About PRISM

Director: Prof Mike Morris

PRISM is located in the School of Economics and is affiliated to the Centre for Social Science Research. PRISM research and policy activities are focused around the following issues:

• Globalisation and industrialization trajectories,
• The impact of global value chains on growth and markets,
• China's impact on industrialisation in Sub-Saharan Africa,
• Industrial policy in this new environment,
• Innovation and upgrading in developing countries,
• International competitiveness of firms and sectors,
• Clusters and learning networks,
• Trade's impact on manufacturing and services,
• Regulatory frameworks for trade, services and sectors,
• The distributional gains of industrial growth.

PRISM is intended to operate as a broad and eclectic research network creating a community of researchers who coalesce around common research interests as well as resources, including data. It is meant to encourage them to share ideas, work-in-progress, and interact on common issues. It is intended to provide a focal point for post graduate students who have an interest in these issues to find a research home. PRISM will allow staff and students to interact around common themes, be a vehicle to publish working papers, encourage journal article publication, and team up to secure research contracts.

Whilst the intended geographical spread of work is designed to be broad, the research and policy focus is intended to make PRISM the centre of excellence in Southern Africa for research and policy work on international services and manufacturing.

Current research activities in PRISM are:

• Making the Most of Commodities Programme (MMCP). This is a multi country, multi institution study led by Profs Mike Morris and David Kaplan and Prof Raphael Kaplinsky of the Open University. 
• China and Sub Saharan African Industrialisation undertaken by Prof Mike Morris in collaboration with Prof Raphael Kaplinsky, Open University as part of the African Economic Research Consortium Asian Drivers Project.
• Clothing and Textiles Sector research led by Prof Mike Morris has a focus on Southern Africa in collaboration with Dr Justin Barnes, and is also part of the African Clothing and Footwear Research Network. 
• Automotive Sector dynamics focusing on South Africa involving research and policy work by Prof Anthony Black, Prof Mike Morris in collaboration with Dr Justin Barnes.