“The course created a platform where dynamic and engaged people from resource-rich countries could exchange and learn from different experiences… I enthusiastically recommend the course to any actor—policymakers, civil society activists, or private sector executives—who are involved in extractive industries,” said Zeinab Camara from Guinea. Camara was describing the two-week course that she recently completed in Budapest, Hungary. The course was co-organized by SPP’s Global Policy Academy (GPA) and the Natural Resource Governance Institute (NRGI).
56 participants from 23 countries traveled to Budapest to take part in “Reversing the Resource Curse: Theory and Practice.” The course uses the Natural Resource Charter, a set of economic principles for governments and societies on how to best manage the opportunities created by natural resources to promote development, as its primary intellectual framework. It was structured to provide participants with an overview of the political economy of policymaking in resource-rich countries, and also to delve deeper into one of two topics: designing and evaluating fiscal regimes; and distributing, managing, and spending resource revenues. Course participant SPP student Zhanetta Zhakypova (MPA ’16) from Kyrgyzstan appreciated the opportunity to specialize: “It was especially useful for me to focus on particular issues related to fiscal systems and managing revenues from natural resources because my Passion Project is about impact evaluation of extractive industry projects,” she said.
Among the distinguished faculty were Sir Paul Collier (Oxford University and SPP), Professor Robert F. Conrad (Duke), Paolo de Renzio (International Budget Partnership), Keith Myers (Richmond Energy Partners Ltd.), and Eric Parrado (Universidad Adolfo Ibáñe) who led interactive lectures, group discussions, and practical skill-building workshops or policy labs. There were also guest presentations. Zhakypova mentioned one in particular that she especially enjoyed, the session taught by Eric Parrado, who was one of the founders of the Sovereign Wealth Fund of Chile.
This is the third year that NRGI (formerly the Revenue Watch Institute) and SPP have teamed up to offer this course. Graduating MPA student Dursunjemal Halimova (MPA ’16) from Turkmenistan participated last year, and again this year. She explains that her interest in resource governance is also related to her Passion Project experience where she worked on a project dealing with youth engagement in resource governance in Myanmar. “Taking part in this executive course allowed me to expand on my previous knowledge and meet professionals working on governance-related issues worldwide. The course equipped me with the tools to analyze the political economy of resource-rich countries and to advocate for policies promoting greater social and economic equality in resource-rich countries.”
Camara is gratified that so many women are interested in this topic. “One of the values of this course for me is that it allowed me to see the importance of greater involvement of women in this major sector of the Guinean economy, not only at the receiving end, but throughout the decision-making chain.”
In an email sent to all participants at the conclusion of the course, NRGI President Daniel Kaufmann commented on the dynamic and engaging conversations that had taken place as participants presented, negotiated, challenged, learned, and shared their knowledge and experience.” GPA Director Bernhard Knoll-Tudor also commented on the diverse backgrounds and perspectives of both the participants and faculty. “The range of partnerships with governments, national oil and gas companies, universities, international NGOs and local civil society we have developed is key. This course exceeded our very high expectations.”
Watch videos from this course on our Youtube playlist. Start by watching the first video in the playlist below.