AWARDS - FOUNDERS' MEDAL FOR MASTERS DEGREE DISSERTATION

The Founders’ Medal was instituted as a joint award to commemorate the work of the late Professors HES Freemantle, RA Lehfeldt and Mr. CW Pearsall, through whose efforts the Economic Society of South Africa was founded in 1925. 

The purpose of the award is to encourage research in the field of economics in South Africa and to recognise economic research of outstanding quality conducted at a South African university.

An adjudicating panel is appointed annually by the Central Council of the Society.  The panel’s recommendation will be submitted to the Central Council, which will make the award. 

The medal is awarded annually to the candidate whose dissertation is submitted for a masters degree at a South Africa university.

The masters dissertation must contribute at least 50% to the candidate’s degree.

The thesis should contribute significantly to and provide evidence of original economic research. The field is not restricted to a single narrow field within economics. Econometrics and economic history are also taken into consideration. The candidate is not required to provide evidence of original research. 

The candidate’s promoter should submit a formal recommendation why the dissertation should qualify for the award.

If no dissertation of sufficient merit is submitted, no award shall be made for that year;

If two or more theses of sufficient merit, and equally deserving of an award, are submitted in any one year, the Central Council may, at its discretion, make arrangements appropriate to the circumstances;

An occupant of a chair in economics shall not qualify for the award.

If, in the opinion of Central Council, it is desirable that a prize-winning thesis should be published, either as a whole or in part, and subject to funds being available, the Council may give sympathetic consideration to assisting its publication. If a prize-winning thesis is published, there should be a reference to the award of the Founders’ Medal of the Society.

The silver medal is awarded annually.

The medal cannot be awarded to the same person twice.

Every thesis submitted must be written in English or Afrikaans.  If originally written in any other language it must be translated into one of these languages before submission.

Two copies of the thesis are required. Copies will remain the property of the adjudicators.

Address for entries:       The Honorary Secretary
Economic Society of South Africa
PO Box 73354
Lynnwood Ridge
0040
South Africa

E-mail:                          saje@up.ac.za

Closing date:                 31 March

Previous entries and winners

2004

• Morné J. Oosthuizen. International Trade Costs and SSA. Department of Economics, University of Stellenbosch
   
• Collette Muller. Investigating South Africa's informal sector: measurement, participation and earnings. University of KwaZulu-Natal.
   
• Johan du Preez. Price formation under uncertainty. University of Cape Town.
   
• Laura Poswell. Convexities and the returns to education in SA. University of Cape Town.
   

• Simon Peter Hess. The New Economic Geography of a SADC Free Trade Area.
   

Winner: Simon Peter Hess

2003

• Kabundi, A.N. Macroeconomic Forecasting: A Comparison between Artificial Neural Networks and Econometric Models, Rand Afrikaanse University.
   
• Visagie, L. The Macroeconomic Impact of HIV/AIDS in South Africa, University of Stellenbosch.

Winner: Kabundi, A.N.

2002

• De Jager, S.  The impact of a Change Monetary Policy by Means of a Monetary Macro-Econometric Model.
   
• Chamberlain, D.  Earnings functions, labour market discrimination and quality of education in South Africa.
   
• Ehlers, N.  The Phillips Curve in the South African Context.
   
• Mariotti, M. An Examination of the Impact of Economic Policy on long-run Economic growth: An application of a VECM structure to a middle income context.
   
• Naicker, S.S.  The effects of Trade Policy on Intra-Industry Trade within the Context of Trade Liberalisation in South Africa.
   
• Wolf, G.  Product Innovation as a Static Game of Incomplete Information in a Non-Bayesian Environment.

Winner: S De Jager and D Chamberlain (Jointly Awarded)

2001

• Bredenkamp, Caryn.  Falling through the cracks - Income security and the South African Social Security System
   
• Casale, Daniela.  The political economy of trade policy in South Africa.
   
• Rangsamy, Krishen.  Budget deficits and the term structure of interest rates: evidence from Mauritius (1968 - 1999).

Winner:  Daniela Casale

 2000

• Pheiffer, C. B.  Capital flight in middle-income countries. Supervisor:  Prof E Calitz.  University of South Africa.

Winner:  C B Pheiffer

1999

• De Wet, T.  Supply-side Approach for Estimating a Cost and Production Function for the SA Economy, University of Pretoria.
   
• Joubert, A.  A Study Concerning Export Processing Zones (EPZs) in Certain Developing countries:  Are There Lessons for South Africa?  University of Pretoria.
   
• Lourens, C.  Banks and Regulators:  The Determination and Regulation of Market Risk, UOFS.
   
• Muheki, C.  Willingness to pay for Social Health Insurance:  A Case Study of Kampala, UCT.
   
• Van Zyl, CJ.  Maatskappybesparing en die Investeringsbesluit, UNISA.

Winner:  C Lourens and CJ Van Zyl (Jointly Awarded)

1998

• Cattaneo, NS.  The Theoretical and Empirical Analysis of Trade Integration among Unequal Partners: Implications for the Southern African Development Community, Rhodes University. 
   
• Edwards, L. Domestic Wheat Demand in a Deregulated Environment:  Modeling the importance of quality characteristics, University of Cape Town. 
   
• Liu, W.  An application of the Johansen ML cointegration technique to capital flows and capital flights, WITS. 

Winner: N S Cattaneo

1997

• Biggs, M.Does South Africa’s Government Debt Threaten the Sustainability of Fiscal Policy, University of Cape Town. 
   
• Hawkins, P.  Imported Capital Goods and the Income Adjustment Process in Small Open Economies, Unisa. 
   
• Sims, R.  Resource Economics of Donax Serra in the Eastern Cape:  Evaluation of a Small-Scale Clam Fishery, UPE. 
   
• Verwoerd, MW.  A Model of the South African Labour Market, University of Pretoria.
   
• Verwoerd, MW.  Estimation of a South African Labour Market Model using Engle and Granger three-step Cointegration. University of Pretoria. 

Winner: P Hawkins

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Last updated on 2 January 2007