Prof Johan Fourie of the Department of Economics at Stellenbosch University will be presenting a public lecture titled 'The Data Revolution in African Economic History' in New York City on July 26, and in Boston on July 30.

“There has never been a better time to be African," Prof Fourie said. “The surge in African economic growth over the past two decades has raised interest in understanding the dynamics of the continent's revolving fortunes. By means of innovative techniques for uncovering large historical datasets, researchers benefit from the data revolution to reveal the complexity of the African past, and to improve understanding of the trajectory of current economic development."

Organised by Stellenbosch University Alumni Office, the lecture will be followed by a networking reception.

Prof Fourie is an associate professor in Economics and coordinator of the Laboratory for the Economics of Africa's Past, an interdisciplinary research group aimed at investigating African economic history. He received a PhD from Utrecht University in 2012 for his dissertation on the prosperity of Cape Colony farmers, which also won him the best dissertation prize at the World Economic History Congress in 2015. He has published more than 50 scientific papers and writes a regular column for a South African financial weekly and a blog at johanfourie.com.