Top Career Paths: Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics
For this reason, we've been looking at the top career paths for various economics specializations, and today we're talking about agricultural and natural resource economics. What are agricultural economics and natural resource economics? These two related fields are focused on the application of economic theories to optimize the use of resources and the production of food and other crops. Natural resource economics is focused on managing resources such as food, water, air, minerals, and the environment as a whole, and often emphasizes the importance of sustainability. Agricultural economics looks in particular at land usage, food distribution networks, and maximizing crop yields. <11an>limit:2;categories:jobs|courses|conferences;disciplines:Agricultural and Environmental Economics (JEL Q)</11an> Career path # 1: government or government-related agencies One large employer in this area is the government or one of the various government-related agencies. All of their citizens, or one of them on an international basis, on an uninterrupted food supply. Thus the agencies which oversee the distribution of food and other resources are in need of trained economists to work in this area. Working for the government has the advantage that it is a secure, reliable job that you can usually stay in for life if you want. Although payment is less good than it is in the private sector, the public sector generally has better benefits such as more holiday time and good health care. This work is suited to someone who is organised and capable of keeping track of the many different policies and programs that are being run at any one time. You could find a career with an organisation like the Environmental Protection Agency, the National Wildlife Federation, or the National Marine Fisheries Service, in the USA, or their equivalent within your own country. Career path #2: Agribusiness Another big employer in this field is agribusiness corporations: large companies who process, distribute, and retail food. These companies employ specialists in economics to help them streamline their processes and improve their use of resources. These corporations tend to pay much better than working for the government or for a non-profit, however, they can be demanding jobs with long work hours. Also, some such corporations have come under fire for ethical lapses in their business models, especially in the developing world. How much of an issue this is for you will depend on whether you are someone who wants to stay away from profit-based motives, or whether you would rather try to reform and improve an organisation from the inside. You could pursue a career in agribusiness with a company such as Dow AgroSciences, DuPont, or Monsanto. Career path #3: International aid and development organisations Resource allocation isn't only a problem in developed nations. In fact, it's an even more pressing issue in developing countries. So if you feel a strong desire to help better the world with your knowledge, you might enjoy a career in an international aid or development organisation. Careers in these kinds of international organisations are suited to people who have strong language skills, and strong business skills can be a plus too. Knowing how to set a budget or to create a successful advertising campaign will be an excellent boon to your career. You will need a certain temperament for this work too: it can take a long time to get a project off the ground in an international setting, so you'll need to be patient. You'll also need to be culturally sensitive and capable of balancing the needs of different groups of people. You could find a career in an organisation such as the World Bank, The US Agency for International Development, or the USDA Foreign Agricultural Service. For lots more careers advice for economists, including job listings for all types of economic specializations, take a look at our website.
If you're studying economics, there are all sorts of specialities that you could look into. When you're thinking about what you should like to take care of, you should look at your specialization.
Public Economics & Economic Policy (JEL H)
Agricultural and Environmental Economics (JEL Q)
Top Career Paths for Urban, Rural, and Regional Economics
<11an>limit:2;categories:jobs|courses|conferences;disciplines:Urban, Rural and Transportation Economics (JEL R)|Agricultural and Environmental Economics (JEL Q)</11an> Read on to find out more about career paths which are open to you: Urban Planning Urban planning involves the developing and assessment of land use within cities, looking at factors like zoning, environmental impact, housing, the preserving of historical buildings, the provision of public utilities, the creation of public spaces and amenities, and transportation. With more and more people all over the world moving from the countryside into cities, urban planning will only become more vital over the next years. Urban planners use methods including surveys, market research, census data, and environmental studies to propose policies and concepts regarding land use in cities. This work is extremely interesting for anyone who loves cities and wants to improve people's quality of life in direct and measurable ways. Regional Planning Related to urban planning is regional planning. Rather than focusing on just one city or urban area, regional planners are responsible for the planning of transport, amenities, zoning and so one over larger geographical areas. This type of role is particularly important in impoverished rural communities, where residents often lack necessities like reliable public transport, fast internet connections, accessible healthcare and education, and other community support and facilities when compared to urban residents. Many governments now hire regional planners as well as urban planners, and may even have coordinators who are responsible for the planning of these issues across an entire country. Real Estate A different career path that you might consider with a background in urban, rural, or regional economics is in real estate. With a knowledge of what makes an area desirable and what programs most improve quality of life for residents, you can predict which properties will be desirable and which will sell well. Real estate can be a cut-throat business, but at the higher end of the market, it is more customer-focused and about finding the right property for the client. Advantages of working in real estate include often flexible working hours, though being expected to work in the evenings or at weekends can be a problem for some people, especially those with young families. International Program Manager Another option to consider is working for an NGO or international organisation such as the UN as an international program manager. This role involves the administration and oversight of an entire program when it is put into place in a foreign country. For example, the UN might start a program to increase literacy in an area with limited formal education by supplying teachers and materials and by building schools and arranging for transportation for people to attend. The program manager would oversee this work, coordinating with local and government officials to make sure that the project is completed. This kind of work can be extremely personally rewarding and offers the opportunity to travel to new places and to experience the way of life in different countries. Agriculture Finally, an area to consider working in is agriculture. In some agriculture-focused countries, such as Australia, there are many programs and policies in place to support farmers and to find ways to make a country self-sustaining in terms of producing enough food to feed its population. With a background in urban, rural, or regional economics you would have the skills required for the management of such agriculture programs, and the knowledge of policy to see what works. For lots more career advice for economists, including other top career paths articles for different specialisations, plus study advice, job listings, and much more, check out our website. You'll find plenty of information about academia and careers for all areas and subjects there, with a special focus on economics.
Are you currently working on a degree in urban, rural, or regional economics? Are you thinking about what possible career path you could follow once you graduate? If so, then today's article is for you. Previously we're shared articles on top career paths for other areas of economics like macroeconomics or economic law, but today we're focusing on urban, rural, and regional economics.
Urban, Rural and Transportation Economics (JEL R)
2018 Economics Job Market Scramble for New PhDs
With the PhD recruitment season coming to an end, there are still institutions and candidates who have not yet found a suitable offer. As a nice addition to your job hunt on INOMICS you should consider participating in the Economics Job Market “Scramble”, especially if your career goals lead you to North America. As the primary recruitment phase closes in February and March, it is difficult for both employers and candidates to determine available positions on either side of the job market. In order to improve job market transparency and to help identify available candidates, the American Economic Association (AEA) sponsors a “scramble” toward the end of the job market season. The main goal of the Economics Job Market "Scramble" for new PhDs is to increase the chances of matching prospective employers and job candidates who remain unmatched during the recruitment season. The job “Scramble” consists of a website in which candidates and employers can advertise their availability for new offers. 2018 Job Market Scramble in a Nutshell: Available only for candidates who have not yet accepted a job offer or employers with remaining unfilled positions Candidates holding a job offer they have not accepted may participate in the scramble. It is advised to discuss the situation with advisors and placement director prior to joining the scramble Candidates will be asked to fill in their profiles, so they have all documents ready for registration Participation for candidates is free. For participation requirements for prospective employers, please visit the AEA website The scramble website is not updated, the information is static reflecting content added up to deadline for registration. Registration: available until March 21 at 5:00 p.m (EDT) Open for participants: March 23 - April 10. If you are interested in getting to know more about the 2018 Job Market Scramble, please visit the following website: https://www.aeaweb.org/joe/scramble/. Visit INOMICS to find new PhD jobs every week. Remember to subscribe to the INOMICS Email Alert to receive the latest PhD jobs, training courses and conferences to help you achieve your career goals. For lots more information for economics students and others, see these articles: >> Top PhD jobs listed on INOMICS >> Courses To Boost Your Job Market Prospects >> Top 10 Economics Journals >> Top Economics Podcasts >> 30 Top Twitter Feeds in Economics and Finance >> What to Do With Your Economics Degree: Career Paths for An Economist >> Top Economics Think Tanks and Research Institutes in the US
You can look at resources like Plamen Nikolov's writing tips for more information, or check out our top 10 tips on writing economics papers below. 1. Use a professional, factual tone The manner in which you write should be based on objective facts and should be impersonal. You shouldn't write like a journalist or an opinion piece author – you are not trying to persuade the reader with your tone, but rather with your facts. 2. Use the present tense This one differs between fields, but in economics, it is typical to use the present rather than the past tense. So you should write “Smith finds that...” rather than “Smith found that...” This also applies when you are writing about yourself, such as “This paper attempts to show...” <11an>limit:3;categories:Conferences;disciplines:Economics</11an> 3. Use short sentences People often pick up the bad habit of using too-long sentences, thinking that they sound more knowledgeable or sophisticated. Instead, they just make life more difficult for the reader. Use sentences which are short and to the point. When in doubt, split a longer sentence into two to make it more readable. 4. Use the active voice, not the passive voice A habit of some science disciplines has leaked over into other subjects: using the passive rather than the active voice. For example, when describing an experiment, a science article might say “Effects were measured with a reader and the range was calculated.” But this is used less frequently in economics. Instead, use the active voice, for example, “We modelled the effects and used the model to make predictions.” 5. Use “I” and “we” correctly Another habit of scientists is to avoid the first person, and on the rare occasions that it is used to tend towards using “we” rather than “I”. This makes sense given how common it is for scientific research to be performed in large groups. In economics, however, you should not be afraid of the first person, and use “I” and “we” literally. If you did something yourself, use “I”, if it was as part of a group, use “we”. 6. Dates for citations go in brackets Again, this differs between fields, but in economics, the norm is “Smith (1970) finds that...” rather than “Smith found in a 1970 paper that...” 7. Use footnotes If there is extra information which you've found and think to be interesting and of value to the reader, but isn't directly connected to your argument, then put it in a footnote. Do the same with extra details or very in-depth information which is not necessary for the understanding of your argument, but is useful as a reference for the reader. 8. Avoid jargon Another common writing mistake among undergraduates is a tendency to use too much jargon or highly technical language. Students sometimes think that this will make their writing seem more professional or more respectable. But in fact, jargon is an annoyance to the reader and is almost always unnecessary. Use clear, simple terminology instead. 9. Know when to cut Yet another bad writing habit that many people develop at school is the habit of always writing more words. Schools often set homework assignments of at least a certain word count, and this trains students into padding out their essays. In a university context, however, you are much better off being brief and accurate than you are adding a lot of filler words. Cut down any repetition or unnecessary fluff from your essays to make them short and better. 10. Read economics paper and mimic the style The very best way to learn the style of any field is to do plenty of reading within it. Note the writing conventions of articles in economics journals and try to mimic their style.
