Tips on attending an international conference
It's likely that English will be the most commonly used language Unless otherwise specified in the conference advertisements and materials, it's highly likely that an international conference will be held in English. That means that the talks and posters will be in English, discussions will be in English, and administration and supporting materials such as the conference handbook will be in English too. In general, even social conversations will take place in English. If you're a non-native English speaker, don't worry, as no one will expect your English to be perfect. Lots of attendees at the conference will be non-native speakers too, so you just need enough English to be able to converse – it doesn't need to be flawless. But having a little of the local language is useful too However, if you're travelling to a non-English speaking country, it can be fun and useful to pick up a few words of the local language before you go. You're not likely to need much, but it's ever so helpful when travelling to have a few basic terms, such as please, thank you, hotel, a few words for food and drink items, and so on. Make yourself small flashcards or keep notes on your phone to study briefly before you leave. If in doubt, you can probably find someone who speaks English in most places in Europe, but it's more respectful to make an effort to speak a little bit of the local language, even if it's only a few words. Native English speakers, simplify your language use As an international conference will have attendees from all over the world, many of whom will have English as a non-native language, it's important for English native speakers to be considerate. When you are at the conference, try to speak more slowly than you usually would, and avoid using distinctive idioms or technical jargon terms. This can help non-native speakers to understand you more easily, so you can better engage with them. Research maps and transport before you leave If you're travelling to a new country for your conference, you'll want to make sure that you have at least a basic understanding of the layout of the city you'll be staying in and its transportation system before you arrive. It can be tricky to find the information you need when you first arrive somewhere. This is particularly true if you're flying in, as airports are often a way outside of the main city. You'll frequently need to take a bus or train to get from the airport to the main part of the city, and this is much easier if you've looked up transport information before you leave home. Get the know the city One of the great pleasure of conferences isn't just the academic knowledge and contacts you gain, but the chance to see and explore a new place. Do make time for visiting cultural spots or tourist attractions, and for eating and drinking round the city. To get a closer look at the place you're staying, see if you can accompany someone from the hosting department one evening. The people who live and work there regularly will know all the best places to go out, and a social evening is a good way to network with other academics in a more informal context. Hosting departments will often arrange social events as part of the conference program, so join up for these and get to see a local's view of the city where you conference is being held!
Maybe you've been to a few smaller national conferences, and now you're getting ready to head to your first international conference. Or perhaps your first conference will be a large international one. In either case, there are some tips that you should keep in mind when attending an international conference specifically. Here is our advice on preparing for and attending an international conference.
How to write an abstract for conference paper
If you want to present at a conference, you'll need to send in an application to the conference organisers. As part of this application, you will have to include an abstract which summarises the work which you are planning to present. Here are our tips on writing an abstract for a conference paper, to give you the best chance of being invited to present. Use the usual abstract structure The abstract for your paper should be similar to the abstract you would write for a journal article or other academic purpose. You should use the same structure for your abstract (such as introduction – methodology – results – discussion) that you would normally use in your field. This structure will help you to convey all the relevant information in just a few hundred words. Remember not to be too technical or to use specialist jargon in your abstract, so that it can be understood by people who are outside of your particular sub-field. Also, take note of the word count allowed, and do not go over this. It's fine to present preliminary results, but mark them as such One advantage of a conference presentation is that, unlike a teaching presentation or a written paper, it's fine to show preliminary results. If you have started but not yet completed your data analysis, or if you have found something interesting but you want to run more tests before officially publishing it, you can still present what you have found so far at a conference. In fact, one of the advantages of attending conferences is getting to hear about new work before it is published. But if you do present preliminary data, but sure to mark it and announce it as such, and mention any uncertainties you have or tests you would like to perform on it in the future. This way you can get guidance or suggestions from other attendees regarding your speculations, and the audience will understand that the results you are presenting are not fully peer reviewed or finalised. You can be speculative, more so than in a paper Another difference between a conference presentation and a publication is that it is more acceptable to be speculative at a conference. If you have a new idea which you've been wanting to get feedback on, or if you have an unusual approach to share, then a conference is a good venue for this. So don't be afraid to mention this speculative material in your abstract. Tie your results to the conference theme Most conferences have a yearly theme which is specific to the subject area in which they operate. These themes tend to be broad and sometimes reflect the biggest trends or issues currently under discussion in the field. If you can tie your work into the theme of the conference you are applying to, you are more likely to be invited to present, so make sure that you mention some of the key words related to the theme in your abstract. Highlight why your results are interesting to the audience In your abstract, you don't want to just share your methods and results. You also want to explain why your findings are of interest to the conference audience. Do your results contradict a well-known theory? Do they provide support for one side in an ongoing debate in the field? Could they be a point of inspiration for other researchers? You should say something in your abstract about the potential impact of your work, so that organisers can see that it is relevant. Also, think about the particular attendees of the conference and try to adjust your content to make it relevant for them – for example, at a conference attended by many clinicians you should focus on the potential clinical impact of your work.
If you want to get your work out to the academic community before you publish it, then presenting at a conference is an excellent opportunity. When you give a talk or present a poster to a conference audience, you can share your work, gather feedback and new ideas from other attendees, and raise your own profile as a researcher.
Where To Pursue an Academic Career as an Economist: USA vs Europe
Reputation and Career Possibilities Many of the most highly regarded institutions in the academic world are based in the USA. If you are looking to work in the very best institutions in your field, these may well be in the USA. This is not to say that there are not world-leading institutions in Europe, but that there are a greater concentration of the most highly regarded universities in the USA. There are also stronger links between institutions within the USA than between those in the USA and those within Europe, so if you have landed a job in a prestigious USA institution then it will be easier for you to get another job in the USA than if you were applying from Europe. In pure prestige terms, the USA is broadly regarded as the best place to be for your academic career. Compensation and Financial Considerations It is generally regarded that salaries in the USA are higher than in Europe. Our INOMICS Salary Report 2016 included a survey of salaries of academics working in economics and related disciplines (such as finance, accounting, statistics, business, and marketing), the vast majority of whom had a PhD or higher degree. It showed that economists in both academia and in the private sector had higher average salaries in Northern America than they did in Western Europe or Asia. To learn more about worldwide salary by gender and region, please visit this page to download the full report for free. In fact, when looking at academia, average salaries in North America for academics we nearly twice the worldwide average - $141,704 being the average of survey respondents in North America, compared to an average of $79,138 worldwide. The largest divergence of salaries between North American and Western Europe comes in the more senior levels, with salaries for PhD candidates and teaching assistants being similar between the two regions, but salaries for associate professors and full professors being much higher in the USA. Quality of Life Naturally, the quality of life that you can expect of your location will have a huge impact on your overall happiness. The factors which are most important for quality of life will differ for each person, but you might want to consider issues such as: the quality and affordability of housing which will be available to you, the transport links and the ease with which you can travel to new places or visit friends and family back home, and the levels of inequality and crime in the society you are in. You should also look at the specific cities you might move to, and consider what amenities and facilities are available in them. In a very broad generalisation, quality of life tends to be higher in Europe, and in Scandinavia particularly. European countries tend to have more social support such as unemployment benefits, public transport systems, and state-supported healthcare, which makes the overall quality of life better. However, there is high quality of life available in the USA, but it is more expensive. As salaries in the USA are much higher, this enables you to pay for costs such as health insurance and longer-distance travelling. Working Conditions Significant difference exist in work cultures between USA and Europe. Europe tends to have shorter work weeks and more holidays, with more time off overall and an emphasis on work-life balance. In Germany, for example, 28 days of holiday per year are typical, while 10 days per year are more common in the USA. Once again, however, this is balanced out by salaries in the USA being much higher. If you like to travel, if you have a family with whom you wish to spend time, or if you like to have time for hobbies and other activities outside of work, then an institution in Europe is likely to be a better fit for you. Information in the graph is based on the INOMICS Salary Report 2016. The report reflects job market and salary trends for economists, ranging from those just starting their Master’s to those working as senior professors or researchers in academia and the private sector. Key findings include: ✓ Professors consider research publications more relevant for their employability than teaching skills. ✓ The gender pay-gap for economics professors at North American universities seems to have narrowed to the point of non-existence. If anything, female academics seem to earn slightly more than their male counterparts. ✓ Salary is not a primary motivator, although it has a demotivating effect if too low. ✓ A higher salary is considered as more important in some regions, for example in Asia, especially among people working outside of academia.
