The Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, has announced the winners of the 2025 IsDB Prize for Impactful Achievement in Islamic Economics. 

Victoria Vanasco is a Senior Researcher at CREI (Centre de Recerca en Economia Internacional) in Barcelona, Spain, as well as Adjunct Professor at Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF) and and Affiliated Professor at Barcelona School of Economics.As a newly tenured economist, she talks to Christopher Nash, Managing Director of INOMICS, about her career path. For readers currently working in academia with an ambition to achieve tenure, her experience offers valuable insight.

Prof. Reza Daniels has been appointed as the new Dean of the Faculty of Economic Management Sciences at Stellenbosch University in South Africa. His appointment comes after Prof Ingrid Woolard stepped down as Dean last year, with Daniels now set to lead the Faculty of EMS from November 1, 2025.

IntroductionAcademic advising refers to the process where appointed members of staff provide academic guidance, information signposting and other relevant non-academic forms of support to students to help promote their success and improve their overall higher education experience (Medernach, 2018).Its role has long been recognised as crucial for supporting students, especially those from under-represented minorities (Smith et al, 2009; Young-Jones et al, 2013).While practices across the UK and Europe appear similar in their foundations, the diverse nature of student cohorts suggests some different institutional priorities.At the university of Exeter, taking into account these different approaches, we introduced a handbook for academic advisors in the Economics Department. Here we share our experience.