inflation · Lab cohort
Inflation Dynamics Lab
Build intuition for CPI composition, expectations channels, and simple pass-through exercises using South African series.
- Duration
- 5 weeks · async + live clinic
- Model focus
- Phillips-style
- Cohort
- Evening
- Fee (informational)
- ZAR 890
This lab walks through measurement choices, seasonal adjustment trade-offs, and how to narrate inflation surprises without overfitting a single story. You will compare headline versus core measures, stress-test a basic expectations-augmented specification, and leave with a checklist for peer review.
What is included
- Seasonally adjusted workbook templates
- Expectations channel walkthrough
- CPI basket commentary prompts
- Peer review checklist for inflation memos
- Office-hour thread with forecasting coach
- Revision deck aligned to lab milestones
- Annotated reading list for ZA context
Outcomes
- Explain two inflation prints using consistent definitions
- Draft a one-page inflation brief with limitations stated
- Identify when a simple pass-through story is insufficient
Nomsa Khumalo
Lead contact
Macroeconomics lecturer with a focus on price measurement and classroom clarity.
Questions
Do I need prior econometrics coursework?
Comfort with spreadsheets and basic regression intuition is enough; we do not assume graduate econometrics.
What data do you provide?
We supply cleaned sample extracts and guidance for sourcing public series; you bring curiosity and time.
What is not included?
We do not provide bespoke data vendor subscriptions or trading advice — this is a learning lab, not a signal service.
Cohort notes
“The CPI basket commentary prompts forced me to name definitions before jumping to a story — awkward at first, then useful. The Inflation Dynamics Lab workbook is still on my desktop.”
“Clear framing of expectations versus cost-push channels; the revisions-to-series block moved fast — mentor notes on my tables compensated.”
Money-Back Policy applies where stated at enrolment.