If you're an economist and you're starting to plan out your career options, then you have a big decision to make: where should you pursue your career? The two biggest locations for the academic job market are the USA and Europe. Today we're comparing both of them so you could see which would be the best place for you to work.
November 2016 Call for Papers: Special Issue of Open Economies Review on Global Labor Markets Organizer: International Monetary Fund Conference Dates: Nov 1, 2016 Deadline for paper submissions: Nov 1, 2016 Deadline for participant registration: Monday, August 8, 2016 Location: Washington, D.C., United States Open Economies Review will publish a special issue during 2017 devoted to analysis of labor markets in advanced countries, emerging markets, and low-income countries. The deadline for submissions is November 1, 2016. Only completed papers will be considered. The issue will be edited by Nauro Campos (Brunel University), Karim El Aynaoui (OCP Policy Center) and Prakash Loungani (IMF). 11th Annual SME Banking Europe Organizer: Fleming. Conference Dates: Nov 8, 2016 to Nov 9, 2016 Deadline for paper submissions: Nov 1, 2016 Deadline for participant registration: Monday, November 7, 2016 Location: Vienna, Austria This high-profile gathering of banking professionals combines innovative insights on successful business banking strategies and hands-on case studies from leading banking & financial institutions. 6th International Symposium “Shaping Europe 2020: socio – economic challenges” Organizer: Pro Global Science Association Conference Dates: Nov 18, 2016 to Nov 19, 2016 Deadline for paper submissions: Oct 30, 2016 Deadline for participant registration: Sunday, October 30, 2016 Location: Bucharest, Romania This year it is the second series of Virtual Conferences, proposing to you an innovative and flexible virtual conference format. A special attention will be paid to early-stage researchers and academic PhD students and Post Docs who are encouraged to take part in the 2016 International Competition: The best research paper on “Circular economy”. There is no registration fee for the best research paper on the subject of circular economy, and a Winner Certificate. Conference in Behavioral Economics and Financial Literacy Organizer: UOC Universitat Oberta de Catalunya Conference Dates: Nov 28, 2016 to Nov 29, 2016 Deadline for paper submissions: Oct 10, 2016 Deadline for participant registration: Wednesday, November 16, 2016 Location: Barcelona, Spain The aim of BEFL is to bring together both empirical and theoretical researchers on all aspects of behavioural economics and financial literacy. It welcomes papers that examine the financial decisions of individuals, groups and organizations, and the interaction between financial literacy and behavioral economics. It also encourages submissions from all other areas within behavioural and experimental economics. December 2016 10th South-Eastern European Economic Research Workshop Organizer: Bank of Albania Conference Dates: Dec 1, 2016 to Dec 2, 2016 Deadline for paper submissions: Nov 15, 2016 Deadline for participant registration: Wednesday, August 31, 2016 Location: Tirana, Albania The 10th SEE Economic Research Workshop aims to bring together researchers, scholars and central banks experts to present and discuss their research work in economics and finance. The topic of this workshop will be “Including monetary policy and financial shocks and trends in modeling and policy analysis”. Researchers are invited to submit original papers that relate to the conference topic.There is no fee of registration/participation. All expenses related to travel and accommodation are expected to be borne by the participants. Coffee breaks and two lunches will be covered by Bank of Albania. An interesting social program will be also organized on the occasion of this event. Call for Papers: The Implications of Negative Interest Rates for Emerging Asia Organizer: Asian Development Bank Institute Conference Dates: Dec 1, 2016 to Dec 2, 2016 Deadline for paper submissions: Oct 15, 2016 Deadline for participant registration: Saturday, October 15, 2016 Location: Tokyo, Japan The Asian Development Bank Institute (ADBI) Annual Conference brings together high-level speakers, including Asian Development Bank President Takehiko Nakao and top policy makers. Sayuri Shirai, former Bank of Japan Board member who will speak on Japan’s experience in implementing negative interest rates. ADBI invites the submission of theoretical and empirical papers on the implications of negative interest rates for emerging Asia. 2nd International Conference on Applied Economics and Finance (ICOAEF 2016) Organizer: Girne American University Conference Dates: Dec 5, 2016 to Dec 6, 2016 Deadline for paper submissions: Oct 29, 2016 Deadline for participant registration: Thursday, December 1, 2016 Location: Kyrenia, Cyprus ICOAEF 2016 provides an opportunity for all those interested in the Applied Economics and Finance to discuss their research and to exchange ideas. Researchers are invited to submit both empirical and theoretical papers that are broadly consistent with the conference’s special topic. The conference is open to both young and experienced researchers, Ph.D. students, post-doctoral researchers, and professionals from business, government and non-governmental institutions. The 6th Xiamen University International Workshop on Experimental Economics Organizer: Wang Yanan Institute for Studies in Economics (WISE) Conference Dates: Dec 16, 2016 to Dec 18, 2016 Deadline for paper submissions: Oct 24, 2016 Deadline for participant registration: Friday, November 18, 2016 Location: Xiamen, China The Call for Papers for the Sixth International Workshop on Experimental Economics at Xiamen University welcomes submissions incorporating or analyzing controlled experiments using human subjects in studies of decision theory, game theory, development, policy analysis, management science, marketing, political science, or finance. They encourage submissions related to all topics in the field of behavioral and experimental economics. January 2017 Current Trends in Public Sector Research Organizer: Faculty of Economics and Administration, Masaryk University Conference Dates: Jan 19, 2017 to Jan 20, 2017 Deadline for paper submissions: Oct 2, 2016 Deadline for participant registration: Monday, October 31, 2016 Location: Brno, Czech Republic The topic of the keynote speech “Health services delivery: challenges and responses” will be a central theme of the conference. The keynote speaker of the conference is Prof. James Warner Björkman (Professor Emeritus of Public Policy and Administration at the Institute of Social Studies, The Hague). The main topics include: public administration and public sector, public finance, public services and nonprofit sector, institutions and the environment – the special session. The 2017 Zurich Initiative on Computational Economics Organizer: Department of Banking and Finance of the University of Zurich Conference Dates: Jan 24, 2017 to Feb 1, 2017 Deadline for paper submissions: Jan 24, 2017 Deadline for participant registration: Sunday, September 25, 2016 Location: Zürich, Switzerland The aim of ZICE17 is to create a collaborative community of computational scientists and economists by training young scholars (advanced graduate students) in state-of-the-art numerical methods and computer technology, and their application to economic modeling and analysis. The activities will begin with formal lectures on a range of topics followed by tutorials that familiarize participants with computer software applied to economic models. In addition, participants will work on assignments to facilitate the learning of numerical methods and will be able to speak with the lecturers about their own work during “office hours”. Graduate students from all universities are encouraged to apply. There is no fee for participating in ZICE17. February 2017 5h PhD-Student Workshop on Industrial and Public Economics (WIPE) Organizer: Research Centre on Industrial and Public Economics (CREIP) – Universitat Rovira i Virgili (URV) Conference Dates: Feb 8, 2017 to Feb 9, 2017 Deadline for paper submissions: Nov 25, 2016 Deadline for participant registration: Friday, January 13, 2017 Location: Reus Tarragona, Spain WIPE aims to be an academic meeting where PhD students, young doctors, postdoc researchers and senior researchers could exchange experiences, research topics, ongoing projects and future research activities on the Industrial and Public Economics. WIPE will include about 16 presentations and plenary sessions with one keynote speaker (Luís Cabral, New York University). Papers to be presented must fit into topics of Industrial and Public Economics like, among others, Environmental Economics, Regional Economics, and Markets and Institutions. There are not workshop fees, but attendants should cover their own travel and accommodation expenditures. March 2017 VII International Entrepreneurship Conference ENTIME: Entrepreneurship In Modern Economy – Challenges And Risks Organizer: Faculty of Management and Economics, Gdansk University of Technology Conference Dates: Mar 16, 2017 to Mar 17, 2017 Deadline for paper submissions: Oct 16, 2016 Deadline for participant registration: Sunday, October 16, 2016 Location: Gdańsk, Poland ENTIME is designed to bring together leading-edge views of academic scholars and insightful practitioners from the fields of international business and small