If you're a student and you're new to the subject of economics, then you might need some assistance with learning how to write in a style which is appropriate for the field.
Experts Talk: An Interview with Dr. Mark Thoma
For the second installment of the INOMICS series Experts Talk, we interviewed Dr. Mark Thoma, who teaches macro and time-series economics at the University of Oregon. Dr. Thoma also maintains the very popular fiscal policy blog Economist’s View (which is also hosted on the EconoMonitor), is a columnist for the Fiscal Times and has previously been a contributor to dozens of top publications including Forbes, The Economist and The New York Times. After earning your BA in economics and statistics you went directly on to earn your PhD in economics as well. What made you interested in the field initially and what motivated you to pursue an academic career as an economist? When I was in high school, the inflation problems of the 1970s were beginning. I remember asking my parents what caused inflation, and their answer was that they didn’t know. The inflation problems, the gas lines at service stations, and so on heightened my interest in these issues, and probably helped to lead me into monetary economics, one of my specialties. But there were other factors as well. When I took Economics 1, the instructor wrote on my final “you should major in economics” and that encouragement made a big difference. The course itself used a text called “The Economics of Social Issues” and I really liked the way economics gave us insight into those types of problems. I was good at math, so it seemed easy to me, and that helped too. I had worked in tractor stores in the small farming town I grew up in while in high school, and also in college, and I really didn’t like the 8-5 workday routine. It just didn’t suit me. The freedom that academics offered was much more attractive and that was a major reason I decided to pursue a Ph.D. My plan was to teach somewhere, take summers off, etc. and have lots of free time, but once I got to graduate school I realized I liked the research side of the discipline quite a bit. So, instead of having lots of leisure as I initially planned, I ended up in the “publish or perish” world where free time was a luxury. But I’m glad I pursued that route, and that I could teach Ph.D. courses. During graduate school I decided that I didn’t want to go to a place where there were only undergraduates, and you teach the same few courses again and again throughout your career. Teaching graduate courses allows you to continue to grow, to use math in all its glory to illustrate concepts, and so on. How has your perspective as an economist changed over the years in light of socio-political shifts in the United States? I embraced the economics is science view for many years, and believed that the profession as a whole embraced the idea that ideology had no place in the advancement of economics. However, in recent years as I’ve watched the reaction to rising inequality, issues involving social insurance, taxes, etc. I have become much more sympathetic to the idea that important elements and people within the profession are highly ideological. In a piece for the Fiscal Times, you state that alongside Thomas Piketty’s argument that capitalism breeds inequality, you’d argue that politics and policy have a large impact on the distribution of wealth as well. Are there major points on which your views diverge from Piketty’s? I am much more sympathetic to arguments that inequality arises from market failures that lead to a “mal-distribution” of income than Piketty. For example, when a firm has monopoly power, it affects how income is distributed – it no longer satisfies the idea that each individual should be entitled to the fruits of his or her own contribution to the production of goods and services that are valued in the marketplace. As for politics and policy, I believe that the accumulation of wealth arising from the mal-distribution of income has allowed the political process, and hence the rules, laws, and regulations that come from it, have been largely captured by those with the most economic power. Economic power leads to political power, and that tilts the scale in favor of those at the top of the income/wealth distribution. Piketty has similar worries, but as I noted above I believe I am more sympathetic to the idea that the concentration of wealth is due to market failures than he is. Do you think there will be a noticeable shift in the way economics is taught in light of the global recession and the notoriety of work like Piketty’s? I believe that there will be a shift in emphasis that brings theoretical issues about the distribution of income to the forefront (For example, is Piketty’s formula r-g that determines the distribution of income valid always and everywhere, and if not, what are the exceptions and how important are they? How is the formula derived?) But the tools and techniques known collectively as dynamic stochastic general equilibrium (DSGE) models will not change anytime soon. The tools will be applied to different questions, for example the connections between financial intermediation and real economic activity are being explored much more in depth than prior to the crisis, but the tools themselves will not change. It remains to be seen if DSGE modes are up to the task, and if not something will replace them, but for now the tools and techniques of DSGE models will be the primary mode of analysis. One more thing. It would be nice if economic history was emphasized more as a result of the Great Recession, but the amount that students have to learn to be competent at DSGE modeling, microeconomic models that provide the foundation of modern macro, econometric tests of those models, and all the math that goes along with it leave little room for economic history. The lack of knowledge about economic history was costly in the most recent economic crisis, and it will probably be similarly costly when the next one comes along, as it surely will. What inspired you to start your blog? I was disappointed in the way economic issues were being reported in the run-up to Bush’s reelection, particularly the often heard claim that tax cuts pay for themselves, and the reporting on social security privatization. My first reaction was to write several letters to the editor in the local paper, then three op-eds on economic issues, and one day in March of 2005 I started a blog on a whim (I had come across economics blogs in doing research for my first op-ed on social security). I didn’t expect it to ever be much more than a place to state my views, I hosted the pictures on a desktop server that could only handle ten connections at once, but somehow it caught on thanks in large part to Brad DeLong and Paul Krugman. You not only run a very well respected econ blog, you also contribute to The Fiscal Times and write guest pieces for many other top sites. How has blogging impacted your professional and/or personal life? It takes quite a bit of time each day to run the blog. I didn’t start it until my kids were all in college or beyond so I had lots of free time to do it and it didn’t impact my time with them. But it has crowded out some of the recreational things I did before it started, and it has made it much more difficult to conduct academic research. For that reason, I would not recommend it to graduate students, or professors still struggling with the tenure and promotion process. Some people can handle it, but for many it crowds out too much of the work that gets rewarded in academia. You’ve been a professor since 1985. What is one piece of key advice you give to students interested in pursuing a career in economics? Take all of the math that you can. Very few graduate students fail because they don’t understand the economics, it’s the technical requirements that are the stumbling blocks. What is your favorite course to teach? Has this changed over the years? When I was younger, my favorite course to teach was time-series econometrics. But as time has passed, I’ve come to like monetary theory and policy much more (at both the graduate and undergraduate levels). I like both the theory and the fact that it allows us to use the tools and techniques of monetary theory to examine important policy questions. In recent years, due to the financial crisis it has been really fun to teach, and students are very interested in understanding the Great Recession. If you could start over and pursue an entirely different career, would you do it? What would it be? It would be something involving math. I have always been really interested in physics, but I think I would end up in electrical engineering (which shares a lot of technical material with macroeconomics and time-series econometrics). I took a graduate level electrical engineering course on stochastic processes during my time as a graduate student, and really liked the material. If you had the chance to have dinner with three economists, living or dead, who would they be and why? Tough question. I would like to hear a debate between Milton Friedman and John Maynard Keynes on the role of monetary and fiscal policy in responding to recessions. I would also like a chance to ask Keynes how well modern version of Keynesian economics accord with his views. An historical figure such as Adam Smith, David Ricardo, Thomas Malthus, John Stuart Mill, Karl Marx, John Bates Clark, etc. would be an attractive third. It would be great to have Adam Smith, for example, participate in the debate between Friedman and Keynes over how and when the government should intervene to stabilize the economy or correct market failures. But I would also be tempted choose Paul Krugman. It would be a chance to thank him – as I’ve done in person with Brad DeLong already – for all he has done to make my blog so popular. Photo Credit: larspsyll
In this interview, Dr. Mark Thoma discusses his dislike for the 8 – 5 lifestyle, his lifelong love of math, the importance of economic history and why he’d like to have dinner with Milton Friedman, John Maynard Keynes and Adam Smith, among other topics.
