1.4 'Glasgow Real World Economics Society' (GURWES) Member and Events-coordinator:
Overview
At the beginning of the second semester at the University of Glasgow, I went to an event organised by the GURWES society after being encouraged to do so by a friend from my 1B Economics class. After participating at this event (5th February, 2014) "Development economics in context: One Size doesn't fit all" given by the guest lecturer Dan Gay (who also writes for various media and blogs at www.emergenteconomics.com) I was so fascinated by the teaching of Economics in this far more interesting and engaging way than our daily Economics lectures, that I became a committed member. I took part in not only many more organised presentations but also in many of the active debates that followed after the presentations. I strongly agree with the society that the neo-classical economics does not relate to the real world as well as it is said to, and thus this society gives students the opportunity to critically review and discuss economic theory that coincides with reality. GURWES does this through hosting guest lecturers, having workshops and reading groups. After showing my deep interest in this society, their way of teaching and the concept of pluralism, the society encouraged me to take a role on the board. At their AGM on the 26th of March, 2014, I was elected as Events Coordinator and I am now part of the board (see picture above taken of the board of all current members of the GURWES board) which will enable me to give back to the society what they have given to me by helping them organise more of these amazing guest lectures, debates and workshops, and to keep spreading the word of this incredible society. In section 4. Documentary evidence I have uploaded my speech that got me the position of Events Coordinator on the GURWES board.
To find out more, GURWES has a very informative Facebook group (GURWES facebook page).
Intended Learning Outcomes
Impact on university studies
Through the diverse organised lectures on various different aspects in the field of economics, I gained an insight and understanding to a much greater degree than the Economics lectures alone could have possibly provided me with. The hosted lectures ranged from controversial topics such as the secret to economic development, how paradoxical aid effectiveness is, why some poor countries get poorer and what organisations and governments can or should do to change this. All of these hosted lectures were very interactive, engaging and interesting, and therefore raised my overall interest in economics. Now, I enjoy studying economics much more and I even started doing a lot of my own research on aspects of economics that particularly interest me, especially in order to be able to participate in some of the many debates that almost always follow these interesting guest lectures. As a result, my devotion to economics has overall increased, I am much more knowledgeable in the field of economics and this knowledge and newly awakened interest in economics helps me to score better results in tests, pay more attention in the lectures, and do my own research on topics I would like further clarification on.
Impact on employability
If you are interested in Real World Economics, I have provided links below to interesting blogs and articles that I have enjoyed reading during my time with GURWES:
At the beginning of the second semester at the University of Glasgow, I went to an event organised by the GURWES society after being encouraged to do so by a friend from my 1B Economics class. After participating at this event (5th February, 2014) "Development economics in context: One Size doesn't fit all" given by the guest lecturer Dan Gay (who also writes for various media and blogs at www.emergenteconomics.com) I was so fascinated by the teaching of Economics in this far more interesting and engaging way than our daily Economics lectures, that I became a committed member. I took part in not only many more organised presentations but also in many of the active debates that followed after the presentations. I strongly agree with the society that the neo-classical economics does not relate to the real world as well as it is said to, and thus this society gives students the opportunity to critically review and discuss economic theory that coincides with reality. GURWES does this through hosting guest lecturers, having workshops and reading groups. After showing my deep interest in this society, their way of teaching and the concept of pluralism, the society encouraged me to take a role on the board. At their AGM on the 26th of March, 2014, I was elected as Events Coordinator and I am now part of the board (see picture above taken of the board of all current members of the GURWES board) which will enable me to give back to the society what they have given to me by helping them organise more of these amazing guest lectures, debates and workshops, and to keep spreading the word of this incredible society. In section 4. Documentary evidence I have uploaded my speech that got me the position of Events Coordinator on the GURWES board.
To find out more, GURWES has a very informative Facebook group (GURWES facebook page).
Intended Learning Outcomes
- Deeper understanding of economics and the applicability of economics in real life
- Understanding ethical issues and the importance of development economics and sustainability
- Social and cultural awareness and commitment to social issues
- Confidence to debate my opinions and views openly and receive constructive feedback
- Critical thinking and analysis
- Challenging assumptions/questioning information
- Seeking evidence for arguments
Impact on university studies
Through the diverse organised lectures on various different aspects in the field of economics, I gained an insight and understanding to a much greater degree than the Economics lectures alone could have possibly provided me with. The hosted lectures ranged from controversial topics such as the secret to economic development, how paradoxical aid effectiveness is, why some poor countries get poorer and what organisations and governments can or should do to change this. All of these hosted lectures were very interactive, engaging and interesting, and therefore raised my overall interest in economics. Now, I enjoy studying economics much more and I even started doing a lot of my own research on aspects of economics that particularly interest me, especially in order to be able to participate in some of the many debates that almost always follow these interesting guest lectures. As a result, my devotion to economics has overall increased, I am much more knowledgeable in the field of economics and this knowledge and newly awakened interest in economics helps me to score better results in tests, pay more attention in the lectures, and do my own research on topics I would like further clarification on.
Impact on employability
- Confidence to debate my opinions and views openly and receive constructive feedback - Through my participation in the debates that followed the guest lectures, I developed further confidence in giving my opinion and receiving constructive feedback from the other students, the GURWES members, or the guest lecturer himself. These debating skills and the willingness to learn from others are essential skills that I will use in my future career. It is an essential skill to have to be able to debate one's opinion, to think critically and to analyse important topics together with others in a polite and constructive manner. On top of that, my social, global and ethical awareness has been raised through the many lectures on sustainable development, development economics and even climate change. To succeed in a career in the 21st century, an understanding and commitment to social, ethical and environmental issues is highly important and therefore I will benefit having researched and learned about these real-life issues through these guest lectures and debates.
If you are interested in Real World Economics, I have provided links below to interesting blogs and articles that I have enjoyed reading during my time with GURWES:
- Great blog on "British Politics and Policy"
- "Economic models — chameleons and theoretical cherry picking"