business/entrepreneurship, in order to examine challenges and risks that firms have to face and deal with in a modern economy. The event is a great opportunity to share knowledge and experience of entrepreneurial research and studies from all over the world. April 2017 International Academic Conference on Management, Economics and Marketing Organizer: Czech Technical University Conference Dates: Apr 14, 2017 to Apr 15, 2017 Deadline for paper submissions: Mar 5, 2017 Deadline for participant registration: Wednesday, March 15, 2017 Location: Budapest, Hungary International Academic Conference on Management, Economics and Marketing in Budapest 2017 is an important international gathering of scholars, educators and PhD students. IAC-MEM 2017 will take place in conference facilities located in Budapest, the touristic, business and historic center of Hungary. SIBR 2017 Sydney Conference on Interdisciplinary Business & Economics Research Organizer: Society of Interdisciplinary Business Research and Research & Development Institute of Nakhon Ratchasima Rajabhat University Conference Dates: Apr 15, 2017 to Apr 16, 2017 Deadline for paper submissions: Jan 27, 2017 Deadline for participant registration: Friday, April 14, 2017 Location: Sydney, Australia SIBR Conference brings together researchers from the full range of business and economics disciplines to share latest research findings and brainstorm new research ideas across disciplines. It is a unique forum for researchers with cross-disciplinary interests to meet and interact. Research papers/abstracts cutting across business and non-business disciplines are also welcome. IXth International Days Of Study Jean Monnet - Trans - Mediterranean Partnerships: What New Production System And Factorial And Migration Dynamics? Organizer: Jean Monnet Chair in Comparative Regional Integration (University of Bordeaux, Griem) Conference Dates: Apr 26, 2017 to Apr 27, 2017 Deadline for paper submissions: Nov 15, 2016 Deadline for participant registration: Saturday, April 1, 2017 Location: Rabat, Morocco The works which will begin and will be completed in plenary will take place in two multidisciplinary workshops around the themes on regional productive division of labor and the necessary evolution of the Euro - Mediterranean cooperation, particularly with regard to controlled management of the allocation of factorial resources. Authors will be notified in the month of December 2016 of the outcome of their proposal after consideration by the Scientific Committee of the IXth Days Jean Monnet International Study. June 2017 Young Economists’ Meeting in Brno Organizers: Martin Guzi, Miloš Fišar, Ondřej Krčál and Rosťa Staněk Conference Dates: Jun 1, 2017 to Jun 2, 2017 Deadline for paper submissions: Mar 31, 2017 Deadline for participant registration: Sunday, April 30, 2017 Location: Brno, Czech Republic The Young Economists' Meeting 2017 will take place on June 1-2 in Brno. Join to discuss your research and meet like-minded young researchers. You can submit your research under one of the following conference tracks: Behavioral and Experimental Economics, Labor Economics or Finance. Young economists below the age of 35 may submit their papers for the Best Paper Award (a prize of 5000 CZK). There is no fee for conference participants. Travel grants are offered to help participants cover their travel costs and accommodation in Brno.
Are you looking for a great economics conference? Here we list some of the top economics events taking place 2016/17.
Meet Vladimir: an Associate Professor of Economics at Ewha Womans University in Seoul
We asked Vladimir about his impressions from the conference and his academic experience. We share his thoughts below. Conference Impressions Why did you choose this workshop among others? Because it promised to be a high-quality, intensive (two-day) workshop on a narrow theme (health later in life), during which all participants would attend all sessions and give good constructive feedback. How did you spend time in Groningen and how is your overall impression from the workshop? I ended up spending four days in Groningen, sightseeing and enjoying local cuisine. The workshop was what it had promised to be. There was a lot of high-quality interaction. Many participants used similar analytical methods and datasources (European survey of the elderly; one participant using similar Chinese data, myself using Korean data), and several distinguished researchers were in attendance, so the debate was advanced and technical. Which other international conferences or workshops have you attended and how were they useful for your career? I have attended a number of conferences of various formats, from large congresses such as the ASSA meetings, through technical workshops such as this, to conferences of regional associations covering all fields of Economics. Not all conferences are useful, and probably it is the less renowned, more get-down-to-work workshops that have been the most valuable, facilitating useful networking and feedback on presentations, and publicizing presented papers to relevant research communities through dedicated websites. What is the importance of networking for you and what do you do to extend your network? I have benefited from networking in a number of ways, probably including ways that I am not even aware of. I was offered a consultancy engagement, and an opportunity to write a technical paper for an international organization, and I was invited to apply for a job which I ended up getting hired for. I have also been able to collaborate with several high-quality researchers who had a great positive impact on the outcomes of our research. Finally, of course, networking – and participation in conferences – facilitates dissemination of my research, leading to recognition of my research in the relevant research communities and to literature citations. Academic Experience Tell us more about your position. What is your main area of research? What has been your greatest research accomplishment so far? I am an associate professor of Economics at Ewha Womans University in Seoul. I am an empirical microeconomist, doing research on various topics, typically with firm or individual-level microdata. Since graduate school I have floated around from studying regulation in the energy sector using data on gas distribution companies or electric plants, to studying environmental externalities of international trade, to measuring labor-market discrimination and inequality of economic outcomes. This last area – measurement of economic inequalities – is presently in vogue, and my research (joint with coauthors) has contributed to policy debate. Why did you decide to develop your career in Academia? Do you enjoy teaching or research more, or maybe both? I started my career in the consulting sector, working for a litigation support consultancy in the area of labor discrimination. I missed doing independent research, and I wanted to give teaching a try, and so I went on the academic job market. The job I found has been my job for the past ten years. I should add that I did enjoy the statistical analyses I did for labor-discrimination litigation support, and so I am glad that I have recently turned to studying labor issues and distribution of incomes. I enjoy doing independent research a great deal. Writing papers, publishing in journals, and applying for grants and to conferences is challenging, but it fills one with joy when the effort is successful. I also enjoy advising students and teaching – if only I could outsource grading. Which channels, tools or websites do you use as a researcher that you would recommend to the others? I post all my working papers on SSRN, which is indexed by internet search engines. Which factors did you take into account when choosing to pursue your career abroad at the Economics Ewha Womans University in Seoul? I come from Europe, and I had studied in the US for ten years. Out of a desire to change something in my life, and to travel, I went on the Korean job market, and was lucky to be accepted at this prestigious university in the heart of Seoul. How do you see your future academic career? Which positions are you aiming at and where would you like to work? I try not to think too much about my future career, and instead try to focus on research and on encouraging students to become independent researchers themselves. New projects and new research topics pop up without a warning, and I try to be open to new opportunities, without limiting myself by conventions in academia. Just like research universities, research institutes and government organizations can offer the necessary climate in which researchers can work on topics that are exciting to them and can realize their full creative potential. Nowadays even for-profit employers offer sabbatical leaves! So, for my future career, I just see myself balancing my family’s needs of decent living conditions and ample family time, and my desire of adequate support by my employer for my creative work. ➲ Were you inspired by Vladimir's story? We encourage you to check INOMICS regularly so you will not miss out on any interesting academic conferences and jobs in your discipline. ➲ Do you need support to attend a conference in your field? The next Conference Grant Contest 2017 is coming soon! Subscribe to our Email Alert here and stay updated! ➲ Would you also like to share your experience in academia with other students or researchers? Write to us at media@inomics.com. We will be happy to hear your story!
