Transformative Research

Our current line of work assess 1) how uneven demographic change in the past two decades has fueled economic inequality between African countries 2) how uneven fertility transitions within countries widen inequality among youth and, ultimately, in the next generation of workers; 3) which programs can best bridge current inequalities in youth’s human capital. We disseminate our work in leading academic journals, as keynote speakers at policy forums and through hosting large international conferences.

Cultivating Scholars

The dividend generation is home to the next generation of Africa's social scientists. The insights of these bright young scholars will be critical for informing evidence-based policymaking. Yet, between 2012 and 2016,  less than 2% of global scientific research output came out of Africa. Access to the broader scientific community is even more challenging for scientists working in Francophone Africa. At PICHNET, we work with local, regional, and international partners to cultivate this next generation of scholars through workshops, scholarships, and funding opportunities. 

PICHNET 

PANEL

SURVEY

Since 2018, we have been following a sample of 5,000 young adults of the Dividend Generation in Yaounde, Cameroon, as they finished their final year of school, and began their transition to adulthood. This  sampling approach usefully starts all students from a common baseline to see how paths may diverge, depending upon subsequent circumstances and students’ first encounter with the world of work and adulthood. Furthermore, the collection of baseline information during the first round of interviews helps understand prior differences among students, and how these initial differences –coupled with later events—affect their trajectories.  This school-based sample helps us to investigate what schools –a key institution for youth—can preemptively do to support youth before they leave the system. Further, engagement with a large group of youth in a school environment during the first year makes it possible to build rapport in ways that can reduce future attrition and improve the quality of data collected. We have completed a second wave of data collection in 2019, with a wave 3 planned for 2021.