Welcome to SOAS Economics Department The only

Welcome to SOAS Economics Department • The only Department of Economics in the world with women as half of its staff members. • Large number of staff and students from an international background. • Members of staff include: a former Greek MP, an advisor to the Asian Development Bank, former advisor to the Nelson Mandela’s ANC government, former member of staff is heading the debt division at United Nations Trade and Development Agency, … • Currently, Phd students doing research in various places including Uzbekistan, Ghana, China, Brazil, Angola, Greece, India, South Africa, Bangladesh, Bahrain, Nigeria, Philippines, Turkey, Egypt, USA, Japan, Tajikistan and the City of London! • And over 90 percent of the UG students are in a job or pursuing further study 6 months after graduating. 1

Outline of this presentation • Studying Economics at SOAS • Mini-Taster Lecture • Q&A (and there will be a further Q&A session at 13. 30 in B 204) Elisa Van Waeyenberge ew 23@soas. ac. uk 2

Studying Economics at SOAS About the Department • SOAS Economics Department is one of leading pluralist departments in the world. • One of the UK’s largest concentrations of development economists with expertise in the economies of Asia, Africa and the Middle East. • Research-led teaching. • Strong links to international institutions and universities. • A broad spectrum of expertise within the department (including gender, the environment, finance, labour markets, food regimes, agriculture, globalisation, infrastructure, monetary and fiscal policy, institutions, technological change and industrial policy). • Multicultural environment: both staff and students. 3

Economics degree at SOAS offers… • A thorough grounding in orthodox economic theories. • The mastering of a variety of quantitative techniques and econometrics, which includes the ability to summarise and to interpret statistical information, data and tables; to use standard computer packages; to analyse data and present the results of such analysis. • Advanced training in important branches of theoretical and applied economics and economic policy debates. • Or what most Economics departments in the UK offer! 4

But, in addition, with us you get … • The ability to use arguments from different schools of economic analysis to study important topics in applied economics (complex reasoning skills). • A strong understanding of the issues facing developing countries of Asia and Africa. • The ability to take a global approach to the analysis of key economic issues. • The opportunity to explore heterodox economic theories with world experts. • The ability to combine economics with introductions to other disciplines in SOAS. • Strong transferable skills, including presentation, communication, teamand networking skills. • Ability to translate technical concepts to lay audiences. • Mentoring and work placement schemes with the private/public sectors. • Strong links with our alumni. 5

Course Delivery • Course convenors give weekly lectures • Supporting seminars and tutorials with small staff-student ratios • Excellent administrative support • Use of online learning support platform • Weekly office hours by course convenors Assessment • Examinations (in May-June each year) • Assessed coursework 6

Study support and Pastoral Care • Every student has a Personal Advisor • And a Year Tutor • We write your references • We advise/help with your career planning (careers service) • Strong learning and teaching development department to develop general study skills (see http: //www. soas. ac. uk/ltd/) • Student Support Services (Disabilities officer, Welfare officer, counsellors) 7

Three different degree structures Single Degrees • BSc Economics • BSc Development Economics Combined Degrees • BA Economics and … (Major/Minor) A joint degree with another discipline OR language 8

BSc Economics • This is a 3 year programme. • Students take 4 units per year, completing a total of 12 units in 3 years. • Depending on your Maths background, your final year will consist of either 4 or 3 optional courses. 9

BSc Economics Degree Structure • Year 1: THREE Core Courses and ONE Open Option - Introduction to Economic Analysis - Comparative Growth in Asia and Africa - Introduction to Quantitative Methods for Economists OR Quantitative Methods for Economists - ONE Open Option 10

• Year 2: THREE Core Courses and ONE Optional Course - Microeconomic Analysis - Macroeconomic Analysis - Econometrics OR Quantitative Methods for Economists - ONE Optional Course: Banking and Finance, International Economics, Issues in Development Economics OR an Open Option. 11

• Year 3: ONE Core Course and THREE Optional Course OR FOUR Optional Courses - Econometrics AND - THREE or FOUR of the following: Economics of the Environment, Gender Economics, Global Economic Policy, History of Economic Thought and Methods, Applied Econometrics, Banking and Finance, International Economics, Issues in Development Economics, Economic Development of Africa, Economic Development of Japan, Economic Development of Modern China, Economic Development of South East Asia, Economic Development of South Asia, Economic Development of Modern Middle East, Economic Development in the Asia Pacific Region II OR an Open Option OR an Independent Study Project. 12

BSc Development Economics • Students take 4 units per year, completing a total of 12 units in 3 years. • Core theory courses are combined with an emphasis on the economics of developing countries in Year 1 and Year 2. • In Year 3: Quantitative Methods as a Core Course and THREE Optional Courses. • Please see http: //www. soas. ac. uk/economics/programmes/bscdevecon/ for programme structure 13

BA Economics and … • Two subject degree - Combined with a discipline (3 years): African Studies, Development Studies, History, Law, Linguistics, Politics, Social Anthropology, South Asian Studies, South East Asian Studies, Study of Religions, Geography, Middle Eastern Studies, Japanese Studies - Combined with a language (4 years): Arabic, Burmese, Chinese, Georgian, Hausa, Hebrew, Hindi, Indonesian, Japanese, Korean, Nepali, Persian, Swahili, Thai, Turkish, Urdu, Vietnamese 14

Graduate Destinations • Bloomberg • Government Economic Service • Citigroup • Lloyds Banking Group • National Audit Office • Financial Times • Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) • France Telecom • South African Government • General Electric • Standard Chartered Bank • Grant Thornton UK LLP • The World Bank • Haymarket Media Group • Thomson Reuters • HSBC Bank Middle East • United Nations • KPMG • Oxford Policy Management • War on Want • British Embassy 15

Mini-Taster Lecture How do we undertake macroeconomic analysis? Raises a set of sub-questions: • How is the aggregate (or macro) economy reconstructed in theory? • Which parts of the economy do we focus upon? • Do we make particular assumptions regarding crucial mechanisms in the economy (the market, money, …)? Resolving these questions in different ways gives rise to: • Different schools or thought or traditions in macroeconomics. • Different policy implications! 16

Thank you Follow us on FB, Twitter and You. Tube at: facebook. com/soaseconomics/ twitter. com/Economics. Soas SOAS Economics Department Q&A at 13. 30 in B 204 For more info, please contact: economics@soas. ac. uk 17