About us | Economics Observatory (2024)

Core Team

Richard Daviesis an economist and heads up the ECO team. He is the author ofExtreme Economiesand writes occasional op-eds and journalistic pieces having previously been economics editor atThe Economist. An active researcher he is interested in using micro data to answer questions about the aggregate puzzles, including inflation, productivity, and wages. Richard teaches at Bristol University, is co-director of theBristol Festival of Economicsand a founding trustee ofCORE.

Romesh Vaitilingam is an economics writer and leads editorial work at the ECO. He is the author of several books and reports on economics, finance, business and public policy, including theFinancial Times Guide toUsing the Financial Pageswhich has sold over a quarter of a million copies since 1993. Romesh also works with the economic research and policy-making community, including the Centre for Economic Policy Research andVoxEU, the European Economic Association, the IGM Forum’s Economic Experts Panels and the Royal Economic Society.

Charlie Meyrick runs the ECO website and is manager of the Bristol hub. He also leads ECO's external engagements with London-based stakeholders. Having studied economics and mathematics at university, as well as completing a master’s degree in international development, he is interested in improving the communication and accessibility of economic research. He is a Research Fellow and Senior Associate Teacher at the University of Bristol.

Ashley Lait is the research editor at the Economics Observatory and leads on our regional work. She is also the Centre Manager of the Economics Network and an Editor for the Economic Review magazine for A-level students. Ashley is in the process of completing her postgraduate thesis which examines post-conflict negotiations in South Asia, having previously worked as a Research Assistant at King’s College London.

Dénes Csalamanages ECO’s data.Dénes is a researcher and thinker interested in exploring the language of data: visualisation. He holds an Assistant Professorship at Lancaster University, where his research is focused on modelling complex energy systems. He is also Visiting Assistant Professor at Babe-Bolyai University in Romania, where his work is centred around data visualisation and business intelligence.

Lead Editors

Abi Adams-Prasslis an expert on applied microeconomics, with a particular focus on consumer behaviour and family choice. She has also published research on the impact of Covid-19 on mental health in the United States, and is founder of the Covid Inequality Project. Abi is Professor of Economics at the University of Oxford, where she is also Associate Head of Department (Impact and External Engagement).

Tim Besleyis an expert in development economics, public economics and political economy. Much of his research on international economic policies, both in developed and emerging market economies. Tim also has first-hand experience as a policymaker, having been on the Bank of England’s MPC, and serving on the National Infrastructure Commission. He is School Professor of Economics and W Arthur Professor of Development Economics at LSE.

Jagjit Chadha is an expert on financial markets and monetary policy, as well as economic and financial history. This means that much of his research has been focused on money, inflation, interest rates and the banking sector, and how each of these areas has developed over time. Jagjit is the Director of theNational Institute of Economic and Social Research (NIESR).

Diane Coyle is an expert on digital markets, productivity and competition. She has extensively researched the role of new technologies in the economy, as well as wider approaches to measuring economic wellbeing. Diane is the inaugural Bennett Professor of Public Policy at the University of Cambridge, and a Director of the Productivity Institute and Fellow of the Office for National Statistics.

Huw Dixon is an expert on monetary policy and the measurement of the economy, including inflation and GDP. He has conducted research with the Bank of England, ECB, Bank of France as well as working with the Office for National Statistics on developing house price indices and the use of big data. He is Professor of Economics at Cardiff Business School.

Rachel Griffith is an expert on the impacts of government policies on firms, workers and consumers. This means that she has produced a large body of research on how different economic policies affect the functioning of markets. Rachel is also interested in improving the ways that economists communicate with the wider public, and in increasing diversity within the profession. She is Professor of Economics at the University of Manchester and is Research Director at the IFS.

Stuart McIntyre is an expert in applied economics and public policy, with particular interests in regional economics, labour markets and education. Stuart is Professor of Economics at the University of Strathclyde, as well as a Fellow of the Office for National Statistics, and a Research Associate at the Economic Statistics Centre of Excellence.

Michael McMahon is an expert on monetary economics, fiscal policy, business cycles, and applied econometrics. This means that a large part of his work has been focused on the role and behaviour of central banks, government budgets, and the economic cycle. As well as serving on the Irish Fiscal Advisory Council, Michael is Professor of Economics at the University of Oxford and a Fellow of St Hugh’s College.

Carol Propper has focused her research on increasing understanding of the factors that affect the production of public services, with a particular emphasis on healthcare. This means that much of her work has been centred around how governments design public services, and how they can be improved. Carol is Professor of Economics at Imperial College Business School, London.

Graeme Royis an expert in economic devolution, regional policy and the Scottish economy. This means he has done extensive research on economic policy in Scotland, having also worked as a government advisor for many years. Graeme is Dean of External Engagement in the College of Social Sciences at the University of Glasgow.

Rahat Siddiqueis an expert on economic modelling and policy development. She has worked on several research areas such as transport decarbonisation and the UK’s start-up ecosystem, as well as producing a six-part podcast called ‘All About The Money’, which was launched on BBC Sounds. Rahat is A Research Officer and HM Treasury Fellow at the LSE School of Public Policy.

Sarah Smith is an expert on charitable giving and pro-social behaviour. She is also an expert on gender and has worked on the impact of Covid-19 on the allocation of childcare. Sarah is co-chair of a campaign to promote diversity among economics students and set up a COVID-economicsblogtargeted at 6th formers wanting a taste of economics. She is Professor of Economics at the University of Bristol.