Top Tips for Students: How To Write an Effective Personal Statement for Your University in the UK
Follow the standard format There is an accepted format for personal statements, and while deviating from the format might be required in some unusual cases, it's usually best to stick with it. The format is as follows: Talk about why you want to study economics and if there is any particular subfield which you are drawn to. Do you want a career in economics? Is there a particular organisation that you'd like to work for or a role that you think you'd be perfect for? Talk about why you would make a good economics student, including the relevant courses you've taken and any non-academic reasons that you'll be suited to the subject. You can also talk about how you can contribute to the university more broadly – such as through music, sports, or debate clubs. Show your interest in economics by talking about the books, journals, or newspapers that you have read and talk about the questions that they raised for you about the subject. What about these books made you want to study economics more? Demonstrate your competence by describing your work experience or voluntary experience which is relevant to economics. If possible, talk about direct results that you achieved: for example, that you volunteered for an economic justice NGO and that you were able to bring in a certain amount of money in fundraising, or that you improved a process by a certain percentage. Talking about achievements is preferable to describing your job duties. List any prizes or awards that you have received. This can be things like school prizes, Duke of Edinburgh awards, or participation in Model UN events. Don't talk in sweeping generalisations Many students make the mistake of being enthusiastic but non specific. “Since I was young, I have been fascinated by economics and have wanted to study it in depth!” is not a very meaningful statement on its own. To support such a statement you need to give evidence of your enthusiasm, by talking about specific courses you took, books you read, or activities which you participated in. Pick one topic and discuss it in depth It's all too common to see personal statements which include a long list of economics-related publications which the student claims to read regularly, in the hope that this will make them appear to be in touch with the field. Frankly, this is not very convincing, as there are not many 17 year olds who willingly read every single issue of the Financial Times, the Economist, and The Economic Journal from cover to cover. It's better to pick one recent article on an economics topic and to discuss it in detail. Maybe you were inspired by this year's Nobel prize winner in economics and want to talk about the winner's area of research. Or maybe you saw an economics-related article in a newspaper or magazine and it caught your interest. Perhaps you've got something to say about the relationship between economics and politics when it comes to a particular policy? When it comes to demonstrating your interest in the field of economics, don't try to claim that you know everything already or that you've read every key text in the field. Instead, pick one topic which is meaningful to you and write in some detail about your opinions on this topic and why it appeals to you. Proofread your statement and ask for feedback Obviously, you want your statement to be free of typos and errors in spelling or punctuation, but it's actually extremely difficult to proofread your own work. Once you have written your statement, ask a trusted teacher, parent, or advisor to proofread it for you to check for small errors. Also, do ask for help from teachers or lecturers, especially if they work in economics themselves. They can give you pointers to improve your statement – just make sure to start writing it early enough that you have time to incorporate their feedback.
If you're applying to study economics in the UK, you'll have to prepare a personal statement which will be used to assess your application along with your grades and other materials. Here are our tips on writing an effective personal statement.
How to Connect With Other Economists in Your Field
Twitter Twitter is one of the most popular social networks among academics. Although the 140 character limit on tweets can be a real challenge, as it's hard to distil down complex information into simple sentences, this is part of the reason that it's such good training. Being able to describe new findings in your field or to put forward arguments in this extremely limited space and still have them be comprehensible to the public is an extremely useful skill. To get started on Twitter, you can sign up for a free account and start tweeting short thoughts about your field, or sharing links to interesting news items. The communication style tends to be quite casual, so you can feel free to make jokes or light hearted comments in between the more serious posts. Find other economists and follow them, then you can share their tweets to your timeline using the retweet function. You can also reply to tweet to engage in debate or discussion with other economists. Facebook Although it is not a professionally-oriented social network, Facebook can still be a useful resource for an economist. This is particularly true if you're a current student or recent graduate, as you can join your university group and find other people in your area who currently or previously studied economics there. You'll also find professional groups for networking, advice, or sharing frustrations. Sometimes these groups will be private, meaning that you'll need someone who is already a member to refer you in order for you to access them. But if you can gain access, you'll find benefits from immediate contact with an instant network for information and more. Blogs A different method through which you can connect with other economists is through online blogs. Many academics and researchers run blogs in which they detail their latest findings and their thoughts about the field. As well as being fascinating reading, these blogs can help you make contacts. The comment section of articles will often host lively debates and discussions in which you can raise issues you think are relevant. You could consider starting a blog of your own, which other economists and the public can read. You could also do guest posts or join a group blog if you don't have the time to dedicate to running an entire blog yourself. Networks like the Science Blogs network bring together blog writers from various disciplines to share exposure. LinkedIn Although it's mostly associated with corporate networking, LinkedIn can still be a useful network for an academic economist. You can list your places of work and your CV on your profile, so that anyone can see your work history and decide if they might be interested in hiring you. You can also make contacts in industry, which can be helpful even if you are planning to stay in academia – you might need to pass on recommendations for a student, for example, or to invite industry personnel to join you at a conference or event. Specialist academic social networks: Academia.edu, Mendeley, FrontiersIn Finally, several social networks exist specifically for academics. The one most commonly used by economists is Academia.edu, which allows you to upload your recent journal papers and connect with other academics. Another site is Mendeley, which is primarily a tool for building reference lists and bibliographies, but also includes social networking elements. And then there's FrontiersIn, which is mostly oriented towards science but may be useful for those working in certain areas of economics such as econometrics. Will all these tools, you'll be able to connect with other economists to learn more and grow your career.
So you know that getting to know other people in your field is important, and that you need to network when you attend a conference. But what about the rest of the time? What websites can you use to get in touch with other experts in your field? Here are some ideas:
Top 10 New Year's Eve Parties for Students Around the World
Amsterdam: Dam Square New Year's Eve in Amsterdam is a fun, calm, well-organised affair – not the wild mess you might expect from a city with a reputation for its open-minded laws. The local council puts on firework displays all over the city, and in Dam Square there is also live music and a large stage with celebratory hosts and guests. The atmosphere is friendly and relaxed, and the event is entirely free for the public. Las Vegas: Downtown Countdown Huge numbers of Americans descend on Las Vegas for New Year's, to enjoy the gambling, the drinking, and the party atmosphere. Downtown Countdown is one of the biggest events in the city, including live entertainment, fireworks, and light shows. This big, bustling event is sure to be wild, as long as you can get yourself to distant Nevada! London: Fireworks on the Thames For those braving London during NYE celebrations, prepare for serious crowds and a whole lot of people everywhere you go. Bars, pubs and clubs are famously expensive for this night in the capitol – even more that usual. So for students, getting together to watch the cheap public fireworks over the river is a far preferable option – the Thames never looks better. Just remember that if you want a good view, you'll need to get there seriously early! And you'll want to pack your own snacks and drinks too. Barcelona: Placa Catalunya New Year's Eve is generally more of a family celebration in Spain that in other parts of the world, where people will eat dinner together and the head out to the bars and clubs after midnight. But there's also always a party spirit in big local meeting points like Placa Catalunya in Barcelona where people meet to ring in the new year together. Tokyo: Shibuya crossing Lots of Tokyo locals spend NYE at home with their families, but if you're visiting there's still lots to do. You can join the countdown crowds at Shibuya crossing, and there's a huge public party at the famous Tokyo Tower. In Japanese tradition, it's more important to watch the sun come up on the first day of the new year than to count down to midnight together. So pace yourself and get ready for a long night of celebration! The best place to be for NYE in Berlin is out on the street, chatting to randoms and dodging the fireworks which get thrown around in all directions. The biggest street party is at the famous Brandenburg Gate, stretching out into the park to make room for the approximately one million people who come here to celebrate. In true Berlin style, the party lasts all night and long into the next day. Prague: Old Town Square Prague is a popular choice among Europeans for New Year's – it's cheap, lively and has options for quiet romantic celebrations or big wild parties. There are lots of fireworks all over the city, but there's a particularly beautiful view over the river. Alternatively, the Old Town Square is a favourite viewing spot among locals and gives you a real Czech party experience. Miami: Party on the Beach Warm, balmy weather even in December and a great party scene makes Miami the perfect place to celebrate New Year's on the beach. There are tones of local restaurants to eat out in before heading to see the fireworks at South Beach and catching the live music where you can dance on the sand all night long. New York: Times Square Maybe the most famous party of them all is in New York's Times Square. With its lights, music, and huge crowds of revellers, the celebratory atmosphere runs high. There's the famous ball drop at midnight, and every year a great selection of live music acts. For those who want to party with the world watching, New York is the place to be. Rio de Janeiro: Copacabana Beach What may be the biggest New Year's party in the world is held on the Copacabana beach, where more than two million people gather each year. People come together to drink champagne, watch fireworks, and to toss flowers into the sea as a tribute to the sea goddess. Tradition dictates that wearing white for the evening will bring good luck, but wearing black spells misfortune for the year ahead – so leave the black tie at home! Wherever you end up spending your NYE, we wish you happiness for the new year!
