Warwick Economics Summit 2014

Warwick Economics Summit 2014, which attracted students and speakers from universities across the UK and abroad, was well received by students and acknowledged as a success by organisers.

The keynote speaker was Eric Maskin, 2007 Nobel Laureate, whose talk entitled ‘How to make the right decisions without knowing People’s Preferences: Mechanism Design’ generated great excitement amongst the attendees.

Other speakers included experienced academics, professionals, politicians and media specialists such as Prof Ian Goldin (former vice president of the World Bank), Sir Richard Lambert (director of the FCO supervisory board and chancellor of the University of Warwick), Lisa Buckingham (former editor of The Financial Mail) and Dr Nasser Saidi (ex-Lebanese minister of economy and trade).

Topics ranged from the relevance of Keynes to Spectrum Auctions, covering a variety of subjects.

The sessions were interactive and saw active participation from students, who did not hesitate to express their views or to raise controversial questions.

The event was well organised and transitions from one speaker to another were smooth.

Tala Esber, first-year Economics student and a member of the organising team, said: “The Warwick Economics Summit weekend was such an incredible experience.

“But ensuring that this weekend would top last years was really tough. The team however pulled through and worked really well together. I’m really glad to have been part of the summit’s success and I’m really looking forward for next year!”

Internal tickets to the event were sold out in seven minutes, which is a record from last year.

Cecilia Covaleov, first-year Economics, Politics And International Studies (EPAIS) student, commented: “I really liked the summit this year and I was very impressed by the quality of the organization.  I especially enjoyed the diversity of views presented, which sparked thoughtful Q & A discussions.  Overall, I thought the summit was a great success.”

The Oscar Ball, part of the social program, featured performances by Music Theatre Warwick and was also successful.

Adam Brzezinski, first-year Economics student, summed up his experience: “The Economics Summit gave me the opportunity to hear a wide range of personalities give insights into their respective areas of expertise, areas that, for the most part, have previously been behind the horizon of my knowledge.

“Not surprisingly, Maskin’s speech was a highlight of the summit, but by far not the only one; the well-balanced juxtaposition of provocative thinkers with establishment economists, of critical journalists with optimistic financial advisors, of neo-classicists with Keynesians engendered an ever-exciting environment.

“I was very fond of the event and I am sure to participate in it next year.”