B.Sc. Economics, University of Warwick); M.A. Public Policy and Development, Paris School of Economics
Faculty Supervisor: Fiona Burlig
Ucindami Mafeni is a pre-doctoral fellow at EPIC, working for Harris Assistant Professor Fiona Burlig to study how farmers in California — one of the world’s most productive agricultural regions — respond to environmental regulations aimed at reducing underground aquifer depletion. He earned a bachelor’s in economics from the University of Warwick in 2018 and a Master’s in Applied Economics with a major in Public Policy and Development from the Paris School of Economics in 2020. He wrote his undergraduate thesis on female economic empowerment in developing countries, and his master’s thesis on affirmative action in higher education in Malawi. Mafeni’s interests include economic development and public policy, and how both can be adapted to take the environment into account.
“After looking at some of the projects which the lead researchers were undertaking, I was drawn to the idea that the work which I would be involved in during my pre-doc would be both interesting and beneficial to society. Furthermore, I believed that it would serve as ideal preparation for the PhD which I intended to pursue immediately after the pre-doc. Finally, during the interview process I was convinced that a pre-doc at EPIC would let me into a tightly knit and supportive community of mentors and colleagues, all of whom would help bring out the best in me as researcher. Now that I am part of the team, I can honestly say that those pre-conceptions were 100% correct.”