Volker Schöer is an Associate Professor of Economics in the School of Economic and Business Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand. Volker holds a MA (Economics) from the University of Cape Town and a PhD (Economics) from the University of the Witwatersrand. Volker is the director of the African Micro-Economic Research Unit (AMERU) at the University of the Witwatersrand which focuses on quantitative impact evaluations. He has investigated active labour market policies and interventions in the education sector using experimental and quasi-experimental designs.
While Volker’s research has covered a wide range of micro-economic issues in economic development (trade flows and policy, industrial policy, competition policy, labour markets, and firm dynamics), his current research focus lies predominantly within the field of quantitative education research. He has published in a number of international and local journals including International Journal of Educational Development, Journal of International Development, Review of Development Economics, South African Journal of Economics, and the South African Journal of Education. He has also consulted and collaborated widely with the World Bank, the IMF, the Swiss National Science Council, the National Treasury, the Department of Trade and Industry, the Centre for Learning on Evaluation and Results (CLEAR), the Department of Basic Education, and the Council for Quality Assurance in General and Further Education and Training (Umalusi).