Vladimir Hlasny is an associate professor of Economics at Ewha Womans University in Seoul. We chose him as the winner of our Conference Grant Contest 2016 and awarded him with a €500 grant. The prize helped him to attend the Joint NIDI-RUG Workshop on Socioeconomics Differences and Health Later in Life organized by the Faculty of Economics and Business, University of Groningen. Over 670 participants took part in the contest by submitting short answers related to their own academic career growth. You can see Vladimir's winning answer here.
1. EEAS Young Economist Award The European Economic Association offer an award of €3,000 for the best papers presented at an EEA congress written by someone under 30 who is no more than 3 years past their PhD defense. 2. RES Young Economist of the Year essay competition The Royal Economic Society hold a an essay competition for school students in the UK who are working on their GCSEs or A-levels, and awards a prize of £1,000 for the best. Students are invited to submit an essay of 1,000 to 2,500 words on a subject which is set each year. 3. The Austin Robinson Memorial Prize Another prize from the Royal Economic Society is the Austin Robinson prize, which is a prize of £2,000 which is awarded to the best non-solicited paper published in The Economic Journal. The author must have completed their PhD within the last five years to be eligible. 4. ECB Young Economists’ Poster Session The European Central Bank hold a yearly Forum in which young economists who are working on their PhDs present digital posters on research in the fields of economics or finance. The best poster of the forum is awarded a prize of €10,000. 5. FEED Mark Blaug Student Essay Prize The Foundation for European Economic Development holds an annual essay competition for undergraduates or those who have graduated within the last calendar year. Essays are to critically reflect on the state of economics, and may be up to 6,000 words. Up to two prizes of £500 and £300 are awarded for the best essays. 6. Distinguished CESifo Affiliate Award The Institute for Economic Research at the Center for Economic Studies, based in Munich, holds annual area conferences which focus on specific topics within economics. The best paper which is presented at any of these area conferences by a young economist is given an Affiliate Award to recognise the originality and policy relevance of their work. 7. iOme challenge An independent organisation which aims to raise awareness about retirement and pension planning, the iOme challenge invites teams of undergraduate students in the US to create a 10,000 word essay and a short promotional video to raise awareness of issues around financial security and its social impact. The winning team is awarded a financial prize as well as being invited to Washington, DC to present their work to policy makers. 8. Wiley Prize in Economics A prize of £5,000 is made available by the publisher Wiley for outstanding achievements in research by early career researchers in the areas of economics or economic history. Researchers who received their PhD within the last 5 years can be nominated by their Head of Department for consideration. 9. IEA Dorian Fisher Memorial Prize The Institute for Economic Affairs holds an annual student essay competition for UK school students with a top prize of £500. Essays on any topic within economics are invited for consideration. 10. Individual university prizes Finally, don't forget to check whether your university offers a prize in economics. It's common for universities to offer a small cash prize for the best undergraduate thesis with various departments, often including economics. Check on your university website to see if you need to submit your work for consideration, or whether all students within the department are automatically considered.
If you're a young economics student, then there are a number of prizes which you might be eligible for. Various economics organisations create competitions or awards in which they give out prizes for the best project or essay submitted by young economists who are either in school, at university, or at an early stage in their career. These prizes can include cash, money for books, or even career opportunities, and winning such a prize is a great boon for your CV. So here are 10 economics prizes which you might consider applying for.
10 New Year's Resolutions for an Academic Teacher of Economics
1. I will read more and keep up to date on events in my field – and in related fields like business, finance, and sociology. You're busy enough as a teacher, with lessons to plan, lecturers to give, and essays to mark, but try to make some time to stay informed about the latest news and developments in your field, so that you can give your students the best possible information. 2. I will make time for as many of my students as possible – even those who are struggling or who aren't good at asking for help. It's no problem to help a student who visits during your office hours and asks clear, direct, and easily-answered questions. But also try to reach out to students who seem like they might be struggling, and let them know that you're there to help. That might be the confidence booster that they need. 3. I will give out information about assignments as early as I can, so that my students have time to prepare. Schedules and timetables are always changing, and it's not always possible to give out all the information on your course right at the beginning. But if you can, give your students information about their classes generally and their assignments specifically as early as possible, so that they can plan and do their best work. 4. I will encourage my students to speak up in class, to debate with each other, and to keep learning outside of the classroom. You know that teaching is much more than just sharing information – it's about encouraging independent and critical thought too. As much as you can, plan your lessons to give students practice at these important life skills. 5. I will be as responsive to student emails as I can be – even if my replies are only brief. Email is the bane of many a teacher! With some students sending in emails which are unprofessional or which ask for information which is clearly in the course handbook, it can be frustrating and it's tempting to ignore these messages. But try to respond to emails in a timely manner, even if your reply is just a few words telling them where they can find the information they need. 6. I will take on a formal or informal mentoring role to help younger academics and teachers to develop their skills. One great thing to do for the success of your field as a whole is to help more junior academics or teachers in your department. You can join a mentoring program or informally offer advice to share your knowledge with others. 7. I will make my expectations of my students explicitly clear, and show them what they need to do to get good grades and to succeed in my class. As a teacher, it can seem like the requirements of your classes are very obvious – show up on time, listen and pay attention during lectures, do the assigned reading, and get the assignments handed in on time – but new or younger students might not quite get this. So make your expectations really clear and let everyone know exactly what they must achieve to do well in your class. 8. I will work to ensure that my teaching assistants are as informed and well-trained as possible. I will look into whether they are being paid a living wage, and support them in campaigning for it if not. Teaching assistants do vital work but are often shockingly poorly paid and face difficult working conditions. Find out if this is the case in your department, and use your influence to support them if you can. 9. I will encourage the quieter, shier, or less confident students in my class to participate, and try not to have the same few students taking up a large amount of class time. It's easy for some more confident students to be the ones to answer questions and offer opinions in class, but try to make space for all of your students to respond, and encourage those who are less confident. 10. I will continue to find ways to expand my own knowledge about my field, to consider new ideas, and to build my own passion for learning. Finally, as a teacher you never stop learning – so always be open to new ideas and continue to learn and grow as you think more about your own subject.
Welcome to 2017! It's the perfect time to start with your New Year's resolutions and see what you want to learn, change or improve this year. Get inspired by our list of 10 goals created especially for university teachers of Economics. We hope it will help you make 2017 even more successful than the previous year!
How to Find An Economics Job in an International Organisation
For career opportunities and job listings in business, finance, and economics, take a look at our jobs section Volunteering One of the most common ways to start working at an international organisation is by volunteering during your free time. If you have a few weeks free over the summer, or you can spare a few hours once a week, then this is a great way to see how an organisation operates up close. However, remember that although volunteering can be a way to get your foot in the door at an organisation, it can be extremely difficult to turn a volunteer position into a paid job. In order to land a paid position, you'll need to work on your CV and your skills. Build up your essential skills In order to be successful in a job in an international organisation, a passion for the mission is important – but it's not enough! You need to show practical skills which will be useful to the organisation you want to work for. Too many students are given the impression that good grades and passion are enough to land them a job, when in fact skills and experience are needed too. So start working on the skills that are important in a job – things like project management, administration, budgeting, or fundraising. These might not be the flashiest sounding achievements, but they are what the day-to-day work of jobs at an international organisation will often involve. So any chance you get to practise these skills you should take up. If you've had a summer job in administration, for example, that's useful experience. Or perhaps you've lead a group project to a successful conclusion, showing your talents at project management. Focus on specific skills for economists As an economist, there are certain skills which you will have acquired during your studies which are helpful for careers in international organisations. Skills like data analysis and high levels of numeracy make you stand out from other job applicants, as they are directly useful for performing research and writing reports. Other skills like problem-solving, critical thinking, and written communication will also be a selling point for you as an economics student. However, in order to put yourself ahead of other students applying for similar roles, you need to stretch yourself even further. Is there an extra course given by your university you could take on report writing? Can you learn a new piece of statistical software? Also, to give yourself the best chances at landing a job, you don't just need to have skills – you need to show how you've used these skills in practice too. Keep a record of any projects you've been involved in, especially if they were real-world based, and show how your skills helped the project to succeed. Be sure to mention these projects in your cover letter to strengthen your application. Internships / Traineeships Another way to get experience in an international organisation is through internship or traineeship schemes. Big organisations often have schemes for getting enthusiastic students into entry-level jobs, which is the best way to learn lots of relevant skills if you want this to be your career. However, such schemes are usually extremely competitive, so make sure your application is as strong as possible! Looking for a graduate program to continue your studies? Check out our program listings
If you're working on your economics degree, you might be wondering about what career options are open to you before. You can do all sorts of work with the skills which you'll pick up from your degree, but one of the most highly desired jobs among ambitious students is a role in an international organisation. This job could be in an inter-governmental organisation (IGO) such as the United Nations or European Union, or in a non-governmental organisation (NGO) such as the charities Amnesty International or Oxfam. If you want to try a career in an international organisation, how do land your first job in the field? This is what we'll be looking at today, so read on for our tips on finding the job you want.