With the end of the year in sight, it's time to start planning your New Year's Eve parties! We're here with suggestions for 10 of the best NYE parties for students around the world.
The Economics of Christmas Songs: When to start playing Jingle Bell Rock?
Each year, it feels like it comes earlier. You find yourself humming along to ‘Jingle Bells’, or perhaps it’s ‘Feliz Navidad’, maybe even ‘Jingle Bell Rock’. Christmas is usually one of the most important retail periods of the year, and Christmas songs play an important role in boosting sales. Stores start to play Christmas music to remind us that the holiday season approaches, and that it’s time to start buying presents for loved ones. But the timing of when this happens is very, very important. Radio stations and streamer servers have also realised the potential of Christmas songs, and how crucial the timing is. These songs are a special breed – songs that people cringe at for 11 months of the year, but for a limited amount of time they become the most in-demand songs there are! Judging the right time to start playing holiday music is a careful decision. As this blog post on The Dow of Christmas Music argues, top Christmas songs have a market of millions of radio and streaming listeners, and are a ‘major source of ad and streaming revenue’. Recognising this, starting in the 1990s, a vast number of radio stations begin switching to a constant line-up of Christmas songs. This year, the first station made the move to Christmas songs on October 24th. It would seem that the trend is becoming earlier each year, and as this post demonstrates, Christmas song season is becoming gradually more and more data driven. It has also been argued in this blog post on Psychology Today, however, that Christmas music does not increase sales, but rather – it hurts them. So it would appear that (as always) there are arguments on both sides! Many claim that they don’t like Christmas songs – probably mostly economists. A 1993 paper in the American Economic Review on The Deadweight Loss of Christmas would seem to be a testament to a spoiltsport economics approach to Christmas. But it doesn’t have to be all bad – there are a lot of interesting takes on Christmas songs and the economics of Christmas. For example, this blog post on the INOMICS blog has a useful list of economic approaches to the festive holiday season. So, if you’re feeling the Christmas spirit and would like a distinctly economics take on Christmas songs, this post and this video are just a couple of examples of the myriad of funny economics Christmas songs and parodies available for the economics enthusiasts among us. And if you’re having trouble resisting the distractions of Christmas at work or while studying, have a look at our tips on staying motivated during the holiday season!
It happens every year. As you’re walking through a shopping centre, a store, or perhaps a supermarket, you hear a Christmas song, and you know it’s the beginning of the buying frenzy that leads up to Christmas.
2017 Nobel Prize in Economics awarded to Richard Thaler
Professor Thaler is currently the Charles R. Walgreen Distinguished Service Professor Of Behavioral Science And Economics at Chicago Booth, the University of Chicago School of Business, and has previously worked at the SC Johnson College of Business at Cornell University as well as acting as the co-director of the National Bureau of Economic Research Behavioral Economics Project since 1991. The Nobel prize was given to Professor Thaler for his foundational work in behavioural economics. He combined insights from the fields of economics and psychology to show how human psychology affects both individual decisions and market outcomes. His work in behavioural economics has been on three primary topics: limited rationality, social preferences, and lack of self-control. His research into the topic of limited rationality looked at how people make financial decisions, and why it is that people make decisions that seem to be against their best interest. For example, why do people choose to satisfy short-term cravings instead of working towards long-term goals? He found that people tend to create a simplified and separate account in their mind for each decision, and to make decisions based on that account rather than considering the larger consequences of any given decision. This work has lead to the development of what is termed the mental account theory, which has changed how economists think about the rationality of decision making. The second of Thaler's main topics is social preferences, and the concept of fairness in particular. The idea of fairness applies to economics in terms of what kind of pricing consumers find acceptable from businesses. For example, consumers tend to be accepting of price increases in goods which are due to rising costs of materials or manufacturing, but they are not accepting of price increases due to high demand. Consumers find it fair to raise prices if materials become more expensive, but if a company raises prices because demand is high, consumers see this as unfair and as taking advantage. Thaler and colleagues researched the ways in which concepts of fairness differ in different societies around the world. The third topic, lack of self-control, was analysed using the planner-doer model, which differentiates long-term planning from short-term action. Humans tend to default to the short-term doing reactions rather than long-term planning, however, it is possible to change this. Thaler coined the terming “nudging” to refer to the giving of small suggestions or interventions in order to encourage people to consider their long-term needs. For example, nudging people to save for their pensions by making the contributions automatically deducted from their income rather than something they have to actively set aside makes people save more consistently. This is the area for which Thaler is best known by the public, thanks to his popular book Nudge: Improving Decisions about Health, Wealth, and Happiness which explains how these concepts can be applied to social decision making. These three areas of study are not only important and socially relevant in their own right, but the combination of them also laid the foundation for the development of behavioural economics as a field. The bringing together of the disciplines of economics and psychology was driven by Professor Thaler's theories and his empirical findings, and it is for this foundational work in the field which he has been recognised by the Nobel committee. If you'd like to learn more about the Nobel prizes, then have a look at our post from last year about the 2016 Nobel Prize winners. Photo Credit: Flickr @Chatham House
The Nobel Prize for Economics, the most prestigious prize in the field, has been awarded this year to American economist Richard Thaler. The prize, fully titled The Sveriges Riksbank Prize in Economic Sciences in Memory of Alfred Nobel, was announced by The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences and will be awarded in a ceremony in Stockholm in December.
5 Effective Ways Professors Can Build a Personal Brand
If you’re on social media or posted a blog, you might already have started building a brand and didn’t realize it. Now’s the time to take control of your brand’s direction. Rome wasn’t built in a day and neither will your brand, but here are five tips to get you started. 1. Build an online presence Google yourself. What do you find? The most important thing you need to build your personal brand is an online presence. This means a developed website and a few social media pages. Your website should include your credentials, a photo of yourself, links to places your work has been published, your best content and links to your social media. Building a site can be tricky, but there are free tools such as Weebly if you need help. Various templates are available from which to choose, and chat and email support also is available. One of the first things students do when they get their class schedule is Google their professors, which is why it’s important to have a website and active social media pages. You want students to feel excited about taking your class because they know you are the authority on that topic. Having a strong online presence will help you establish yourself as a thought leader in your field, which only makes your brand stronger. 2. Be consistent It’s critical to have consistent messaging, colors and logos across all of your mediums when building your brand. Really think about your choices for color and design. Make sure your logo and other images will transfer well to social media. Sometimes, designs don’t look as good when the size is reduced to be a social media profile picture. There are many tools out there that can help with logo design, but if you aren’t sure of what you are doing, it’s best to go seek out the help of a professional. Better yet, look for a print designer who is also experienced in logo design. They’ll help you design a logo that will look great on everything from your business cards and stationary to your website and social media pages. 3. Create content It’s important to create content based on your platform and your audience. It’s likely you’ll reach a majority of your students through social media, while many of your colleagues will be reached through your website and other published work. Be mindful that everything you post whether it’s a tweet, share or status update, contributes to your personal brand. Content should not be limited to blog posts, though. You can record lectors and post them for students who might have missed class or just need to go back and hear something again. Your students are more likely to pay attention to videos or other digital experiences, which will help create a deeper connection to your brand. Always encourage your audience to engage with you at the end whether it’s by leaving a comment or taking the conversation to social media. 4. Be a guest speaker As a professor, you probably have a good handle on public speaking. Which is why it shouldn’t be hard for you take your work on the road and become a guest speaker. Speak with the same confidence as you do in the classroom, and keep an open mind when it comes time for questions and comments. The more events you speak at, the more your credibility as an expert on your subject grows. You might have to start at smaller speaking engagements first, but you could be invited to bigger events such as conferences and seminars as you continue to build your brand and get your name out there. 5. Become a guest author Becoming a guest author is just as valuable as guest speaking but with less travel. You gain credibility and increase your brand awareness when your work is shared on other sites or by other influencers in your industry. You also can write guest articles or editorials for newspapers and magazines. This could put you on reporters’ radar who will call you when they need an expert source for your field, which in turn will give you more exposure to build your brand. Be sure to share the links to your posts on your social media and website. You also should let your department head know about any of your featured work should your institution want to mention that in an alumni or student newsletter. Guest posting also allows you to network with others in your field and raises your search engine value, which extends your reach. At the end of the day, your brand needs to be authentic and reflect you. Building your brand won’t happen overnight, but if you follow these tips and keep at it, you should see results.
