Economics - News

Economics students at the University of Ulster ALL graduate on the 30th of June.

Economics students at the University of Ulster graduate on the 14^th of December 2010.

Economics students at the University of Ulster graduate on the 1st & 2nd of July.

Law with Economics students graduate on the 1st of July.
Single Honours Economics, MSc Applied Economics & Politics with Economics students graduate on the 2nd of July.

Economics at the University of Ulster ranks 22nd in UK - 1st in Northern Ireland

Today's Guardian reports that Economics at the University of Ulster ranks 22nd out of 66 Economics Departments, just below Essex and alongside Bristol which was also joint 22nd.

The University of Ulster is above several "famous names" like Glasgow, Leicester, Manchester, Queen Marys College and Southampton with Queen's University Belfast coming 51st.

The value added score for the University of Ulster was a perfect 10, the percentage of students satisfied with our courses was 90% and the percentage satisfied with our teaching was 84.

A PDF version of the table is here while the article is here

Ulster Economist Elected to Top EU Role

Michael Smyth, Head of School of Economics, has been elected President of the ECO (Economic and Monetary Union) section of the European Economic and Social Committee, one the most influential organisations in the European Union.

The EESC is a consultative body that gives representatives of Europe's socio-occupational interest groups, and others, a formal platform to express their points of views on EU issues. Its opinions are forwarded to the larger institutions - the Council, the Commission and the European Parliament. And because it also scrutinishes draft legislation from the Commission and European Council it thus has a key role to play in the Union's decision-making process.

“This is a seat at the top table,” said Smyth. “As President of ECO, I will have access to all the key decision-makers in the European Commission and Parliament”

Smyth said that an early priority for his two and a half year tenure of the role is to establish strong links with influential think tanks and policy institutes throughout the European Union, to ensure that ECO and the EESC re at the forefront of thought and action in the fields of economic and social policy, rather than – as in the past – reacting to events.

He takes up office on October 1 2010.

PODCAST: Mike Smyth talks to David Young about his election as President of ECO, and shares his views on the current economic crisis facing Europe as Greece, Portugal and Spain have their credit ratings downgraded by the international credit rating agencies.

A University of Ulster professor has joined a United Nations expert group on social integration.

Professor Vani Borooah, from the Social and Policy Research Institute and the School of Economics, will address a meeting of experts at the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs, at its headquarters in New York, this week.
Professor Borooah will tell the expert group his recommendations for improving the capabilities and employability of the under-privileged in India. He says that his recommendations could be used as a template for disadvantaged regions of other parts of the world.

“The area that I will be addressing will cover how to develop policies to ensure poverty eradication and productive employment,” Professor Borooah says.
“It is important that disadvantaged and vulnerable groups have an equality of opportunity to develop in education, to improve their capabilities and employability.”

The address to the UN group will detail the need to increase the quality of education in India, particularly for the deprived, but also examine the need for improvement in health services and the need for land reform.
“It is important that those who work the land are able to own the land rather than just simply be labourers of the land,” Professor Borooah says.
“There are nearly 180 million people in the lower-classes in India who need to be brought into mainstream society, as there are strong class divisions in the country. This is however a universal problem, where many lessons can be learned for other countries.”

Professor Borooah also believes that the need for non-discriminatory and rights-based employment can be replicated in other places such as South America, where similar problems occur, and reform will help bring about greater social cohesion through integration.
He said: “Northern Ireland is a good example of this. It is a good example of reform that has taken place for fair employment and social integration which could prove beneficial to the whole society.”