10 Biggest Struggles of Conference Attendees
1.Finding your way around an unfamiliar city When you arrive at your conference destination, you'll need to navigate the public transport system to find your way to your hotel. You'll need to work out where the conference location is, and how you get there – all of which can be a challenge in an unfamiliar city where you might not speak the language. 2.Managing your timetable With a ton of talks, presentations, workshops, discussion sessions, and more, it's not easy to manage your time at a conference so you can get everything you want done. The timetable in the conference guide will be an essential tool for you to make sure you know the time and location of all your conference events. 3.Dealing with nerves Presenting at a conference can be a nerve-racking experience. With a big feeling of pressure and the need to show your research to your peers in a positive way, it's common to struggle with nerves before conference presentations. This is particularly true if you're early in your career and you haven't had much experience with presenting. But the good news is that there are lots of techniques you can try to help you deal with your nerves. 4.Networking effectively You know how important it is to create a professional network of fellow researchers, and conferences are the ideal location for getting to know other people in your field. But it can be tough to maintain enough energy to be networking all throughout a conference. Give yourself a break now and then to casually catch up with old friends or colleagues. 5.Balancing professional events with social events Working all day and then going out for dinner and drinks each night can be a lot of fun – and the social events at conferences can be as important and valuable as the academic events. Trying to find a balance between not missing out on social time but also being alert and focused enough to perform in academic settings isn't easy, however. 6.Getting enough sleep With so much to do at every conference, one common sacrifice that's made is the full 8 hours of sleep per night. It is possible to run for a couple of days on just a few hours of sleep a night, but it's not ideal. Being constantly tired will only exacerbate all these other problems, so try to make sure you're reasonably well rested while attending a conference by giving yourself enough time to sleep. 7.Conflicting scheduled events It's inevitable that sometimes, especially at big conferences, some events will be in conflict. It's common for multiple sessions on different topics to run in parallel during the conference time, so you might have to pick between two events you want to attend which are running at the same time. 8.Remembering everyone's name, research topic, and affiliation You'll meet so many people at a conference, many of whom might be doing research which is related to yours, or work at an institution which you know. It's therefore helpful to be able to remember a little bit of information about each person you meet, like their name, research topic, and institutional affiliation. Conferences give out name badges to attendees which sometimes have affiliation listed too – and this is so helpful. But in the evenings, or in the later days of the conference when people forget to wear their badges, remembering all these details can be a struggle. 9.Engaging in productive discussions Getting involved in debates and discussions after presentations is one of the most important ways in which knowledge is shared at conferences. But some discussions are more productive than others – those with mutually respectful conduct and participants who can communicate their ideas clearly. You never really know how helpful a discussion session will be until you attend it. 10.Moderating panels Finally, one challenging job which is often overlooked at a conference is the task of moderating discussions. Moderation is not a skill which many academics are taught, or something that they think about much – but in fact, it's a role which requires careful planning and management. If you're moderating a panel, be sure to do some reading on moderation techniques before you go.
Academic conferences can be productive, helpful, and even fun. But they're not without their challenges! Here are some struggles which conference attendees have to deal with:
Once you've completed a postdoc position or two and you're looking for a professor position, the biggest factor in getting hired will be your publication record. Rightly or wrongly, hiring committees usually consider the number of publications as a candidate has to be more important than the quality of those publications. Of course, publications in big-name journals with high impact factors will be more valued. But the essential factor in getting a professorship will be having many publications, so take every chance you get to add to your publication record. Work on collaborations, dust off any old data you have which you never got round to writing up, and churn out as many publications as you can. 2. Apply for grants and funding. Another factor which hiring committees are looking for is a proven track record of bringing in funding. You need to show not only that you were a successful researcher, but also that you have the skills to be awarded funding from outside sources. So it's a good idea to start applying for third party funding early, as early as during your PhD. Even if you have institutional funding, which is certainly convenient, it can be worth applying for third party funding in addition as it will be such a plus on your CV. 3. Get some teaching experience. Teaching is a big part of a professor's job, but there are differing attitudes to the role of teaching in academia in different countries. In the US, for example, a large amount of emphasis is put on the quality of professors' teaching, with student evaluations and other student feedback forming a large chunk of the evaluation of a professor. If you are interested in working in the US, you will need to have teaching experience, and preferably strong student feedback in order to land a professor job. In other countries such as Germany, however, teaching is considered less important than other job duties and is sometimes even looked down on as less worthwhile than research. Get to know the norms of different countries to gauge how important teaching experience is for you to get a job. 4. Build your network. Networking is key to success in every field and for every career, and academia is no different. It's important for you to attend conferences, to give talks, to attend workshops, and to participate in online debates and public engagement projects, in order to build up your reputation. When you apply for a job, you'll have an immediate advantage if there is someone in the hiring department who knows you and who can speak to the quality of your work. 5. Find out if you need habilitation. In some European countries, like France, Germany, Austria, Denmark, Poland, and Italy, or in some South American countries like Brazil, an additional postdoctoral qualification is required in order for you to become a professor. The qualification is know as the habilitation, and is based on independent research and scholarship, much like a PhD. People generally start working on their habilitation once they have had several years of experience as a postdoc or junior lecturer, and defend the habilitation before applying to professor positions. Check online to see if habilitation is required in the countries in which you would like to work. 6. Consider the importance of tenure. Another factor in the employment of professors which differs between countries is the tenure system. In North America, a professor who is appointed to a tenured position has a secure job until they retire, and cannot be dismissed without cause. This means that they have excellent security and can pursue controversial or difficult research topics without fear of losing their job. Obviously, this makes tenure jobs highly desirable. Early career academic positions are divided into “tenure track” and “non-tenure track” positions. Tenure track posts are those in which the employee is guaranteed to be eventually considered for a tenure position, where as non-tenure track jobs provide no such guarantee, and are often less stable. If you are looking at working in the US, it's vital that you see whether jobs are tenure-track or not.
1. Publish, publish, publish.
Which Academic Conferences Should You Attend?
If you’re in the lucky position of being able to secure funding for every conference that you find interesting, then we certainly encourage broad attendance. For those of you not able to fly around the world on a regular basis, however, it would be helpful to have an outside metric to sift through the thousands of academic events happening every year. So where exactly can one find such a tool? Right now, there is no global list of top conferences. Of course, compiling such a list would be quite difficult, as each discipline, sub-discipline and often sub-sub-discipline has its own slew of gatherings in countries across the globe. How can the importance of an Australian conference on soil analysis be compared to a Dutch conference on computer science? The website conference-ranking.com does some side-by-side comparisons of conferences focusing on math, computer programming and certain types of engineering. They base their rankings on four criteria: connection with industries, convenience of location, quality of committee members and the ratio of acceptance papers. These criteria seem to allow for a rather high level of standardized comparison, making it possible to rank across fields. If too many conferences were compared against each other, however, it could create difficulty, particularly as three of the four criteria are rather subjective. So where can one turn? First off, you can browse through the over 500 conferences listed on INOMICS, which are updated daily and are easy to sort using relevant factors like registration deadline and start date. We also recognize that many people attend conferences to network and engage in knowledge exchange. By subscribing to the INOMICS weekly email alerts, you can be kept up to date on new conferences and gain insight into which organizations are hosting which events. Yet, we’re still left with an open question – what would be the best way to create a comprehensive ranking of academic conferences? Should the notoriety of speakers be taken into account? Or the reputation of the hosting or organizing institution? We are curious about your ideas, so please leave feedback here or on Facebook! Photo credit: uosltc
While we try to keep you up to date on top conferences around the world, for instance in two recent posts on 2014 conferences on econometrics and finance, sometimes it’s difficult to know which events are a good fit for you.