Brands? Aren’t those for corporations and businesses? Not anymore. Building your brand is about what people think of when they think of you. As a professor, you represent your institution, but you also want to work on your personal brand. Having a reputable brand can help you advance your career whether it’s in academia or not.
For researchers who are thinking about moving into industry, there are a huge range of employment possibilities outside of academia. The advantages of such a move may include greater job security, better pay, greater opportunities for career progression, and a more goal-oriented research culture. But the culture of business can come as a shock to those who have spent all their work time in universities. If you're thinking about making the switch from academia to industry, we're here with some advice on how to find and apply for the position which is right for you, and how to manage the transition into the industry world. Transferable skills The first step in finding the industry career options that would suit you the best is to identify the skills you've acquired in academia, and to see how these skills could be transferable to an industry setting. Those who have a background in academia almost certainly have excellent writing skills, critical thinking skills, and the ability to review research literature and write reports on it. Depending upon your specific field, you may also have data analysis experience, mathematical and statistical expertise, programming knowledge, and oral presentation skills. All of these will serve you well in an industry context, so identify you particular areas of strength and look for job opportunities which focus on these skills. Networking and advertising yourself In order to hear about industry opportunities and to let employers know that you're available for hire, you need to make use of your professional network and to promote yourself as a professional presence. Some academics can be a bit squeamish about networking or self promotion, but it is an essential part of job hunting and need not be an unpleasant experience. You should ask around your friends and colleagues about any positions which they are aware of, particularly if you've worked with them in the past and they can give you a recommendation to an employer. You should obviously update your CV, but also consider writing a blog or white paper on topical issues in your field, and getting active on social media sites such as Twitter or LinkedIn. Show industry employers that you have unique knowledge of your field which can benefit them. Finding opportunities In order to hear about the latest opportunities in industry, you'll need to expand your job searches beyond the bounds of academia. As mentioned above, networking is important to help you hear about jobs through word of mouth. You can also search online, making use of websites which post listings of job opportunities as they arise. However, don't forget to check email mailing lists as well – often being on the right mailing list will allow you to be among the first to hear about new positions. Also consider the time of year at which you undertake your job search. Summer is generally the slow season, with fewer projects being started or hirings being made. So you may have more success in your job search if you focus on spring, autumn or winter times. Business culture It's important to remember that there are significant cultural differences between academia and industry. Industry tends to be more formal than academic settings, so bear this in mind when you attend a job interview. Industry typically promotes more formal attire than academia, so leave the corduroys and trainers at home and opt for a suit or a shirt and smart trousers when meeting prospective employers. Also, don't be afraid to sell yourself. Speak with confidence and be prepared to offer evidence of your skills and abilities. Having extensive academic qualifications is an advantage to help you get to an interview stage, but you need to show employers that you can apply those skills to real-world problems. Consider putting together a portfolio of projects that you've worked on, such as the successful completion of a research project or a conference which you organized. This way you can show the concrete successes that you were able to produce and demonstrate your abilities to employers. There are some great advantages of switching to industry for researchers, so we hope these tips serve you well in your job searching.
This article was featured in the INOMICS Handbook 2017, a new career guide for Economists. Download it here.
How To Get An Academic Job After Finishing Your PhD: A Mini Guide To Academic Job Search
When you're about to finish your PhD, it can be hard to know where to start looking for a job. If you want to stay in academia, then you'll need to find a postdoc position after you've finished your thesis and defended it. Today we're sharing this mini guide to finding an academic job and some tips on how to handle the process. Fellowships, grants, and other sources of funding For maximum autonomy and security, one of the most preferable options available to those who have finished their PhD is to secure their own funding. That means that you apply directly to a governmental or other organisation to obtain funding for your project idea, and if successful, the funding is allocated to your project and to you personally. The advantage of this is twofold: firstly, you can choose exactly what topic to research, and whatever methodologies or approaches that you think will be effective. There is great intellectual freedom in being able to set the course of your own research. The second big advantage or having your own funding is the security which it offers. If you have funding, you will be in high demand and many departments will be happy to host you as a postdoc. You can pick the institution which best suits you and your project. Also, if things are not working out as you would wish at your institution, or if you decide to move to another city or country, then generally you will be able to transfer your funding with you. Knowing that you have 2-5 years of funding guaranteed frees you from financial stress and allows you to concentrate on your work. Finally, it is worth noting that having secured your own funding is highly regarded by hiring committees, as it demonstrates an ability to be successful in grant applications. Having won your own funding will be a great strength on your CV when you come to apply for other academic roles in the future. Finding a fellowship You will find fellowships and other kinds of postdoc funding offered by governmental organisations, professional groups, and charities and non-profits. However, as this type of funding is so desirable, there are often a large number of applicants per grant available. The process of applying for the funding and having your application assessed can also take a long time – up to six months in some cases. For these reasons, it's a good idea to start applying for funding early, either before you complete your PhD or soon after. The application process for fellowships generally involves you first thinking up an idea for a project, preferably a project which is a natural extension of your PhD work. That way, you can demonstrate to the funders that you have already acquired the necessary skills to perform the project during your PhD, and show that you are an expert in your topic. For most applications you'll need to produce a research proposal outlining your project idea, along with other documents like a statement of your interest in the work and a description of how your project fits into the aims of the funding organisation. It's common for researchers to think up a project and then to use that one project as a basis for applying to a number of different fellowships. So once you have done one application, you can modify the materials which you have created for your other applications too. You can find lots more information about this in our guide to applying for a postdoc grant or fellowship. Applying for advertised postdoc positions Another option for academic employment after the PhD is to apply for advertised positions. When professors need support in planning and performing their own research, in teaching undergraduates and masters students, or in supervising PhD students, they will advertise for postdoc positions. You can find advertisements for such positions on university websites and academic job portals – take a look at the postdoc jobs section here on Inomics, for example. You should also check the websites of professional organisations for your field, where there may be information about currently hiring positions. A useful way of hearing about new postdoc jobs as soon as they become available is to sign up to email mailing lists for university departments or for specific academic topics. If you're hoping to land a postdoc position, however, you shouldn't limit yourself to searching online. It's also helpful to get the word out to your professional network that you are looking for a work. Former colleagues, supervisors, lecturers, and your fellow students may know of opportunities that would suit you, and may be willing to pass your name along to the hiring professor. Having someone who knows you and your work recommend you for a position can be a great advantage in helping you to get hired. You should also be on the lookout at conferences, lectures, and other academic events. If you know that there will be someone attending who you are interested in working for, do go and introduce yourself to them and let them know about your work. Take a look at our guide to networking in academia for more tips about this. Typically, postdoc positions are fixed-term contracts of around 2 years, meaning that after the end of the contract period you will have to find another job. You may have to be willing to relocate in order to find the postdoc job that you want. If you are willing to move around your country, or even to move abroad, then your chances of securing a position will be higher. Other Types of Academic Jobs As well as fellowships and postdoc positions, there are other available jobs within academia for those who have completed a PhD. Typically such positions will involve teaching, technical work such as configuring research equipment, or possibly some amount of administrative work such as setting and marking exams. The exact nature of these jobs varies between countries, and they will vary in their title, duties, stability, and benefits. In Britain, for example, it is common to find Lecturer positions advertised. These are full-time, well-paid teaching posts and are well respected, and are suitable for exceptional PhD students who have already gained some teaching experience. These positions can be competitive as you will be applying alongside people who have already done postdoc jobs, but for the right person they can be an excellent opportunity. In the United States, on the other hand, there are many adjunct faculty positions available. These are teaching positions, but are usually poorly paid and do not have benefits like health insurance or paid sick leave. Adjunct positions may be zero-hours, meaning that there are no guarantees of how much work will be available, and that adjuncts are employed on a semester-to-semester basis. Adjuncts often work at two or more universities, teaching courses wherever work is available. The combination of low pay and poor job security makes working as an adjunct a difficult option for most people, especially those who have student debts to pay off. A further option for working in academia post-PhD is to take on several part-time roles. This is a useful compromise for those who are unable to relocate for work or who need work while they are searching for a full-time role. Part-time roles could include teaching full courses, covering lessons for other lecturers while they are away, exam marking, writing course syllabi, or acting as student support. Conclusion From these options, you should be able to tailor your job search to find the right position for you after you finish your PhD. But don't forget that there are lots of job options for academics outside of academia too. To see the latest postdoc positions available at universities around the world, head to our postdoc jobs section here on INOMICS.
