Last week, 19 of the participants in ICTD’s Research on Tax and Development course successfully completed the final in-person module in Lusaka, Zambia. After nine months of focused online training and close mentorship done in parallel to their day jobs, participants concluded the course by presenting their draft research proposals to collect feedback from peers before the official submission in December.
The highly popular course which last year received over 600 applications provides students with practical tools to design, conduct, manage and communicate high-quality research.
This year’s talented cohort represented a broad geographic and professional spectrum. While predominantly from African countries, the group also included professionals from Brazil, India, Pakistan, Serbia, and Vietnam. Professionally, it brought together not only tax administrators, researchers, economists, governance and policy specialists but also lawyers, psychologists, experts working on economic crimes and professionals from the agriculture sector.
On the interdisciplinary skills provided by the course Jane Kimari, psychologist and livelihood specialist, said:
“My work lies at the intersection of people and livelihoods which involves a lot of work on this ground. I’ve learnt that what we think people need and what their actual experience is are two different things. This is why research is important – it forces us to slow down, to listen more carefully, to ask better questions and to move beyond the assumptions. This course has taught me to turn my observation into a research question, conduct proper data collection and use that to drive decision-making.”
Dr Jalia Kangave, Lead Consultant for ICTD’s Gender and Tax programme and course co-facilitator since its inception said:
“This course is very personal to me as I wish I had something similar in my early career stage. What’s exciting is not only the material that we’ve been teaching but what we’ve been learning from all these amazing people and what they’ve been learning from each other. Many of our alumni have gone on to publish papers and we hope to see even more research coming from researchers in African countries.”
Hosting this year’s in-person module in Lusaka follows a strategic Memorandum of Understanding signed in July between ICTD and the Zambia Revenue Authority (ZRA) to strengthen research capacity and advance evidence-based reform. ZRA representatives also dedicated some time to visit the students and share insights on internal processes and lessons learnt.
Alumni share their experiences after concluding the course
Jonathan Msoni (2023/24 course alum) and Yande Musonda (2024/25 course alum) joined this year’s cohort to reflect on their respective experiences with the course and share advice on how to leverage gained skills and built connections. Since completing the course, Msoni was awarded Best PhD Student Paper at the International Institute for Public Finance (IIPF) Annual Congress 2026 for the paper that he refined while on the course with the help of his mentor Prof. Giulia Mascagni. In parallel, Musonda accomplished a new career milestone, promoted to Lead Data Analyst at ZRA.
Both alumni stressed the importance of taking advantage of all opportunities that present themselves as they can lead to bigger and unexpected chances.
Celebrating the last cohort as ICTD suspends tax research course for the foreseeable future
As announced in August, this year marks the final iteration of the course for the foreseeable future. The Centre has decided to pause the programme following a reduction in funding for the Teaching and Learning component of its work from 2027 onward. ICTD is however actively exploring new funding opportunities and institutional partnerships to enable resuming the course.
Since its inception in 2015, the programme has served as a cornerstone of ICTD’s capacity-building portfolio, providing mentorship and training to 270 early and mid-career professionals across revenue authorities, finance ministries, and civil society organisations. The high demand for research capacity across the global South is reflected in the programme’s selection process, which attracts hundreds of applications annually for a limited number of slots.
Oliver Roy, ICTD Project Manager who has been leading the Teaching and Learning programme, coordinating the course and supporting the development of related learning initiatives said:
“Having organised this course for the past six years, it has been an incredible privilege to watch it grow into such a vibrant international community. Coordinating this year’s in-person module before the pause was especially meaningful but bittersweet. I am immensely proud of the lasting network we’ve built together and hope to be able to resume this work soon.”
Although the standalone training course enters a pause, ICTD will continue to deliver bespoke training for partner organisations, support PhD researchers, publish free open-access learning materials and maintain active engagement with its global alumni network.
Check this page to find out more about the course alumni including their academic and professional accomplishments.