Inviting Participants And Advertising Your Conference
Your working hours as a PhD student or postdoc are already busy and full of demands on your time and your brain, but it’s a great idea to make room in your schedule to organize a small conference or workshop. Gathering around twenty to fifty experts in your field for a day or two’s discussion and debate can be greatly intellectually stimulating, as well as an advantage for your career and a chance to learn new skills. Today we’ll talk about how to go about organizing a conference, and why you should consider doing it. How to organize a conference – getting started The first thing to decide is the topic of your conference. Is there a particular issue which you are interested in, which you feel is not widely discussed in your field? Have there been recent theoretical or empirical developments in your field which would benefit from further discussion? Is there a way for you to bring together researchers from different disciplines or backgrounds in order to engage with a challenging topic? Once you have an idea, ask around your co-workers and friends whether they would be interested in attending a conference on your topic, and whether they’d be interested in organizing it with you. It’s certainly helpful to have other people on your organization committee, to share the workload amongst you – but remember that too many organizers can lead to more discussion than action! Organizing your conference – arranging funding and inviting speakers You’ll need funding for your conference, to pay for the travel and accommodation costs of your speakers, to book rooms to hold the conference in, and for light refreshments to serve during breaks. Often university departments have budgets for the organization of conferences, or you may be able to secure funding from your supervisor, group leader, or grad school. When you request or apply for funding you should be able to give a title for your conference, an outline of the topics to be discussed, and suggestions of speakers that you wish to invite. Once you have a source of funding, you can start to invite your speakers. Don’t be afraid to be ambitious with this! Often senior academics or famous figures have extremely busy schedules, and may not have the time to attend your conference. However, people are usually happy to be invited, and even if they cannot attend they may be able to suggest other colleagues who could be interested in attending. The further in advance that you begin inviting people, the more likely that they will be able to attend, so do get started early. Once you have a topic, funding, and speakers, it’s time to start publicizing your conference. You’ll want to create a webpage which lists the relevant practical information (such as the date and location of the conference) and a brief introduction to each speaker. Then you can being sending out invitations. Email is one of the best ways toadvertise your conference as you can send out bulk emails to large numbers of people at no cost. You can alsoadvertise your event on social media sites such as Twitter and Facebook, and encourage your friends and co-workers to invite people who might be interested. You’ll also want to create a poster for your conference. Don’t worry if you’re not very experienced in graphic design – a poster which is simple and conveys the required information will do just fine, no need for fancy graphics work. It’s a good idea to get your poster printed in two sizes – one large full-size poster for hanging up around universities and research institutions, and one small flyer size for people to take home if they’re interested. You’ll want to have some form of registration so that you can estimate how many people will attend your event, and ensure you have enough space for everyone. Remember that some people may arrive on the day without registering, and that some people who register may not attend in the end – so use your registration numbers as a guide rather than an absolute. Organizing a conference can be a fun social experience as well as being a chance to discuss the latest issues in your field and an impressive addition to your CV. If you’re looking for inspiration or for conferences which you can attend in your area, check out the latest news on INOMICS.
Organizing a small conference or workshop – why and how to do it
Free Online Courses in Business Management & Engineering
If you want to sharpen your skills in Business Management and Engineering, today we're listing some great free online courses which are available for you to take now. Practical Information Technology Management Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Introduction to Computers in Public Management Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) The Software Business Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Quality Engineering & Management Technische Universität München Innovation and IT Management Indian Institute of Management Bangalore Understanding Wireless: Technology, Economics, and Policy University of Notre Dame Knowledge Management and Big Data in Business Hong Kong Polytechnic University Basics of Energy Sustainability Rice University Economics of Cybersecurity Delft University of Technology Introduction to Cloud Computing IEEE
Whilst most students still do the bulk of their learning in traditional educational institutions, alternative learning possibilities are becoming more and more common. One such possibility is taking an online course, in which materials and teaching are provided over the internet. Online learning is advantageous in that you can learn at your own pace, in an environment of your choosing, and in some cases at no cost to yourself.
How Can Social Media Help Researchers In Their Career Development?
Promote yourself and your research Your social media profiles may well be the first results which turn up in a google search of your name, so it's likely that prospective employers or collaborators will see your social media interactions when they are learning about you. Having an active, professional, interesting social media presence will demonstrate not only your expertise in your subject, but will also show that you spend time staying up to date with recent developments in your field, and that you can engage with other researchers in a helpful way. Social media should also be your first stop to promote your latest research. If you've recently had a paper published, if you're giving a talk or poster presentation, or if you've received an award, then you should share this news on your social media sites so that everyone following you can be informed about your recent achievements. Communicate your findings to the public Another important aspect of social media use for academics is the chance to communicate with the public. Defying the “ivory tower” stereotype and engaging directly with the public shows that you have good communication skills and that you care about the wider societal impact of your work. Plus, you will improve your writing skills, as using a service like twitter which is limited to 140 character inputs is excellent training in communicating succinctly and clearly. Get help and input from other researchers Say you're performing data analysis on your latest data set and you make an unexpected finding. You remember hearing about a statistical test which might be useful for looking at your data, but you haven't used the test before. So you google it, you consult a statistics textbook, and then you try it out – right? Well, it can also be helpful to consult other researchers on social media before you do so. Perhaps you follow a statistician who can advise you on whether the test is appropriate for your data set, or maybe another researcher in your field has tried the same approach in their research but it didn't work out, and they can warn you what the problems with it were. Bring able to consult a huge field of researchers in real-time is a great boon for any academic. When you have questions about a topic which is outside your main area of expertise, you can use social media to ask for input from experts in a quick and easy manner. Build your network and meet new contacts One of the most useful things that social media can offer academics is a way to build your professional network. You can follow researchers in your subject from all over the world, and get to know people who are working on similar topics to you. If you're heading to a conference or talk, it's a good idea to make a post about it in the days before the event, so that other researchers who will also be attending the event can get in contact with you. You can also make use of event-specific hashtags to track the commentary and ideas of other attendees at events. This will help you to get in contact with other researchers and ensure that when you are job hunting or promoting your work, that your name will be familiar to people in your field.
Nowadays it's almost expected for academics to be active on social media sites like Twitter and Facebook. For a generation who grew up with internet technology as a part of their lives, it's natural that young academics would share their thoughts on academia with an online audience. There are distinct advantages for academics in making use of social media too, for career goals as well as personal fulfilment. If you're wondering whether your online profile is in need of an update, here are a few reasons to consider expanding your online presence to make greater use of social media.
