How do globalisation, automation, pollution, and artificial intelligence affect inequality? What is the impact of immigration on local employment? What are the consequences of an aging population? What are the economic and social consequences of the Covid-19 pandemic or environmental regulations? These questions relate to timely challenges with a clear need for data driven policy recommendations.
ECN425 will show how data can be used to understand and address some of the most important current economic and social problems. The course will give students an introduction to frontier research and policy applications in economics in a manner that makes the course suitable both for students starting a master degree in economics, as well as for students exploring economics as a supplement to their profile. The topics are guided by the UN sustainable development goals and provide an economist’s perspective on issues including equality of opportunity, work, education, migration, and pollution. In the context of these topics, the course will also provide a non-technical introduction to basic methods in data analysis, including causal inference and machine learning. The course will include guest lectures and discussions with leading researchers and practitioners who use big data in real-world applications.
The course is divided into five broad themes:
- Demographic change
- Inequality
- Pollution
- Globalisation
- Technological change