QE economists enjoy challenge of Oxford conference

Nine Year 13 boys started the School year with an opportunity to sample life at Exeter College, Oxford.

Accompanied by Economics teacher Sonia Strnad, the group attended a conference specifically aimed at Sixth-Formers, which was organised by the Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA).

“The boys enjoyed the intellectual rigour and challenge of the day,” said Mrs Strnad. “They attended four lectures, all focusing on different aspects of Economics. A question-and-answer session also provided an opportunity to inquire about Oxford and what it means to study there.” 

The first lecture was delivered by Dr Andrew Sentance, CBE, a Senior Economic Adviser to PricewaterhouseCoopers and former external member of the Monetary Policy Committee of the Bank of England. In his talk, he raised questions about monetary and supply policies and discussed where to look for solutions to re-balance the economy and kick-start growth.

Nicholas Wapshott, a prominent British journalist and founding editor of The Times Magazine, spoke of whether the business cycle of boom & bust is inevitable. Possibly best known for his 2011 book, Keynes & Hayek: The clash that defined modern economics, he brought to life the academic debates between the two highly influential economists.

This was followed by an intellectual ‘drilling’ from Professor Alan Morrison, Professor of Finance at the Saïd Business School, University of Oxford, and a Fellow of Merton College. His areas of expertise include bank regulation, investment banking and corporate governance. The final lecture of the day from Dr Steve Davies, the IEA’s Education Director, introduced an historical perspective. He highlighted key milestones in economic history and looked at the patterns of growth and decline over the centuries.

The boys enjoyed lunch in the college dining hall and coffee in the college grounds. They left with a generous selection of publications for further reading, courtesy of the IEA. “They all agreed that it was a really informative and stimulating day,” said Mrs Strnad. “The day gave the boys a flavour of what it would be like to study at Oxford and has fired them with enthusiasm to succeed in the selection process. We agreed that it is important not to limit their ambition, but to always believe that targets are within their reach.”