How to Get Accepted to an Academic Conference
Choosing the right conference Firstly, choose the conference which will be most relevant to your research. Budgets for conference attendance vary, but typically a PhD student might expect to attend either one large conference per year, or two to three smaller conferences. So it's important that the conference you apply to is a good match for your interests. A few factors to consider when selecting a conference: Is it a broad event or is it for a specialist topic? There can be advantages of each – presenting your work to a diverse or interdisciplinary audience is excellent practice for your communication skills. But specialists in your area will be more interested in your work and can give you better feedback. Is it a national conference, or is it international? Generally speaking, international conferences are more highly regarded, but they are also more difficult to get accepted into and they are more expensive to attend. How will you fund your conference trip? You'll need funding to pay for not only the conference fee, but also travel, accommodation, and food while you're away. Universities usually have budgets for students to attend conferences, but there are often restrictions on where you can travel to or how much you can spend in total. Some conferences offer grants for students to attend if they get accepted to give a presentation, so take a look at the conference website and find out what is available funding-wise. Submitting an abstract for a conference presentation Once you've chosen one or two conference that you're interested in attending, look out for the “Call for Abstracts” which comes a few months before the conference date, at which time you can submit your application to present. Generally, you will only need to provide a short abstract of your research, and possibly a CV or motivation letter. But how should you write your abstract in order to give yourself the best chance of being accepted to give a conference presentation? Here are some guidelines to consider: Giving a talk vs presenting a poster. Often you can specify whether you're applying to give a talk or a poster presentation. Talks are more prestigious, but presenting a poster is useful too – you can get direct feedback from lots of attendees with a poster. It's generally a good idea to apply for both a talk and poster, and see which you get accepted for. New and innovative research. To have the best chance of acceptance, your abstract needs to cover research which is innovative and adds a new or unusual perspective to the work in your field. Results are strongly preferred. While occasionally you might be accepted to present theoretical work at a conference, generally you will have more success if you have already performed an experiment and you have results to share. This is dependent on field, of course, but there is an overall bias towards accepting abstracts which have at least early results. Consider the conference theme. Finally, have a look at the theme or focus of the conference for the upcoming year. Usually there will be a topic or list of topics which the conference is aiming at, and your chances of being accepted to present are much higher if you can find a way to link your research to the theme.
Attending an academic conference is a great way to hear about new research in your field, to network with other researchers, and to present your own work to an engaged audience and receive feedback. Conferences are generally open to anyone from the field who wants to attend, however, you will get much more from the experience (and be much more likely to receive funding for your trip) if you are presenting some of your own research at the conference. But how do you get accepted to present at a conference? Today we're sharing some tips on this topic.
For Students Or Researchers Changing Disciplines: How To Survive The Shift From Economics To Business
Less theory, more practical information The biggest difference between economics and business, whether you're studying or researching, is in terms of the applicability of your subject. Both fields involve the study of companies, markets, and money, but economics focuses on the high-level, abstract concepts involved. Business is much more practically focused. Some people have even gone as far as to describe business as an art, and economics as a science. For an economist starting work in the field of business, this means that you'll have to adapt to new methods and new ways to discuss topics. The focus will be less on “What is this thing, conceptually speaking, and how can we understand it?” and more on “How can we use this thing in a business setting?” As a business student or researcher, you will be expected to produce work which is of immediate practical value. Of course, your arguments still need to be sound and well thought through, but the test of the value of a proposition in business will always be: does it work? This is quite a shift in thinking, especially if you have been in an academic setting for most or all of your career, and you are used to working to more abstract goals. Less big picture, more specific detail Another big difference between the two fields is the scope of what they cover. Economics focuses on large-scale information about international, global markets. Business will focus more on the needs and details of one specific business, and on what knowledge and skills a person would need to start their own business. For an economist embarking on a journey into business studies, this will mean that you will spend much more time on specifics than you have previously. You might be looking at a particular business as a case study, or assessing several local businesses to see what they have in common. You will have to adjust to less overview or 'big picture' thinking, and more on the small changes which can have a big impact on a business. Different personality styles Business and economics tend to be marketed to, and therefore attract, rather different personality types. Economists are often like many academics – the stereotypes of bookish, thoughtful, and a little bit 'head in the clouds' might be applicable here. Businesses teaching, however, seeks out people who are outgoing, confident, and quick at thinking on their feet. If you're moving from economics to business, you don't need to change your whole personality, but you may need to work at making yourself more outgoing. You'll have to get used to meeting people and building networks, to selling your concepts or products confidently, and to selling yourself too! You can practice 'elevator pitches' about yourself and your work, and try out some tips on improving your networking skills. Different career prospects The skills you'll acquire in both business and economics degrees can be applied to many different jobs, but there are some advantages to each for particular positions. While economists are most likely to find employment in roles such as financial analyst, budget analyst, or statistician, those who have studied business will make the most of their skills by working on the day-to-day operations of a business, especially during the start-up phase. You should consider which career path is most appealing to you when deciding while field you should focus on. It's important to remember that having a business degree is not a prerequisite for working in business, and there are few jobs where a degree in economics is essential. On the other hand, economics can be seen by some as more academically rigorous as a university course, and may be preferred by employers who seek out academic credentials.
If you are thinking about moving from the field of economics into business, here are some tips on surviving the shift.
Top Soft Skills To Boost Your Career As An Economist
1.Communication skills In order to really excel in your career, it's not enough for you to know lots of facts and to understand lots of complex ideas – you also have to be able to communicate this knowledge to others. You should work on your oral presentation skills as well as your written work, as you will be asked to present more often as you become more senior. You should also work on the ability to communicate with different audiences – academics, industry people, and lay people all need different approaches, and you should be able to adapt your information to a useful level for each audience. This is particularly true in economics, where there is a huge gulf between the average person's understanding and expert knowledge. Being able to clearly communicate important information to the public about recessions, global economics, and the long-term consequences of economic policies will help you to stand out in your field. 2.Teamwork While academia can often promote a loan wolf approach to research, over your career it is vital for you to be able to work as part of team. You need to be able to take direction from a manager, to cooperate with colleagues, and to give support to more junior workers. This requires you to let go of your ego and to focus on getting the project complete, rather than focusing on what you want to do or what you think is the correct approach. “Difficult to work with” is not something that anyone wants in their reference, so put some effort into improving your teamwork skills. 3.Leadership In addition to working in a team, over your career you will likely need to lead a team in order to be successful. Management is an extremely challenging field, which some people mistakenly believe is easy. Finding the right balance of giving clear instructions while being approachable for your team is tricky! You may also need to manage people from other fields like business, IT, or science, so you need to know how to reach people with these different backgrounds. There are a huge range of books, courses, and other materials on leadership skills, and even if leadership is not your ultimate career goal, it will be useful for you to study the basic principles. 4.People skills Sometimes, very ambitious people can be dismissive of people skills. “I'm brilliant at what I do – why should bother to be nice to people?” But this is a mistake. Every work project and career opportunity is also an interpersonal interaction. Knowing how to speak to people, being able to deal with emotions, looking people in the eye, and making others feel comfortable are all essential skills to make your appear competent and professional. If you're unsure about how to work on your people skills, pick a friend or colleague who you find easy to talk to and observe them in their interactions. How do they talk to others, how do they stand, what do they not do? Try to model these behaviours to make yourself open and approachable, which will benefit you at every stage of your career. 5.Language skills In an increasingly globalised world, language skills have never been more important. Especially if you are working on global economic topics, speaking more than one language can be a real boon to your career and make you stand out from the pack. Obviously, if you specialise in the economics of a particular geographic area, it's useful for you to speak the local language. But there are also languages which will be important for future economic development which everyone could benefit from learning – such as Cantonese, Spanish, Japanese, or Russian.
Hard skills are abilities such as technical skills, programming, or factual knowledge, which can be tested and which generally form the basis for academic assessment. These skills are surely important for you to achieve your career goals. However, there are other important skills which aren't usually taught, but are just as vital for success. They are known as soft skills, and today we're considering some of the soft skills you'll need to distinguish yourself in a career in economics.
