Analía Bogado - Chevening Scholar

What motivated you to apply for the MSc programme in the Department of Economics at Warwick?

I am currently studying the MSc Economics programme at the Department of Economics at Warwick. What motivated me to apply was my goal of improving my knowledge and skills so that I can make a greater contribution to my work at the Central Bank of Paraguay and, through this, support economic policy decisions in my home country. Besides Warwick being one of the top universities in the UK for Economics, what attracted me the most was how the programme is organised. I liked the strong emphasis on the core subjects and the number of teaching hours, which gave me a solid background in economics. I also liked the flexibility to choose between Pathway A and Pathway B, together with a wide range of optional modules. This allowed me to focus on the areas that interested me the most, especially monetary economics, international macroeconomics, and finance.

Which core or optional modules have had the biggest impact on your academic or professional development?

The courses I took have been very useful for both my studies and my professional development. Macroeconomics B gave me the background needed to get the most from Monetary Economics and Global Finance. Through these courses, I gained a better understanding of how monetary policy affects the economy, both within and across countries. This knowledge will be especially useful for my work at the Central Bank of Paraguay and for my dissertation. I also chose Applications of Data Science because I wanted to improve my coding and data analysis skills. As these tools are becoming more important in economics, I believe they will be useful for both policy analysis and future research.

What did you gain from the experience of visiting the Bank of England?

As an economist at the Central Bank of Paraguay, having the opportunity to visit the Bank of England and meet its economists and policymakers was one of the highlights of my time at Warwick. Coming from a Latin American central bank, it was very interesting to learn directly from an institution we see as a role model, with such a long experience in monetary policy. One of the parts I found most interesting was the discussion of the Bernanke Review, especially the Bank's efforts to improve transparency and communication with the public. It was also valuable to hear how policymakers think about current economic challenges and how they make decisions in practice. Many of the topics discussed were closely related to what we studied during the programme and also to what I do at work, so the visit helped me better connect the theory from class with real policy work. Overall, the visit gave me new ideas that I hope to apply in my work. It also gave me a better understanding of how another central bank approaches similar challenges, and I believe this experience will be useful throughout my career.

How has being a Chevening scholar expanded your professional networks?

Being a Chevening Scholar has given me the opportunity to meet people from different countries and professional backgrounds. Even though we work in different areas, we share a common goal of using our experience to support the development of our home countries. This common purpose has made it easier to connect with other scholars and learn from their experiences. One of the things I have valued most is the sense of community. Besides the activities organised by Chevening, Warwick also provided many opportunities to meet other international scholars, including Commonwealth Scholars. Through university events and social activities, I was able to build connections with people from different backgrounds and learn from their experiences. I have also met people working in areas outside economics, which has given me different perspectives and expanded my network beyond my own profession. I believe many of these connections will continue after my time at Warwick and will remain an important international network throughout my career.