- Trial lecture starts at 10.15
- Public defence starts at 12.00
The title of the trial lecture is "Recent developments regarding financial inclusion, with a special focus on Sub-Saharan Africa".
The link to the thesis in the Norwegian Research Information Repository
Assessment committee:
- Professor Robert Lensink, University of Groningen
- Professor Wendy Janssens, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam
- Professor Emeritus, Lars Oxelheim UiA
Supervisors in the doctoral work:
Summary of thesis
This dissertation examines the performance and resilience of informal financial institutions, particularly savings groups (SGs), in developing contexts. Drawing on extensive group-level panel data from multiple African countries, it investigates how SGs respond to various contextual shocks, such as drought, conflict, and technological change. The four empirical chapters examine the role of SGs in mitigating shock harm, the impact of group autonomy on financial outcomes, the functioning of SGs in conflict zones, and the effect of mobile money as a potential substitute or complement to informal finance. Across these chapters, the dissertation finds that SGs are adaptable and generally resilient, with more autonomous groups demonstrating better performance over time. It concludes that informal institutions can play a significant role in development where formal financial access is lacking and that designing these institutions to be context-sensitive and adaptable enhances their effectiveness. These findings have substantial implications for NGOs, policymakers, and future research on informal finance and community-based development models.
What to do as an online audience member
The disputation is open to the public. To follow the trial lecture and the public defence online, register on Zoom.
We ask online audience members to join no earlier than 10 minutes in advance. After these times, you can leave and rejoin the meeting at any time.
Opponent ex auditorio:
Deadline for the public to pose questions is during the break between the two opponents. Questions ex auditorio can be submitted to disputation chair.
Questions?
- gunvor.guttormsen@uia.no
- Phone
- +47 38 14 16 48