The Economic Policy Research Centre (EPRC) is officially 30 years old. The 30-year milestone is a unique opportunity to reflect on EPRC’s journey, acknowledge its influential contributions and contributors, and envision a future of continued excellence in evidence-based socio-economic research and policy analysis in Uganda and beyond.

Dates

The open day is scheduled for February 15-16, 2024. The planned activities for the open day include a medical camp to be convened jointly with Makerere University Hospital and the Student’s Guild Ministry of Health.

Planned Activities

The 30-year celebratory activities will include; career guidance sessions for the students in collaboration with Makerere University’s Career Development Centre (CDC). EPRC has also organized an Essay competition for the Undergraduate students of Makerere University with a cash prize of UGX 1,000,000 (Uganda Shillings One Million only) each for the best two winning essays.  The theme of the essay competition is “Addressing Critical Development Challenges in Uganda Communities”.

Additionally, a Public Lecture, Donor and Partner Round Tables, a Medical Camp, an Open Day, a Regional Symposium, and a Celebration Dinner that honour past accomplishments but also provide a platform for visionary conversations, knowledge dissemination, and forging new collaborations and partnerships.

Reports, Research Studies and Publications to be exhibited

There will also be a special exhibition area for EPRC works, including a series of reports and research studies that have been produced over time on key economic development issues that affect our country. Some of the publications set to be displayed both electronically and physically for the EPRC@30 Open Day include:

• Benchmarking policies for creating healthy food environments to prevent diet-related Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) in Uganda
• Sustainable, Inclusive and Environmentally Responsive Debt in Uganda: Implication of COVID-19
• Abridged Version of the AFYB 2022
• Agricultural Finance Yearbook 2022
• Agricultural Finance Yearbook 2021
• Agricultural Finance Yearbook 2020
• Business environment improves slightly, though still below potential, and businesses are less optimistic about the future
• Dynamics of the Socio-economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on MSMEs in Uganda
• Is restricting child-directed marketing of unhealthy foods and drinks in Uganda feasible?
• Diabetes costs the Ugandan government and households UGX 2.2 trillion annually.
• The Political Economy of Sugarcane Growing in Uganda: Who Gains and Who Loses?
• Sugarcane – food security paradox: Evidence from Uganda’s cane growing sub-regions
• How to speed up the adoption of e-commerce by MSMEs in Uganda

The opening ceremony will be streamed live on the EPRC YouTube Channel.

Please see below for the detailed concept note and programme.