Can you tell us a little bit about your background and what brought you to UEA?
I am a macroeconomist with interests in International Finance, International Development, Financial Economics and Political Economy. I have worked in the private sector as a macroeconomic forecaster and I have taught at the University of Queensland in Australia and University of Nottingham, China. I have a Master’s and PhD degree in Economics from Washington University in St Louis, USA.
What are you passionate about outside of Economics?
Travel, Walking, Politics, Philosophy, Music and great food. I even like British food and I am enjoying exploring the pubs in Norwich since coming here!
What inspired you to pursue a career in Economics?
The wealth and poverty of nations. Why are some countries rich and others poor? In some ways, this is the oldest question in Economics. What makes it even more fascinating is that there is no conclusive answer yet. This is an active area of research. Please come and talk to me about it sometime! Additionally, if you are interested in social/public policy, it is hard to be effective without some economics knowledge.
What excites you the most about Economics at the moment?
The way economists today manage to use massive datasets to assess the efficacy of important social and educational policies. Big data is already having a big impact on the field of economics. And we are in the early phase with this. As economists, we can use the tools of our discipline to take a dispassionate look at controversial policy debates; like the US-China trade war and Brexit. That’s what makes economics so much fun!
What modules do you teach on?
For now, I am teaching International Trade and Integration. In the next semester, I will teach International Macroeconomics. Generally, my teaching interests are in International Development, Macroeconomics, Political Economy and International Finance.
What are you researching at the moment?
Economist often claim that “inclusive institutions” lie at the heart of long term economic success; countries that have inclusive institutions prosper, others don’t. But then what explains China’s superior economic performance over India? It is hard to argue that China’s institutions are particularly inclusive, even in comparison with India. I want to delve deep into the literature on Institutional Economics and focus on the types of Institutions that can foster development at different phases in a country’s economic life. This is a debate that encompasses History, Sociology, Culture, Economics, Politics, History of Science and Philosophy. It is also a long running debate. But economists study this issue using quantitative rigour and (wherever possible) using historical/natural experiments to answer these questions.
Have you ever worked with organisations outside of academia in your research/work?
I worked in the private sector in the financial services industry, I was a credit risk modeller and also did some macroeconomic forecasting.
What do you enjoy most about the School of Economics at UEA?
I am relatively new here, but I enjoy the collegial atmosphere. I am already making friends!
What advice would you give for students pursuing a career in academia?
Please don’t try to get a degree when you can get an education. The latter requires reading widely, developing a genuine sense of intellectual curiosity, willingness to cross narrow disciplinary boundaries and engaging the heart/emotions as much as the intellect.
What are you reading at the moment?
The title of the book is “A Culture of Growth: The Origins of the Modern Economy” by Joel Mokyr. Mokyr is a Netherlands born, American-Israeli economic historian.
What is your favourite place in Norwich?
Haven’t explored much, to be honest! The plantation gardens seem nice and the Norwich Cathedral is magnificent.