A Quick-Fire round from one of our top Behavioural Economists…
Can you tell us a little bit about your background and what brought you to UEA?
I got my PhD in Economics from University of Essex twenty years ago, and then taught at Essex and Aarhus in Denmark before coming to UEA as a lecturer.
What are you passionate about outside of Economics?
Family, current affairs, politics, running, photography.
What inspired you to pursue a career in Economics?
Curiosity – a desire to understand how the world works!
What excites you the most about Economics at the moment?
There are so many unanswered questions, and economics is becoming more accepting of new kinds of research methods and data for answering these questions.
What modules do you teach on?
I am teaching on our undergraduate second and year module, Behavioural Economics, which gives our students a solid introduction to this growing area within economics. We teach things such as what motivates people in work settings, what people find is fair and equitable when a surplus is to be divided, and how to promote cooperation within firms and organizations.
What are you researching at the moment?
One of my current projects is about measuring how willing people are to share their resources with others. Another project seeks to understand how the way people coordinate their actions depend on how much time they have to think and make a decision.
Have you ever worked with organisations outside of academia in your research/work?
I worked as a consultant for IFAD, the International Fund for Agricultural Development. This gave me insights into the conditions people in developing countries face.
What do you enjoy most about the School of Economics at UEA?
I think we are a School with a very good collegiate ethos, and where both teaching and research are highly prioritized and very well supported.
What advice would you give to a student interested in a career in Economics?
My general (sector-free) advice is to “look into yourself”, and try to find out what you like and are curious about, and then take modules that are related to those interests.
What are you reading at the moment?
I’m reading about machine learning and artificial intelligence in negotiation!
What is your favourite place in Norwich?
I like the many coffee places and pubs in Norwich.