Every year, the Amsterdam Institute for International Development (AIID), in collaboration with the World Bank, offers prizes for the best PhD thesis and the best MSc Thesis on International Development, approved by a Dutch University.
This year, both awards go to Wageningen Graduates. The prize for the best PhD Thesis was for Javier Escobal, director of GRADE in Lima, Peru, for his thesis entitled The Role of Public Infrastructure in Market Development in Rural Peru.
The thesis was supervised by prof. dr. Arie Kuyvenhoven of the Development Economics Group at Wageningen University and prof.dr. Ruerd Ruben, now at Radboud University Nijmegen. Dr. Escobal will be invited to attend the annual Economists' Forum week at the World Bank and present his findings for this distinguished international audience there.
The prize for the best MSc thesis was for Nana Kufuor of Ghana, for his thesis entitled Effects of Trade and Exchange Rate Policies on Pineapple Export from Ghana, 1970 – 2003.
His award is a travel grant of upto $2,000. His thesis was supervised by dr. Kees Burger, also of the Development Economics Group at Wageningen University.
The award ceremony will be held Tuesday 13 June 2006 at the University of Amsterdam, Roetersstraat 11, and opened by Mr Cyril Muller, Special Representative for Europe for the World Bank with a keynote speech on African development issues