One of the major advantages of Stata is that it is eminently portable. Its developers are committed to cross-platform compatibility and so Stata runs the same way on Windows, macOS, Unix, and Linux systems. All versions of Stata provide the full set of features and commands: there are no special add-ons or toolboxes. Five important features for getting started with Stata 1. The toolbar The Toolbar contains icons that allow you to open and save files, print results, control Logs, and manipulate windows. Some very important tools allow you to open the Do-File Editor, the Data Editor and the Data Browser. 2. Current working directory The cwd is the directory to which any files created in your Stata session will be saved. Likewise, if you try to open a file and give its name alone, it is assumed to reside in the cwd. If it is in another location, you must change the cwd [File >Change Working Directory] or qualify its name with the directory in which it resides. You generally will not want to locate or save files in the default cwd. A common strategy is to set up a directory for each project or task in a convenient location in the filesystem and change the cwd to that directory when working on that task. This can be automated in a do-file with the cd command. 3. Command panel As you’d expect, to execute a command in Stata, you type it into the Command Panel. Although traditionally a command-line driven package, recent versions of Stata contain a user-friendly graphical user interface (GUI). A major advantage of the GUI is that when you are using a new command, you can easily find out the correct syntax to use by viewing it in the command panel. 4. Do file The Do-File editor allows you to construct a file of Stata commands, or “do-file”, and execute it in whole or in part from the editor. A major advantage of a do file is that ability to quickly and effortlessly reproduce your analysis and results. 5. Adopath commands Another advantage of Stata’s command-line driven environment involves extensibility: the continual expansion of Stata’s capabilities. Only a small fraction of the commands you can use in Stata are built in. If a command is not built into the Stata kernel, Stata searches for it, meaning you can acquire additional user contributed Stata commands from a number of online sources. Stata’s capabilities thus extend far beyond the official, supported features described in the Stata manual to a vast array of additional tools. These tips are just a start, to gain a deeper understanding of the features of Stata we recommend attending an introductory course. For example, Timberlake’s Stata Fundamentals Online Course gives a complete introduction to Stata and is ideal for new users who want to get a head start and learn how to use the software efficiently. What’s more, with an online course you can learn from the comfort of your own home.
What is Stata? If you want to work in econometrics, chances are you’ll need to learn to use a statistical analysis package like Stata. Stata is one of the most widely used software packages to help students and researchers explore, summarise and analyse complicated datasets. The software is available in several different versions which differ mainly in the number of variables allowed in memory.
Econometrics, Statistics and Quantitative Methods (JEL C)
Standardizing the Data of Different Scales - Which Method to Use?
When you want to analyze this data to find patterns in it, you will often run a regression and look to compare the effect sizes (i.e., the coefficients) of each variable. But, before you compare effect sizes, you first need to make sure that your data variables are on the same scale so that they can be compared. Considering the example above, the effect of the two measures of reaction time on your dependent variable y would be comparable, as they are both measured in milliseconds. But how would you compare, say, the effect sizes of height and reaction time on y? To do this, you need to use a statistical technique called standardization. Confusingly, standardization can have several meanings, depending on the field. And to add to the confusion, others may refer to the same process as normalization, though we will introduce a separate definition for that. The general process we are talking about here (that normalization and standardization fall under) is the transforming of data of different types to the same scale so that their effects on the dependent variable y can be compared. Methods for standardizing data Standardization: calculating Z-score The first step in standardization is quantifying how much variance exists in your data. This is described by the standard deviation, which is calculated by working out the square root of the variance (the average of the squared deviations of each value from its average value). This will give you a number that represents variance, which you need for the next step. Once you know the mean and standard deviation of your data, you are ready to perform standardization. You calculate a z-score by subtracting the mean from each data point, and then dividing the difference by the standard deviation of the population. This means that each variable will have a mean of 0 and a standard deviation of 1, so you can compare your different variables meaningfully. Studentization However, economists never know the true population mean or variance (unless we have artificially generated the data set)! So, when you do this process of standardization, in most cases you will use your estimate of the standard deviation from your data in place of the true population standard deviation. This is called studentization. Note for advanced readers – standardization (and studentization) assume that your data is normally distributed, an assumption that must be checked. The z-score calculation yields transformed variables that are standard normal distributed with mean 0 and variance 1, but this only works if the normally distributed assumption is valid. Normalization Another option is to take your data points and adapt them so that they fall on a scale of 0 to 1. Confusingly, this is referred to as normalization, even though it is not related to the normal distribution. Some statistics programs can do this automatically for you. One big advantage of this method is that it lets you eyeball the effect sizes very easily, as it's intuitively obvious what the difference between a value of 0.6 and 0.8 is on a 0 to 1 scale, for example. The following formula shows how to normalize data: \begin{equation*} \mathit{X}_{\text{changed}}= \frac{\mathit{X}-\mathit{X}_{\text{min}}}{\mathit{X}_{\text{max}}-\mathit{X}_{\text{min}}} \end{equation*} However, scaling in this manner is sensitive to outliers. Depending on the method used, outliers may be dropped to prevent them from overly influencing interpretations of the other variables. This is an inefficient loss of data, so unless there is a strong reason for preferring the 0-1 scale, a z-score is generally sufficient for most purposes if the data is normally distributed. Note for advanced readers – removing outliers from data must be treated with caution. The reason why a data point is an outlier may be entirely valid, in which case removing the data point will cause your inference to be incorrect. This is a serious problem. However, if the data point is an outlier because of a data entry error or similar issue, it is safe to remove the data point. Check your outliers carefully before deciding how to handle them. Find out more To fully understand this topic and choose the right method for your data analysis, we recommend learning about the basics of statistics from an introductory textbook. INOMICS has also recommended several free online courses that you might find very helpful. If you’re ready to dive deep and get formally educated in economic statistics and other economics topics, check out our top program recommendations. Pro tip: you can filter the program listings for programs that include a statistics focus by selecting “Econometrics, Statistics and Quantitative Methods (JEL C)” and “Statistics” at the very bottom of the list. <11an>limit:3;categories:Master's Programs;disciplines:Econometrics, Statistics and Quantitative Methods (JEL C)</11an> You can also read up on papers by statisticians which cover these issues. Here are some references to get you started: - Everitt, B.S. Cluster Analysis. 1993. Third Edition. (New York and Toronto: Halsted Press, of John Wiley & Sons Inc.). - Gower, J. C. 1985. Measures of similarity, dissimilarity, and distance. Pages 397-405 in Encyclopedia of Statistical Sciences, Vol. 5. S. Kotz, N.L. Johnson, and C.B. Read, Editors. (New York: John Wiley and Sons). - Johnson, R.A., and D.W. Wichern. 1992. Applied Multivariate Statistical Analysis. 3rd Edition. (Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey: Prentice Hall). - Milligan, G. W., and M. C. Cooper. 1988. A study of standardization of variables in cluster analysis. Journal of Classification, 5, 181-204. - van Tongeren, O. F. R. 1995. Cluster Analysis. Pages 174-212 in: R. H. G. Jongman, C. J. F. ter Braak, and O. F. R. van Tongeren, Eds. Data Analysis in Landscape and Community Ecology. (Cambridge & New York: Cambridge University Press).
When you're doing data analysis, you might find yourself with a number of different variables to work with. For example, perhaps you have invited participants to your lab and run them through your experiment. You have collected data on variables such as the participant's age (in years), their height (in cm), their reaction time to a particular stimulus (in milliseconds), their reaction time to another stimulus (in milliseconds), and their rating of a preference (on a 1 – 10 scale).
