NOVAFRICA Seminar: Human Capital, Internal Migration and Structural Transformation in Africa

On Wednesday, October 26th, at 02.30pm (Lisbon time), on Room B 134 the NOVAFRICA Center welcomes Jorge Agüero from University of Connecticut to present his work on “Human Capital, Internal Migration and Structural Transformation in Africa”.

Author:
Jorge Agüero

Abstract:
Economic development requires the transformation of the spatial organization of a country. Yet, in Sub-Saharan Africa most of the population still resides in rural areas and works in agriculture limiting the structural transformation required for economic development. We shows that education helps achieve such a transformation by inducing geographical mobility. Using a fuzzy regression discontinuity design created by a school reform in Zimbabwe, we show that schooling increases internal migration, especially to larger cities and with bigger effects for those born in rural areas. Access to new labor market opportunities and reductions in fertility are important mechanisms.

Find more about this seminar here.