4 outstanding schools in Europe for future economists

How can data help us understand the world?
Why is technology taking over jobs?
Why are some countries rich and others poor?

The questions above are just a handful of topics aspiring economists face throughout their studies.By studying how people respond to incentives, how they use resources, how they make decisions and solve challenges, economics is both a rewarding and challenging career.  A broad discipline, economics has never lost its prevalence in today’s world. As such, a role that crosses the varied modules of economics is everlasting. But since the tech invasion, innovative economists are needed more than ever.

“Today’s business reality is very different. We live in a world of bytes – and for the first time technology and commerce have collided in a way that makes data far more valuable than physical, tangible objects,” Visual Capitalist (VC) notes.

To truly thrive, aspiring and current economists must upgrade their knowledge with new data and must understand complex cyber systems that surround us all. They must evaluate the evolution of money, from gold bars to bitcoin, immediate transactions and global debt, as well as the seismic shift to more sustainable energy sources. Most predominantly, they must acknowledge shifting human geographies.

Source: Stockholm School of Economics

“Global demographics are always shifting, but the population tidal wave in the coming decades will completely reshape the global economy. In Western countries and China, populations will stabilise due to fertility rates and demographic makeups. Meanwhile, on the African continent and across the rest of Asia, booming populations combined with rapid urbanisation will translate into the growth of mega cities, holding upwards of 50 million people.

“By the end of the 21st century…Africa alone could contain at least 13 mega cities that are bigger than New York,” VC explains. Visualising the boom in emerging markets and keeping track of trends, your economic experience is bound to increase and your career prospects are set to excel. Now all you need is a dedicated and driven school of economics to support your education and keep your skill set relevant.

Here are four schools in Europe that are producing future-ready economists…

TOULOUSE SCHOOL OF ECONOMICS – FRANCE

Training future economists for today’s digital and environmental challenges, Toulouse School of Economics (TSE) at Toulouse University in France enables you to create sustainable and complex solutions.

Through a wholehearted approach, TSE encourages faculty and students to work together for the greater good. By combining its educators’ unique intellectual expertise with multidisciplinary Master’s programmes, TSE economists successfully pursue the answers to significant questions concerning scientists and citizens.

With the TSE Master 2 in Economics of Markets and Organizations (International Track) programme, you’ll obtain solid training in industrial organisation, regulatory economics and econometric, granting you the opportunity to examine the strategic aspects of a market, the impact of digital economy on a firm’s strategy, the identification of the determinants of its performance in a market, and more.

Alternatively, by opting for the TSE Master 2 Environmental and Natural Resource Economics (International Track) programme, you’ll acquire the tools to understand environmental economics, how biodiversity and ecosystems are modelled and measured, how you can measure the ecological and the economic value of biodiversity and ecosystems, and more.

Source: Toulouse School of Economics

More than 80 percent of the teachers at TSE are researchers. Among them stands Jean Tirole, Nobel Prize laureate 2014 and the first chairman of the school. Students benefit from regular discussions and access to their talks, as well as those of researchers at the Institute of Advanced Studies (IAST) – a sister multidisciplinary research institution of TSE.

With access to insightful initiatives and career-focused degrees, your time at TSE in Toulouse will be a proactive platform for your economics experience.

SCHOOL OF BUSINESS AND ECONOMICS, MAASTRICHT UNIVERSITY – THE NETHERLANDS

Conflict and co-operation, data-driven decision-making, learning and work and sustainable development are just a few of the core research themes that the School of Business and Economics (SBE), Maastricht University, establishing interdisciplinary solutions to today’s global challenges.

Built from a foundation of educational innovation, all of Maastricht’s Master’s degrees use problem-based learning, with an emphasis on skills development, problem-solving, group work, and self-directed learning.

Branching out from the School of Business and Economics at Maastricht is UMIO. Inviting students to take the lead and engage in more effective decision-making, to build dynamic connections and learn from a range of voices, developing innovative thinking and acting that expands your perspective – this is truly a great addition to your studies.

By enhancing your studies with UMIO events or projects, you’ll expand your business network and watch the way economics unfolds in the contemporary workforce today.

So, if you wish to stimulate your mind with interdisciplinary work that looks beyond boundaries to thematic commonalities and collaborative solutions, studying economics at Maastricht in the Netherlands is a really great choice!

DEPARTMENT OF ECONOMICS, UNIVERSITY COLLEGE LONDON – UK

At the Department of Economics at London’s Global University, two Master’s programmes grant students a thorough knowledge of cutting-edge techniques in theoretical and applied economics

If you choose the MSc Economics route, you’ll progress with powerful tools that are required to understand the rapidly-changing and uncertain modern world economy. Following three core courses, each consisting of four hours of lectures and a one-hour small group class per week, you’ll have plenty of time to reflect upon your learning and perfect your strategies.

The department also directs aspiring economists towards the MSc Finance degree. Jointly delivered by the Economics Department and UCL’s School of Management, you’ll experience a study of finance underpinned by a blend of quantitative and qualitative components.

Source: University College London

“The courses I took provided excellent training in economic theory. I would have never imagined that I would learn so much and would grow so much not only as an economist but also as a person,” MPhil Economics student Susana Parraga Rodriguez explains.

By adhering to the rigorous training in modern economics at UCL, you’ll gain essential knowledge and practice to pursue your career as a professional economist and for PhD entry.

STOCKHOLM SCHOOL OF ECONOMICS – SWEDEN

Did you know that this School of Economics (SSE) in Sweden first opened its doors to students 110 years ago, way back in 1909?

Ranked 25^th place in the 2018 Financial Times Business Education table, the school has since secured a global reputation for its economic excellence and unique business-community network.

To add to its year of celebrations of turning 110 years old, SSE Executive Education is also celebrating 50 years of practice and SSE Riga, The Corporate Partnership Programme and the MBA programme have their 25^th anniversaries.

In the Master’s Programme in Economics, SSE offers two specialisations for postgraduate students to invest their time into: applied economic analysis and international economics. Best suited for students with a strong undergraduate background in economics, this programme requires excellent analytical ability and ambition.

A leading advantage to a career in economics is that you can look forward to a wide range of possible roles in banks, consultancy firms, international organisations like the United Nations and the World Bank or government bodies, counties and municipalities.

Whichever path you choose to pursue, SSE will support you every step of the way.

 *Some of the institutions featured in this article are commercial partners of Study International

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