The Role of INOMICS and Conference Monkey in the Success of esd Conferences
One year ago, 11 Academia Networks and esd Conferences started a cooperative partnership. So far, the partnership has brought copious benefits to both organisations that have contributed to their growth. Esd Conferences benefits from visibility to our audiences on INOMICS and Conference Monkey, as well as visibility in the midst of high quality information such as salary reports. At the same time, the cooperation has greatly helped 11 Academia Networks to expand our user network and build trust in our services. We asked Domagoj Cingula, the esd Conference Organizing Committee President, about his experience being an INOMICS and Conference Monkey Partner as well as about the success of his conferences. We have shared his thoughts below: About esd Conferences “esd Conferences” was the product of the idea of gathering scientists from all over the world to share their thoughts on economic and social developments, from different perspectives. Since then, the conferences have been a great opportunity for younger people for networking and improving their status in their professional lives. After their first conference in Frankfurt, the Varazdin Development and Entrepreneurship Agency, organiser of esd Conferences, set up more events worldwide (Paris, Belgrade, Vienna, Zagreb, Istanbul, New York, Miami, Bangkok, Barcelona, Varazdin, Split, Warsaw, Melbourne etc.) with more scientific institutions as partners and co-organizers. Now, there are more institutions and individuals who want to be included in the organizing committees, and more cities wanting to host the events, not only academic institutions. The Role of the 11 Academia Networks - esd Conferences Partnerships “It is not the same if you are doing something in the academic world “all by yourself” or if you have a strong partner standing behind you. Our partners often provide crucial resources to help us bring the quality of our conferences and publications to a higher level,” affirms Domagoj. The esd partners provide not only technical assistance with venues and catering of the events, but partners such as INOMICS and Conference Monkey have helped them collect high quality papers, build up their review system and helped them connect with more partner institutions. In addition to11 Academia Networks, esd Conferences are proud to partner with the City of Prague, University North from Croatia, the Faculty of Management at the University of Warsaw, John Naisbitt University from Belgrade, the Faculty of Law of the University of Split and, Victoria University, Melbourne, to name a few. The Contribution of INOMICS and Conference Monkey to the Success of esd Conferences At the start, esd Conferences started announcing their events by themselves. Due to the amount of work and lack of support, they started to use conference website support, among them INOMICS and Conference Monkey. “We find INOMICS and Conference Monkey to be the most complete platforms,” says Domagoj. According to his words, both websites offer a wide selection of services, they are both very easy to use and they register an increasing growth trend every month. “What can be better than having someone else finding your clients too? What I would also like to emphasize is that correspondence with their team is always quick, professional and of course, fruitful,” adds Domagoj. After starting the promotion on INOMICS and Conference Monkey, esd Conferences has received more and more inquiries. Moreover, after extra months of visibility, the conference organizers often began receiving some papers even during the “extended deadline” period. “One thing I like the most – the initiative of our partners (INOMICS and Conference Monkey) - was the idea to organize a small contest giving away a free ticket to our conferences. We hosted the winner of that contest at our conference in Prague; the young student was able to attend an international scientific even, which was a great experience both for the winner and for us as organizers. I realized that other delegates liked that and were very supportive to our winner”, explains Domagoj. Future of the Cooperation Thanks to the fruitful year of cooperation, esd Conferences will be happy to maintain this kind of partnership, even moreso to develop the cooperation towards contests. “Contests can be another opportunity for someone to attend our events more easily; mutual advertising is something we also love to support”, confirms the esd Conference committee president. “I have to say that we were very proud after our conference became a Gold Partner with INOMICS and Conference Monkey, and after we saw our name among other distinguished entities, like the American Economic Association for example. Now after our past publications (Books of Proceedings) are indexed in Web of Science (CPCI), EconLit (AEA), ABI Inform (ProQuest) and EconBIZ, we hope we have justified and surpassed the expectations of our delegates and partners”, concludes Domagoj. The expansion of INOMICS into new disciplines and the launch of 10 more niche platforms satisfying the needs of specific audiences opens the door to new institutions to become a 11 Academia Networks Partner. If you are interested in supporting the academic community and helping us grow together we invite you to send an email to info@11academianetworks.com and mention your idea for a partnership, we will evaluate your proposal and confirm the available options for your institution.
Since our inception in 1998, our mission has been to help students, researchers and academics advance in their careers while at the same time, helping institutions to improve their profiles, reputations and, recruit the best candidates for their offers. As part of our actions to fulfil our mission, we have initiated cooperative partnerships with universities, research centres and conference organizers with the aim of promoting research and knowledge exchange at the highest level.
7 Presentation Tools That Engage Students More Than Slideshows
Slideshows are a popular teaching technique, but they can suck the life out of students. Reading the text aloud doesn't hold students accountable for reading it outside of class. And it makes you look obsolete, since you aren't offering them anything they can't learn from a textbook. Besides, technology has gifted you with dozens of classroom tools that are way more fun for your students (and you) than a traditional slideshow. Here are a few creative options to get you started: Pear Deck Eliminating slideshows means you'll have to rewrite all your lesson plans to replace them. That's a lot of work, so rather than throwing your slideshows out all at once, transition slowly with Pear Deck. This slideshow app has cool features you'll never find in PowerPoint. Students use their mobile devices to distract themselves during traditional slideshows, so Pear Deck plays into that habit. It lets students access your slideshow from their device and follow along on their own. They can also interact with the slides anonymously, so shy students can "speak up" in class without the pressure of actually speaking aloud. The best part: you can collect the data after class to see how students interacted with your presentation and improve it for next time. Mindomo Mindomo takes classroom collaboration to the next level with software that lets you work with students to make "mind maps." Mind maps are visual representations that connect ideas and topics you've talked about in class. With its recording capabilities, Mindomo lets you add audio notes to explain a complicated concept. Students can also use Mindomo to outline group projects together. The software comes in a downloadable app, so your students can collaborate on their phones at any time. And after all that, it still has the ability to turn mind maps into slideshows if you really want. Presentation Binders Let's take a break from technology for an old school classroom tool: three-ring binders. Even the best students can be distracted; after all, it's tough for anybody to sit at a desk day in and day out. Giving them a tangible learning tool will help them harness their energy and give them an acceptable way to fidget. You can present your class with all the information they'll need at the beginning of the semester, or you can use binders as a cumulative tool. Ask them to add to the binders throughout the semester. This will encourage them to be responsible in collecting the latest handouts, and it gives them a convenient space to take notes. Twitter One problem with slideshows is they're too long—nobody wants to listen to you reading from a projector screen for three hours. Twitter is the anti-slideshow: it provides 140-character snippets that today's students love. And as it turns out, Twitter works wonders in the classroom. It's the perfect venue to remind your class about upcoming assignments and facilitate discussion. Students can also use it to ask questions or make their own observations about your class. Once you make an account and hashtag for your class, the sky's the limit. GoAnimate Today's generation is used to being fed a constant stream of video on social sites like YouTube and Snapchat. Even if the video is only ten seconds long, it's more engaging than a still picture because it requires viewers to use multiple senses. You can make your own videos using GoAnimate. This video-making app features scenes from a variety of industries, letting you edit them to be the most relevant to your class. You can even create characters that look like you or your students. WONDERBOOM WONDERBOOM is a portable Bluetooth speaker perfect for playing music in class. Its long battery life means the WONDERBOOM will work all day; you can even take it to your office and enjoy some tunes while you grade papers. Studies show that music can increase students' focus by covering up other potentially distracting noises like a ticking clock or a loud class next door. Even if you don't play music the entire time, letting students listen to one or two songs at the beginning of class will give them a boost of energy and get them pumped for the day. Wireless Microphones This tool is all about connecting with your students on a personal level. They'd rather hear from you than a projector screen—and a wireless mic makes sure they actually can hear you in a crowded lecture hall. When students can hear you better, they're more likely to interact during class. Another key to creating an interactive classroom: let your students do some of the talking. You may have the microphone, but that doesn't mean you have all the answers. Involve your students by asking them open-ended questions. You may not stick to the exact structure you had planned, but your students will bring up excellent points that encourage discussion and make them want to learn more the next day. Bonus Tool: Pranks Joe Dombrowski achieved internet stardom when he posted a video of himself pranking his students with an outlandish April Fool's spelling test. It's not the weirdest thing the teacher has done; another video shows him summoning students from recess, yelling "KA-KAW! KA-KAW!" in a giant bird imitation. The spelling test stunt landed him on The Ellen Show twice and earned him $10,000 that he spent on classroom improvements. Granted, Dombrowski is an elementary school teacher. But he might be on to something. Most college students (and professors for that matter) are secretly still kids at heart—and everybody needs a laugh to get through the rigors of academia.
College students complain about a lot of things—lack of sleep, dining hall food, and finals week, to name a few. As a professor, it isn't your job to address complaints about life outside the classroom. But if students take issue with your teaching style, it's time to listen up. One of their biggest gripes in the classroom: slideshows.
