For the past couple of days I was attending a workshop at the University of Rome, `La Sapienza', hosted by CRISS, a cross-university research group investigating dynamics of inequality, poverty and welfare.

My notes from some of the sessions are available online:

• Ravi Kanbur
• Jeff Madrick
• Miles Corak
• Lane Kenworthy

In general, I enjoyed the sessions, especially those attempting to address persistence of inequality and the dynamics that lead to such persistence. I will comment more comprehensively on this topic later with reference to some of the papers presented.

Prof Kanbur's keynote speech was especially interesting as he has done a fair amount of work on South Africa (he is, in fact, off to a conference in SA soon organised by one of his co-authors, and UCT Prof, Haroon Bhorat).