Pros of Online Learning Flexibility One of the biggest advantages of online learning is that it is flexible, in terms of the time which is required to complete a course. If you work full- or part-time, and are interested in studying but don't want to leave your job, this is very helpful. You can take just one unit if you have only a little bit of spare time, or more when you have more time. There is also no need to attend classes in a physical location, so you don't need to relocate or set aside time for travelling. This is particularly advantageous for older students who have families and jobs, and for whom moving to attend a university would not be possible. Learn at your own pace One issue that many students struggle with is finding classes which are suited to their pace of learning. In an advanced class, material may be presented in a rapid format which is too dense to follow unless you are very familiar with the topic. On the other hand, introductory courses can feel slow and dull to students who have experience in the subject. Online learning alleviates this by allowing students to choose from a wide range of courses and to work at their own pace. If you need to watch a lecture several times to understand it, you can do this easily with online learning. This is helpful for those who have been outside of the educational system for some time and are not fully confident about returning to it. Check out online courses on INOMICS Wide array of topics and courses A further advantage of online learning is the large number of courses which are available. At most brick and mortar universities, you sign up for a course and then choose your topics from a set list of options. With online learning, you can pursue a number of different topics from different fields. If you are looking for broad learning, if you want to perform interdisciplinary work, or if you haven't yet decided what subject you would like the specialise in, then you can take a number of courses from different subjects. Cons of Online Learning Requires personal discipline and motivation The lack of face to face time between students and lecturers can present a problem for inexperienced students. Online learners must be able to motivate themselves to work, as there will not be other students around to push them. Also, online students have to be proactive about getting support – for example, if there is something mentioned in a lecture which they do not understand, they cannot rely on time after class for discussions with the lecturer or other students, and they must go and ask for help. This is less of a problem for more mature learners who have experience in jobs which require self-motivation. Harder to participate in discussions and social events A big part of the university experience is not just the lectures and coursework, but also the interactions with other students and the social events. Finding other people with similar interests to you and hearing their perspective on your learning material is extremely valuable in helping your learning. These social interactions tend to happen naturally at brick and mortar universities. In online learning, however, it requires more work to arrange these interactions. Most online courses do have some kind of chat or forum for discussions, but learners need to put in the effort to make use of these features. Online degrees can be less reputable Although this is changing as online learning becomes more common, there are still some people who consider online courses to be less rigorous and therefore less reputable than traditional university courses. For students who want to continue on in academia or to attend very prestigious universities in the future, this can be a problem. We hope that this helps you to see whether online learning is right for you!
With the arrival of reliable, high-speed internet, distance learning for university students has become much more feasible. Students can now sign up for single classes or whole courses to be taught online, which may include streaming lectures, live Q&A chats with tutors, and submitting coursework electronically. But how does an online course compare with a traditional course at a brick and mortar university? Today we're looking at both the pros and cons of learning online.
Today we're looking at how specialists from various fields might find employment within the energy sector, and what their roles would be. If you have specialist skills and you're looking to move into or start a career in an important emerging global field, then read on for more information. 1. Engineering Energy engineering focuses on the development and maintenance of technologies which are related to energy efficiency, environmental compliance, and alternative energy technologies. Engineers in the energy sector may specialise in drilling and petroleum, in nuclear power, in solar and/or wind energy, or in electrical systems. There is a particularly large demand for specialists in alternative energy solutions, as these are becoming more and more relevant as the availability of oil drops and prices rise. Many countries have governmental schemes which offer financial incentives to businesses which take up more environmentally friendly energy systems, so there are career opportunities for energy engineers in many large companies. 2. Economics As engineers develop the new energy technologies that will become available on the market, energy economists are required to analyse how these new technologies will affect supply and demand in the energy industry. Looking at factors such as the methods and efficiency of energy production, distribution and consumption, economists play an important role in predicting and shaping future energy trends. Jobs for energy economists can be in both governmental agencies and private businesses, which are looking to maintain energy resources. Roles within this field can include policy analysis, product research, or economic research, all of which are expected to grow in importance in future years. Find your perfect job on INOMICS: 3. Law Wherever there is new policy being written, there will be a need for lawyers to detail the regulatory aspects of energy production and consumption. There are opportunities for lawyers to work in the energy industry, for example on issues such as working through the rules and regulations for energy efficiency which companies must comply to in order to be eligible for governmental incentive programs. Within the public sector, many law-related positions are required for the creation and interpretation of regulation. Notable for this industry is that there are a larger than average number of law-related positions for which a law degree is advantageous but not necessarily essential. So there are opportunities for experts in a different aspect of energy management to move into law work. 4. Energy Management Those with a background in environmental management, or in surveying or architecture, may find roles in energy management. This field involves the evaluation of energy use; specifically in the planning or improving projects so as to maximise their energy efficiency. One issue is that there are relatively few vacancies for energy management positions, as companies or organisations will often have just one person or a very small department for this work, and so competition can be intense. However, this is definitely an area of work which will expand and become even more important in the future, so there is a lot of potential for growth if you can gain the relevant skills and experience. With so many new energy technologies emerging and being developed and refined, the energy industry is truly dynamic and fast-paced and will only continue to become more important over the next years. If you're interested in getting into the energy sector on the ground floor, you could consider an undergraduate degree in energy engineering or a related field, which are now becoming more common at universities. You can find a list of the top departments for energy engineering in various countries, as well as lots of further information on careers in the energy industry and other emerging industries.
As businesses and individuals become more aware of climate change and environmental issues, a stronger focus is being put on the ways in which we use resources – especially energy. A whole industry has grown which supports the production and management of energy resources, as well as advising companies on how they can become more energy-efficient. With the growth of this industry, new career paths have opened up from many fields which are related to energy research or consumption.
Economic Development, Innovation and Growth (JEL O)
Agricultural and Environmental Economics (JEL Q)
Top Upcoming Economics & Business Events 2016/2017
May 2016 Progressive Economy Annual Forum 2016: Investment & Innovation at the Heart of European Recovery Organizer: Progressive Economy Initiative, S&D Group in the European Parliament Conference Date: May 31, 2016 Location: Brussels, Belgium June 2016 2nd International Conference of Development and Economy (ICODECON) Organizer: Technological Educational Institute (TEI) of Peloponnese Conference Dates: June 9-12, 2016 Location: Thessaloníki, Greece August 2016 Ninth Asia-Pacific Conference on Global Business, Economics, Finance and Banking Organizer: J.A. Alpha Business Research and Publishers Pvt. Ltd. Conference Dates: Aug 11-13, 2016 Location: Hong Kong September 2016 Economics, Economic Policies and Sustainable Growth in the wake of the Crisis Organizer: Università Politecnica delle Marche Conference Dates: Sep 8-10, 2016 Location: Ancona, Italy Call for papers Research Conference - The Rise of Eurasia: New Perspectives on East-West Business and Economic Relations Organizer: Maastricht School of Management Conference Date: Sep 9, 2016 Location: Maastricht, Netherlands October 2016 17th International Scientific Conference on Economic and Social Development - "Managerial Issues in Modern Business" Organizer: Varazdin Development and Entrepreneurship Agency Conference Dates: October 20-21, 2016 Location: Warsaw, Poland November 2016 The Review of Socio-Economic Perspectives (RSEP) Organizer: RSEP Conference Dates: Nov 2-4, 2016 Location: Madrid, Spain 8th ReCapNet Conference on Behavioural Real Estate Organizer: Centre for European Economic Research (ZEW) Conference Dates: Nov 3-4, 2016 Location: Mannheim, Germany International Trade & Academic Research Conference (ITARC) Organizers: Academy of Business and Retail Management (ABRM), UK and Journal of Business and Retail Management Research Conference Dates: November 7-8, 2016 Location: London, UK 20th European Scientific Conference of Doctoral Students Organizer: Faculty of Business and Economics - Mendel University in Brno Conference Date: November 24, 2016 Location: Brno, Czech Republic January 2017 Current Trends In Public Sector Research Organizer: The Department of Public Economics in the Faculty of Economics and Administration at Masaryk University Conference Dates: January 19-20, 2017 Location: Šlapanice, Czech Republic April 2017 Third WINIR Symposium - The legacy of Ludwig Lachmann: Interdisciplinary perspectives on institutions, agency and uncertainty Organizer: WINIR Conference Dates: April 11-13, 2017 Location: Johannesburg, South Africa
To keep up to date with the latest news in economics and business, there's more that you can do than just reading! Events such as lectures, workshops, and debates are excellent ways to keep up with developments in your field. Plus, they give you the chance to meet and network with other people in your field and to hear new perspectives on your work. If you're interested in attending events in economics or finance, then today's article is a list of some of the greatest events coming up soon from around the world.