Published 9 February 2023 by Tumisang Loate-Ntsoko
Queuing with Laureates – Personal Lindau Impressions of Young Economist Tumisang Loate-Ntsoko
Tumisang Loate-Ntsoko is a researcher at the University of Pretoria in South Africa. During #LINOecon, she presented her findings on “Macroeconomic Effect of Fiscal Policy in South Africa”. Here, she reflects on the time she spent in Lindau.
Having attended various international conferences, the 7th Lindau Meeting on Economic Sciences had different session formats that I had not experienced before. These include the lunches and science walks with Laureates, this was a first for me. Whereas I had never experienced close encounters with Laureates awarded the Sveriges Riksbank Prize in Economic Sciences, now I was suddenly queuing for food with Paul R. Milgrom and during our chat he told me about his trip to South Africa.
Personal Highlights
My two favourite Laureates were macroeconomists Joseph E. Stiglitz and Christopher A. Sims. As a macroeconomist, I have read their work during my PhD studies and still do in my current research. Having lunch with Christopher Sims was the highlight of the meeting. For years, I have read his work and to be able to put a real and humble face to the name is something I will not forget as a researcher. It was easy to converse with him and when I asked for a picture a day later after the lunch, he still remembered me and was happy for me to take a picture with him.
I also engaged with two researchers who share common interests and therefore we exchanged contacts to communicate further in the future. One researcher is doing research on South Africa and was interested in insights and feedback on his presentation from South Africans. I was able to share latest developments in our country which he was not aware of and that relates to his research. I have also extended an invitation to him to come and present his work at the University of Pretoria and other universities in South Africa. Having grown up in South Africa during his early childhood years, he is keen to visit the country again. I have also made contact with another young researcher who is just starting her PhD in monetary policy and banking, a topic I also looked at during my PhD, and have issued my invitation for her to visit the University of Pretoria if she wishes to present her work in progress during her PhD.
Next Gen Science Sessions
I enjoyed my presentation, a rare opportunity to present in front of the Laureates. I received good feedback from the moderator. However, Young Economist Marko Mlikota and I were surprised to be put in the Microeconomics session since we were both doing Macroeconomics.
I was encouraged to see a fair representation of young female economists at the meeting and especially during presentations. It was also good to see women being involved in research work on issues that affect women more, such as maternity leave.
Many Opportunities to Network
My initial perception was that this was strictly a formal event. Through the pre-trip meeting with my country sponsor I learnt that there is also a social and informal aspect to it. Therefore, this meeting helped me to pack proper outfits for the event and to make the most of the event and enjoy the experience instead of only concentrate on the formal part of the meeting. There were many opportunities to network. I found lunches and the boat trip as good opportunities to engage with people for longer, and conversations moved from professional to personal.
I enjoyed the boat ride to the Mainau Island and the picnic. During the boat trip, I engaged with other researchers about traditional customs, and we had the opportunity to teach each other about our traditional customs and also see similarities between them. Exchanges like these make you realise that sometimes we share experiences more similar than we think.
I did not experience any challenges; both the transportation and accommodation were well organised. Overall, the trip was a great once-in-a lifetime experience and also my first time in Germany.
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This text was originally written for our Annual Report 2022. We hope you enjoy browsing through the online version.