How to Make The Most of Your PhD - Tips For Beginner Doctoral Students
Get to know your fellow PhD students. Doing a PhD is sometimes a lonely experience, but it can also be a chance to meet like-minded people. Whenever possible, take the opportunity to get to know your fellows PhD students at lectures, department events, or social events. As well as being a good way to make new friends, you'll benefit from having people to talk to about your PhD experience and to turn to for help or advice. <11an>limit:3;categories:PhD Programs;disciplines:Economics</11an><o:p></o:p> Find out about the library, IT systems, and university administration. While there is a lot to think about at the start of your PhD, it will only get more busy as time goes on. So take a few days at some point near the start of your PhD to look into your university library and IT systems. Find out where the buildings are located, what kind of log-in information or card you need, and who you can ask if you run into problems. Also find out about the administrative arrangements and student support for matriculation, funding, and other issues. If you need to use these services later down the line, you'll be glad that you already know where to turn for help. Organise regular meetings with both of your supervisors. You need to make sure that you have regular contact with both of your supervisors. Specifics can vary between individuals, but generally you should see your main supervisor at least once every two weeks, and your second supervisor at least once per semester. Set up these meetings early on and be diligent about attending them. Do attend lectures, departmental seminars, and events. With so much pressure on, you might feel like you need to spend all of your time getting started on your research project. But you need to learn about your subject more broadly in order to become a good researcher, and you also need to get to know the other people in your department and university. So do attend extra lectures, departmental seminars, and events – particularly at the beginning of your PhD when you have more time than you will later. Have a plan, but be okay with changing it. When you start you PhD, you will need a plan of what research you are intending to perform, and the timescale in which you will operate. The more detailed this plan is, the better – for example, for a science PhD, try to think through each stage of literature review, hypothesis formation, experimental design, data analysis, and so on - and make a note of how long you think you should spend on each task. Do be realistic here! This is where it helps to talk to other PhDs or academics, as you can ask them how long certain tasks typically (recruitment of participants, for example, always takes far longer than you imagine it would). Draw up your timetable, however, also remember that this plan is subject to change. Perhaps you come up with a new idea, or your first experiment doesn't work out, and you need to change your plan. That's okay! Your plan should be a guideline, but you need to be flexible about how things work out. Look for training courses – especially for soft skills. Soft skills like oral presentation, essay writing, or supervision can be frequently overlooked by PhD students and supervisors alike. However, these skills are essential for you to succeed in your PhD and beyond, so you should make an effort to learn more about them. See if your university or graduate school runs training courses, and sign yourself up if you can – half a day to two days' worth of training on these skills can be incredibly useful throughout your career. Get a support system in place of friends, family, and fellow academics. Working on your PhD can be wonderful, but it can be stressful too! You'll need help and support from others to avoid burning out. Make an effort to get to know new people and to keep in contact with family, friends, and former co-workers to ensure that you have people who can give you emotional support when you need it.
When you start a PhD, there's a lot to think about – so here are our tips on what to do to make the most of your PhD experience.
What To Expect And How To Prepare For The Assessment Centre - A Guide For Economists
Assessments may last for from a couple of hours to several days, depending on the situation. The assessments you will take part in will test your job skills and knowledge to determine whether you will be a good fit for the position you are interviewing for. Written assessments The most common kind of exercise you will have to perform at an assessment centre is a written test. This will be similar to a written undergrdaute exam, in that it is a series of questions to be answered unaided within a limited amount of time. For economists, such written exercises may cover topics such as mathematics and statistics, factual knowledge on economic topics, or logic puzzles. The tests may ask you to write long-form answers to questions, or more commonly will ask for short-form answers, and some may even include multiple choice tests. To prepare for written assessments, you should revise in a similar way to how you would prepare for a written exam during your undergraduate study. Group exercises Another form of assessment used at such centres is the group exercise, in which you must join a discussion or perform a task in a group of around three to twelve people. While you perform the assessment, assessors observe the interactions and the contributions which each person makes to the group. These are challenging to prepare for, as each exercise will be different depending on the personalities, knowledge, and skills of the other group members. One common mistake that people make in such exercises is to be too quiet and reserved, and not to show off their skills and abilities. In order to be assessed well, you have to demonstrate your skills! However, you also want to avoid being too bossy or totally monopolising the group's time, as this will make you look out of touch and difficult to work with. One very useful technique in a group exercise is to take responsibility for keeping the group on track. In discussions, for example, it's easy for the focus of the group to wander away from the most important topic. You can suggest to the group that you re-focus, and help by summing up what other people have said and pointing out areas of disagreement or concordance within the group. This is beneficial for the group, as it makes it more likely that the group will achieve its objective, and it also shows that you personally are a good leader who can listen and work with others. Presentations Sometimes you may have to give a presentation as part of your assessment. On some occasions you will be asked to prepare a presentation in advance. In this case, you should follow the usual presentation advice to use a few slides with just essential keywords on them, to speak clearly and slowly, and to make eye contact with your audience. You may want to tailor your presentation to make it more suitable for a general audience, as the people assessing you may not be experts in your particular field. So make sure that you provide definitions for any technical terms which you may use, and start off with a general introduction to your topic. In other cases, you will be asked to prepare a presentation on the day itself. In this case, the most important advice is to give your presentation a very clear and explicit structure. Don't worry about trying to put too much information into the presentation, but rather keep it simple and to the point.
When you are applying for jobs as a graduate economist, as part of the application process you may be asked to attend an assessment centre. Assessment centres are a tool commonly used in recruitment for government jobs or for joining large companies with extensive graduate recruitment schemes. Typically, you will be invited to attend such a centre after a preliminary interview and before a final decision is made.
Everything You Need To Know About Summer Schools in the Czech Republic
Why apply to a summer school? Summer schools are short non-degree courses offered by universities to students who want to get ahead in their study field during the summer break. It is also a perfect solution for those who would like to gain some international experience but don´t have a chance to spend a full semester or more abroad. Last but not least, summer schools are a great opportunity to get to know a university or a certain subject before you choose it for your further studies. Summer schools are available in a number of different disciplines. This summer, for example, the Czech universities host summer schools focused on Architecture, Food tourism, Fabric patterning, Central Europe history and culture, Business administration, Creative arts or Drama therapy. Many summer schools are focused on culture and language of the hosting country and this brings a great added value in the form of local perspective and experience from the real life. In addition, summer schools usually offer ECTS credits for their courses too. Summer schools are not only about studying and gaining new knowledge but can bring you great experiences that go far beyond the average summer holiday. Social and cultural events with fellow students from all over the world are an important part of the curriculum. Students have a perfect opportunity to improve their language skills, meet locals, live in a different culture and much more. The favorable location of the Czech Republic also makes it easy to plan individual trips to other parts of Europe and explore further countries. Some practical details about summer schools The application deadline for summer schools offered by universities in the Czech Republic is typically the end of May but later deadlines might be possible, depending on the course capacity. The application process is easy and can be done by filling out an online form. Most often, the duration of summer schools at Czech universities varies from 1 to 5 weeks and the tuition language is English. Depending on the institution, programme and duration, the course fee can be around 500 – 1 500 EUR and it usually covers the tuition, reading materials and sometimes also dormitory-style accommodation. Besides, students should consider their travel expenses, visa fees, medical and travel insurance and living costs. In case of certain summer schools you can apply for a scholarship as well. This applies to the Summer Schools of Slavonic Studies. Summer Schools of Slavonic Studies The Summer Schools of Slavonic Studies offering Czech language courses are organised by several public universities in the Czech Republic, namely the Charles University, Masaryk University, Palacký University in Olomouc, University of South Bohemia in České Budějovice and the University of West Bohemia in Plzeň. These courses are designed for foreign students, teachers, translators and interpreters and other experts active in the field of Czech or Slavonic studies. Due to their broad scope they are, however, open to anyone else who is interested in the Czech language, literature, history and culture. The summer schools offer language courses at various levels of proficiency, seminars on the Czech literature, culture and history, free-time activities including theatrical, musical and dance performances, trips etc. Each year, the Czech Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport offers a limited number of scholarships for participation in this kind of summer school to applicants from specified countries. The applicants must be nominated by the competent authority in their country, which is usually a respective foreign government agency or the Czech diplomatic mission. The scholarship consists of free board and lodging, coverage of course fees and free access to cultural events which are part of the course programme. Advice and further information can be provided by the Czech diplomatic missions abroad or at the website of the Czech Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports. How to find your summer school in the Czech Republic Have you decided to come to the Czech Republic for a short study stay this summer? You can find a number of summer schools organized by Czech universities in the section Short (non-degree) courses. The list is not exhaustive and you will definitely find some more interesting study abroad courses at the websites of particular universities.
Would you like to spend your summer in the Czech Republic, learn a lot, make new friends and have fun? Many Czech universities organize their summer schools every year during the holiday period and you can choose from a diverse range of topics!