hypothesis widely known as the Kuznets Curve. In a new UNU-WIDER project, we look at what one of the most influential papers in the field means for inequality and development today, with the huge progress on what data is now available.Seven decades after it was first introduced, the Kuznets curve still has a hold on the development policy debate. The good news is that the...

Understanding Mozambique’s social protection system in the context of recurring shocks – perspectives from the field

by Sara Almeida, Amadeu das Neves
VLS-image
Effective social protection programmes that meet local needs can significantly enhance wellbeing and break the cycle of structural poverty among the poor and vulnerable. Measuring their effectiveness and understanding their impact is crucial for policymakers involved in their design. The Vulnerable Lives Survey (VLS), implemented in Mozambique under the Inclusive Growth in Mozambique (IGM) programme, aims to assess the effectiveness of the country’s flagship non-contributory social pension...

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    Blog
    From snow to spring: Research and life lessons from Finland
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    Coming from a tropical region in India, the Finnish weather, with its sub-zero temperatures, were an unfamiliar challenge, but I was inspired by the...

    Blog
    Remembering Giovanni Andrea Cornia
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    It was with great sadness that we received the news of Giovanni Andrea Cornia’s passing on 10 July 2024. Giovanni Andrea Cornia was Honorary Professor...

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    From UNU-WIDER to the world: Journeys in development economics
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    ‘What makes UNU-WIDER a unique place for researchers is the sense of community and the combination of academic rigour, policy relevance, and position...

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    Affirmative action in Brazil’s higher education system

    Evidence from Brazil shows how affirmative action students in the higher education system adjust their behaviour to catch up with initially higher...

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    Taking localisation beyond labels and lip service

    Donors increasingly speak of locally led aid response, but often do not walk the walk. Case in point is the United States Agency for International...

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    WIDER Alumni Amadou Boly shares wisdom for next generation
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    Amadou Boly is Special Assistant in the Economic Governance and Knowledge Management Complex at the African Development Bank (ADB). Before that, he...

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    Building connections that matter: UNU-WIDER Visiting PhD and Scholar programmes
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    Every year about 20 visitors come to Helsinki to find a new home at UNU-WIDER in our Visiting Scholars and PhD Fellowship programmes. Although their...

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    Along the PhD path: A change in environment for a new perspective
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    After two years of COVID-19 restrictions, I was thrilled to receive an acceptance letter to UNU-WIDER's Visiting PhD Fellowship Programme. Until this...

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    Secure research data lab in Uganda: A game changer for efficient and fair taxation

    In May 2022, the Uganda Revenue Authority (URA) and UNU-WIDER collaboratively launched a secure research data laboratory facility in Kampala, Uganda...

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    Opportunities beyond lecture rooms – widening my career perspectives as a UNU-WIDER PhD fellow
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    It was surreal to take a springtime walk along the harbor in Helsinki on my way to UNU-WIDER’s headquarter offices for the first time. My initial...

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    The UNU-WIDER Visiting PhD Fellowship – in my experience
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    I now work as an assistant professor at Antai College of Economics and Management, Shanghai Jiao Tong University in China. I visited UNU-WIDER in 2017...

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    The new normal: My experience in an online cohort of visiting PhD Fellows
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    Everyone that has been engaged in a PhD experience agrees that the whole process is a tough and sometimes lonely challenge. However, the visiting PhD...

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    I was a visiting PhD fellow at UNU-WIDER — this is my experience
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    Virgi Agita Sari joined UNU-WIDER as a visiting PhD fellow in the summer of 2017. Coming from Indonesia, Virgi joined five other fellows from across...

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    From small beginnings, big impact
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    2020 marks the 35th year of UNU-WIDER’s impact in the sphere of development economics. Over the years, the institute has influenced the discourse...

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    Building skills to influence policy at home and abroad: Learning and growing with UNU-WIDER
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    UNU-WIDER has featured prominently in my research career to date. It began during my PhD when I visited the Helsinki office as a Visiting PhD Fellow...

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    Transforming economies, states, and societies – building evidence for achieving the SDGs
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    I am delighted to take the helm at UNU-WIDER, an institution which has been associated with some of the most advanced thinking in development...

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    Migration and the transfer of gender and democratic norms

    Despite the large attention received in the global development debate over the past years, gender inequalities still strongly persist throughout the...

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    From the Editor’s Desk (June-August 2015)
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    And so we come to the summer Angle. We have just passed the longest day (midsummer) in Helsinki, with 19 or so hours of daylight. The seagulls nesting...

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    From the Editor’s Desk (January 2015)
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    We are now into 2015, and the year is already gathering speed. 2015 is of course the 70th anniversary of the United Nations, and a major year in...

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    UNU-WIDER in Ghana – An Interview with Wisdom Akpalu
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    23 April 2014 Wisdom Akpalu joined UNU-WIDER as a Research Fellow based in Ghana in the beginning of 2014. Prior to joining the Institute he was an...

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    From the Editor's Desk (March 2014)
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    26 March 2014 Tony Addison​ Looking over recent UNU-WIDER publications, I am struck by the diversity of topics and countries that we have managed to...

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    From the Editor’s Desk (September 2012)
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    Tony Addison Mid-September finds UNU-WIDER very busy preparing for our big conference on climate change and development policy that takes place later...

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    From the Editor's Desk (April 2012)
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    Tony Addison With our temperatures now well above zero, we head for the official end of the Finnish winter on 1st May (the ‘Vappu’ holiday). As...

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    'La tè tranble nan peyi d'Ayiti': The Earth Trembles in Haiti
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    Evans Jadotte On Tuesday January 12 2010, a 7.0 Richter scale earthquake, off the coast of Haiti destroyed its capital Port-au-Prince. It also razed...

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