This is not an Econometrics Course – it is an advanced course in empirical microeconomic methods in economics and finance – we will revise empirical methods in causal analysis most widely used in applied economics and finance and cover recent developments in empirical analysis in several topics, including: 

• corporate and household bankruptcy and financial distress 
• relationship lending and loan contract design 
• credit shocks 
• borrowing constraints and informational frictions 
• and financial regulation. 

The primary goal of the course is to enable students to apply the main empirical methods in applied economics and finance so they can use these tools in different environments such as applied macroeconomics and microeconomics, development economics and finance. 

Format and schedule 

This advanced course in empirical methods will be taught over 5 weeks (16 June – 18 July 2025) and comprise both lectures and practical sessions. The schedule includes 4 weeks of online lectures delivered via MS Teams on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 5-7pm (SAST). In the last week of the course, we will meet in person for the practical sessions for 4 days at the University of Pretoria (14-18 July).  

Selection criteria 

Preference will be given to applicants that have already completed basic econometrics courses and participants willing to attend both the online and the in-person portion of the course. 

Instructor 

Lucas Argentieri Mariani holds a Ph.D. in Economics from the University of North Carolina, a master’s degree from the University of Sao Paulo, and a bachelor’s degree from the Sao Paulo School of Economics. He is a Policy Associate at ERSA and a Research Fellow at the University of Milano-Bicocca. His research interests lie in the intersection between finance, macroeconomics, development economics, and firm dynamics, especially on the effects of financial development. 

Application process and requirements  

Interested applicants are requested to apply by completing the form below by 3 March 2025. Application decisions will be communicated by 12 March 2025.  

ERSA will cover the domestic travel and accommodation costs for students based at South African institutions. Places are limited to 25 students and funding to attend the workshop is entirely at the discretion of the organiser.  

 For more information and registration details, contact Claudine Tshabalala (claudine@econrsa.org ).