Students of the Department of Economics at the University of Malta presented outlines of the research projects they intend to be working on during the 2016-7 academic year. In a seminar held at the Valletta Campus yesterday, students presented posters and explained the rationale and approach to their research.
Chairing the seminar, Dr Marie Briguglio noted that students had clearly understood that economic research needs to be original, scientific and relevant, and that the choice of topics captures some of the key priorities for policy intervention in the Maltese islands. Students found pertinent questions to ask in the fields of Transport, Health, Culture, Labour, Monetary, Financial, Real Estate and Industrial Economics, as well as on the economics of Growth and Wellbeing.
Students argued that there was a need to examine price effects on transport patterns, including by subsidizing public transport, and introducing parking meters. Others set out to examine the effect of lifestyles on productivity, the determinants of obesity and the demand for health services. The effect of governance on wellbeing, the effect of the financial crisis on growth, the phenomenon of negative interest rates and of asset purchases by banks were other topics which would be examined by students this year. Some students looked at specific markets, such as those for Malta-made products, for air travel and for cultural goods and services. Students also questioned why Maltese wages are low, and whether there is a property bubble.
Head of Department, Dr Philip Von Brockdorff, said that the standard of dissertations in economics has been considered positively high by external examiners in recent years. He augured that the work put in by the students would contribute significantly not only to the students’ formation but also to the department’s body of work to date.
Student posters may now be viewed during office hours at the Department of Economics, Faculty of Economics Management and Accountancy, Tal-Qroqq.
For further details/interviews please contact Dr Marie Briguglio by email.