The Center for Research on Economic Development record group is comprised primarily of the records of the research proposed and conducted by the Center and the administrative work required to conduct the research. The bulk of the materials covers the years from 1977 to 1993. Some of the documents in this collection are in the French language, since much of their research and work was conducted in and concerned Francophone countries in Africa.
The Center for Research on Economic Development (CRED) was established in June 1961 as a research and training unit of the College of Literature, Science, and the Arts. Its early mandate was to conduct research and training on economic development in the underdeveloped regions of the world. Over time the Center established a reputation for research, advisory, and training activities in emerging countries in Africa.
A large percentage of CRED's research was conducted in field research projects. The majority of the field research was conducted in French-speaking Africa. In the early years the field research focused on the economic issues of rural communities, and in the later years the field research focused on policy issues. For the most part the recent research has concerned agricultural marketing, management, and reform in French-speaking Africa.
In 1988, CRED began sponsoring economic development conferences, held primarily in Africa. The conference topics included: economic advancement in Africa, economic reform, structural adjustment in Burundi, and global economic reform. These conferences and workshops were attended by senior African civil servants and policy researchers.
In 1980, CRED began offering its Seminar on Economic Development. The seminar was a seven-week program which taught economics in French. Most of the students came from ten African nations. As a part of the seminar there were guest lecturers in economic analysis, training in computer applications, and instruction in English. The students supplemented their education with field trips to industrial, agricultural, and governmental organizations in southern Michigan, as well as a visit to Washington, DC.
CRED received most of its institutional support from the University of Michigan. Most of its external income was derived from contracts with United States Agency for International Development for research services. In the past, the Ford Foundation and the Rockefeller Foundation provided institutional and project support.
It is believed that the Center was in existence until 1993, when it was subsumed as part of the International Institute, which was established in September 1993. Currently the Center is generally inactive.
Directors of the Center
| Date |
Event |
| 1961-1963 | Samuel P. Hayes |
| 1963-1969 | Wolfgang Stolper |
| 1970-1977 | Elliot Berg |
| 1978-1981 | Henri Josserand |
| 1981-1982 | Kenneth Shapiro (acting) |
| 1982-1988 | Robin Barlow |
| 1988-1992 | Ernest J. Wilson, III |
| 1992-1993 | Mark Gersovitz |
