AERC’S Senior Policy Seminar XXI, that was partly funded under the International Development Research Centre (IDRC) grant, was a resounding success. The conference took place in Harare, Zimbabwe, which was fitting given the progress the country is making after the economic crisis it went through for several years. The country\u2019s protracted fiscal imbalances have constrained development expenditure and social service provision, undermining poverty reduction efforts. Unemployment pressures have been mounting as employment opportunities continue to dwindle. Zimbabwe has opportunities requiring minimal additional investment to realize medium-term growth targets. This was the twenty first senior policy seminar in the series, and the event was hosted in partnership with the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe.<\/p>\n
During the senior policy seminar, policy makers, researchers and other stakeholders engaged in uninterrupted deliberations on a set of important issues considered significant to policy in the region. In addition, the SPS provided a platform for a focused dialogue amongst African policy makers, thus facilitating peer learning and sharing of ideas and experiences. The seminar format insulates the policy makers from pressures related to their responsibilities and, thus, creates an environment for lively professional discourse on the selected theme. Furthermore, because the dialogue and deliberations are underpinned by solid and rigorous research by AERC network researchers, the SPS provides a window for AERC research to influence policy in the continent. At the same time, the SPS provides opportunities for AERC to receive feedback from policy makers on key policy-related issues requiring further research for informed policy making in viii Africa. The SPS thus provides an opportunity for the research to influence and advise policy making in the region.<\/p>\n