Call for applications
The CCLE now invites applications from prospective PhD candidates from African countries (outside South Africa) to apply for a three-year scholarship for full-time study towards a PhD in the Department of Economics at Stellenbosch University. In particular, the CCLE is interested in candidates wishing to pursue doctoral research with the following theme: Econometrics and statistical learning techniques for detection of anti-competitive behaviour and estimation of associated damages The scholarship application process is administered via the Graduate School of Economic and Management Sciences of Stellenbosch University (GEM) and is funded by DAAD. Successful candidates must pass the GEM and DAAD selection processes and these institutions (and not the CCLE) make the final award decisions. In the absence of good applications, GEM/DAAD may not award any scholarship on a CCLE-related topic. The application process and criteria are explained and application documents are available at http://www.sun.ac.za/english/faculty/economy/gem/gem-scholars/prospective. Prior to completing the application, prospective candidates are requested to contact Prof Willem Boshoff, co-director of the CCLE and the designated supervisor for prospective doctoral candidates, to discuss whether the CCLE would be willing to consider their application. Due to the nature of the topic, candidates are expected to have excellent marks in graduate econometrics/statistics/mathematics from reputable [...]
CCLE participates in public hearings on the Competition Amendment Bill
On Wednesday 29 August, the CCLE participated in the public hearings on the Competition Amendment Bill. This followed a letter sent to the Portfolio Committee on Economic Development on the final version of the Bill. Prof Boshoff and Prof Sutherland, the co-directors of the CCLE, discussed aspects of concentration and its relation to competition, and also made a set of comments on the market inquiry provisions. Visit the engagement page to download all the relevant documents concerning this matter.
How SA’s competition bill is a threat to investment
Prof Willem Boshoff published an opinion piece in the Business Day today, setting out major concerns with the Competition Amendment Bill, which was tabled recently in the South African parliament. Click here to read the piece.
Call for Applications
The CCLE invites applications for full-time PhD studies in economics, commencing in 2019. The applications are administered by the Graduate School for Economic and Management Sciences (GEM) at Stellenbosch University. For information about the funding and the GEM application process, please visit http://www.sun.ac.za/english/faculty/economy/gem/about . The CCLE research themes (which appear together with other research themes of the Department of Economics) are (i) The empirical and theoretical analysis of collusion, and (ii) The economics of antitrust and competition policy enforcement. Please contact Prof Willem Boshoff (wimpie2@sun.ac.za) with questions about the research themes.
Compare like with like when reining in high cost of tertiary education
Prof Willem Boshoff, co-director of the CCLE, co-authored an opinion piece in the Business Day on the implications of competition among South African universities for the regulation of university fees: https://www.businesslive.co.za/bd/opinion/2018-05-30-compare-like-with-like-when-reining-in-high-cost-of-tertiary-education/
Advertisement for post-doctoral research position
The Centre for Competition Law and Economics (CCLE), situated in the Department of Economics at Stellenbosch University, promotes research and teaching in competition law and economics. The Centre has obtained funding for a new research project on collusion in non-price variables, including capacity. Applications are invited for a twelve-month, full-time postdoctoral research fellowship. No teaching is involved. Applicants should meet the following requirements: (1) A PhD in economics from a European/North American/Australian/South African university. (2) Strong quantitative skills, including deep familiarity with dynamic game theory. This is a crucial requirement, as the project will rely, inter alia, on advanced game-theoretic modelling. (3) A research focus on collusion, preferably with an emphasis on non-price competition. (4) An academic record that suggests the capability of generating high-quality publications in front-ranking journals. The successful applicant will be expected to collaborate with staff and doctoral students of the CCLE on the research project, participate in all Centre activities, and may also continue his/her own previous research. The working language will be English. Period: The starting date is between June and September 2018, but negotiable. Remuneration: Negotiable. Please send your application by 30 April 2018 to Prof Willem Boshoff.