John Turner is an expert on economic and financial history. This means he has focused much of his research on how economic policies, banks and businesses have all evolved over time. John is a Professor of Finance and Financial History at Queen's University Belfast and is director of the Queen's University Centre for Economic History.

Editorial Board

About us | Economics Observatory (2024)

FAQs

About us | Economics Observatory? ›

The Economics Observatory (ECO) is a new project that bridges the gap between academic research, government policy and the general public. Our goal is to provide balanced and reliable answers to questions about the economy. We make it our mission to make these answers as accessible and engaging as possible.

What is the economics Observatory about? ›

The Economics Observatory (ECO) is a project funded by the ESRC that bridges the gap between academic research, government policy and the general public. The goal of the ECO is to provide balanced and reliable answers to the economic questions that Covid-19 and its aftermath will bring.

What is the economics course all about? ›

Economics is concerned with the creation, consumption, and transfer of wealth. The study of economics encompasses the major areas of microeconomics, which explores how people and firms produce and consume goods and services, and macroeconomics, which explores mass economic progress and inter-country trade.

Who is the father of economics? ›

Adam Smith is called the "father of economics" because of his theories on capitalism, free markets, and supply and demand.

What is economics according to Adam Smith? ›

Adam Smith's Definition of Economics

Adam Smith was a Scottish philosopher, widely considered as the first modern economist. Smith defined economics as “an inquiry into the nature and causes of the wealth of nations.”

Is an economics observatory credible? ›

The Economics Observatory (ECO) is a new project that bridges the gap between academic research, government policy and the general public. Our goal is to provide balanced and reliable answers to questions about the economy. We make it our mission to make these answers as accessible and engaging as possible.

What was the purpose of the observatory? ›

An observatory is a facility for observing or monitoring environmental conditions or phenomena on Earth or in space. Meteorological observatories examine the weather. Geophysical observatories research the movements of Earth's crust.

What is the highest paying job with an economics degree? ›

Top 15 Best Paying Jobs For Economics Majors 2024 (Inc Salaries
  1. Economist. ...
  2. Market Research Analyst. ...
  3. Financial Analyst. ...
  4. Actuary. ...
  5. Business Analyst. ...
  6. Accountant. ...
  7. Data Analyst. ...
  8. Research Assistant.

Is economics a hard degree? ›

Just as any major has its challenging courses, economics requires the study of complex concepts that don't often have black-and-white solutions. Within the discipline there is a wide range of topics from macroeconomics (the study of economy-wide issues) to microeconomics (the study of individual behavior).

Which degree is best for economics? ›

A bachelor's degree in economics is the minimum requirement for a successful career path in the field. Economics degrees are usually taught as a mixture of lectures and seminars. Economic degrees can be a Bachelor of Arts or a Bachelor of Science in Economics.

Who is the best economist in the world today? ›

The rankings
RankAuthorScore
1Andrei Shleifer National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER), Cambridge, Massachusetts (USA) Department of Economics, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts (USA)3.36
2Daron Acemoglu Economics Department, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Cambridge, Massachusetts (USA)3.94
99 more rows

What are the three laws of economics? ›

Adam Smith's 3 laws of economics are Law of demand and Supply, Law of Self Interest and Law of Competition. As per these laws, to meet the demand in a market economy, sufficient goods would be produced at the lowest price, and better products would be produced at lower prices due to competition.

What is the best book to understand economics? ›

Must Read Books for Aspiring Economists
  • Freakonomics, Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. ...
  • The Armchair Economist: Economics and Everyday Life, Steven E. Landsburg. ...
  • Naked Economics: Undressing the Dismal Science, Charles Wheelan. ...
  • Misbehaving: The Making of Behavioral Economics, Richard H.

What religion was Adam Smith? ›

Brendan Long argues that Smith was a theist, whereas according to professor Gavin Kennedy, Smith was "in some sense" a Christian. Smith was also a close friend of David Hume, who, despite debate about his religious views in modern scholarship, was commonly characterised in his own time as an atheist.

Who invented capitalism? ›

Adam Smith is often identified as the father of modern capitalism.

What is economics in simple words? ›

Economics is the study of how society uses its limited resources. Economics is a social science that deals with the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services. It focuses heavily on the four factors of production, which are land, labor, capital, and enterprise.

What is the observatory of economic complexity by Alexander Simoes? ›

The Observatory of Economic Complexity is a tool that allows users to quickly compose a visual narrative about countries and the products they exchange. Each of the different visualizations allow for different views of the same data.

What was the significance of NASA's Great observatory? ›

NASA's Hubble mission has revolutionized our view of the universe. One of NASA's Great Observatories, Hubble has peered as far as 13.4 billion light-years away, capturing images of everything from merging galaxies to nebulae where stars are born and much more.

What is the French Economic observatory? ›

'French Observatory of Economic Cycles'), often referred to by its acronym OFCE, is a prominent French economic policy think tank in Paris. It is mostly government-funded and hosted by the Sciences Po higher education organization.

Who runs the Observatory of Economic Complexity? ›

The OEC is currently designed and developed by Datawheel, but it began as a research project at MIT's Collective Learning group (former Macro Connections Group).

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