Lawrence Edwards is the Director and Professor of Economics at the research unit Policy Research in International Services and Manufacturing (PRISM) at the University of Cape Town. He is a Research Associate/Fellow at the South African Labour and Development Research Unit (SALDRU), the Institute of Labor Economics (IZA), Economic Research Southern Africa and the South African Reserve Bank. Lawrence is a graduate of the University of Cape Town where he completed his PhD and the London School of Economics and Political Science where he completed his Masters in Economics degree. Lawrence’s research interests lie in the area of international trade, specifically on the effects of trade policies on labour market outcomes, export competitiveness, regional integration, and firm performance. He has consulted widely on trade policy issues for institutions such as the World Bank, the African Development Bank, the International Growth Centre, the OECD, the African Continental Free Trade Secretariat and for governments across Africa, including South Africa, Swaziland, Lesotho, Zambia and Uganda.