"The 23rd Carroll Round Conference was an incredibly humbling experience. Looking back, I became more aware of the research advances in various economic fields and witnessed how economic theories can be used in creative ways – for instance, in modelling baseball games. I also had the privilege of meeting a delegation of passionate student researchers, who kindly provided their feedback to my paper that modelled Singapore’s tourism growth using a Markov Switching Model. I found myself fully engaged in discussions on the intricacies of Markov models and ongoing developments in convergence, which further piqued my interest in the field of econometrics. The dual charm of the conference – a critical review of our work but a conducive learning environment, made the experience fulfilling and I would recommend it to the juniors who are interested in economic research. Finally, I would like to thank the department for sponsoring the trip and my dissertation mentor for his supervision, without which this would not have been possible."

"The three-day conference was packed and extremely exciting! Participating in the event allowed me to conclude my undergraduate studies on a high note.

The burst of curiosity and creativity within the discipline of economics was palpable, with participants contributing to economic research in various innovative ways. Some are "theorists", boldly stepped out of conventional methods, analyzing classical economic problems with new models. Others, including myself, considered ourselves "empiricists," applying economic concepts to untangle global challenges.

On one hand, it was inspiring to see some participants delve deeper into what people typically expect from economics. On the other hand, it was fascinating to witness how economics, as a flexible and open field, merges with other disciplines. My own research intersected with environmental studies and agronomy, while others explored connections with psychology, machine learning and statistics, health, and education.

As one of the keynote speakers, Professor Blanchard remarked, those who study economics often have a shared ambition to improve the world and address its challenges. It was a fascinating experience to observe the new generation of economic researchers, characterized by diverse interests, curiosity, and unwavering passion.

I had the opportunity to meet and befriend many brilliant minds. Their research, questions, and thoughts enhanced my own work and pointed me toward new directions for improvement.

I would also like to thank my home department, my supervisor Dr. Nduka, and RAE module leader Dr. Obeng. I would not have had the chance to bring my work to the Carroll Round Conference without their support."

"The 23rd Carroll Round Conference was one of the highlights of my academic experience at Warwick. Being surrounded by like-minded individuals, who share the same interest in economics, provided a medium through which I could be stimulated intellectually thanks to the highly technical nature of both the presentations and the conversations that followed. Being confronted with critiques and suggestions for improvement on my dissertation was both a challenging and rewarding experience. Conversing on the work done by everyone has developed a newfound interest in certain fields of economics, notably macroeconomic policy and machine-learning estimation techniques. The professionalism displayed by both the organisers and the participants cemented my belief in the importance of the research presented. The opportunity to talk to some of the most influential people in economics in Dr Wendy Edelberg and Prof. Olivier Blanchard, was a truly memorable experience as I gained an insight into the fundamental real-life implications of their pioneering research. Beyond academic benefits, I found great joy in socialising with students from universities worldwide which I would never otherwise have been able to do. The entire experience reinforced my desire to pursue further studies focused on economic policy, hoping to one day transition into institutional-type roles following the path of many Carroll Round alumni. I would like to send my heartfelt appreciation to Prof. Samuel Obeng, through which none of this would have been possible, and to the department for sponsoring such an eye-opening experience."