"I've enjoyed every minute of it!"
Reflecting on 40 years at Warwick
Wiji Arulampalam never planned to become an academic. She comments that her 40-year career in economics, complete with a string of accolades, 'just happened’. As the Emeritus Professor starts a new chapter in her life, it’s clear she’s seen her fair share of change, but her gratitude and positivity shines through.
Wiji and her family arrived in the UK from Sri Lanka in the 1970s. She comes from a close-knit family, and has always appreciated the sacrifice her parents made.
“They sacrificed a lot to bring us here” she explains. “They wanted to ensure all their children could receive a good education and go on to build successful careers. If it wasn’t for them, we wouldn't be where we are today.”
A passion for numbers
With a passion for mathematics and physics, Wiji chose to specialise in Econometrics.
She comments, “I never really had planned to complete a Masters – it just happened. Things just sort of fell into place. I feel very lucky.”
Wiji completed a Bachelors and Masters degree in Economics at London School of Economics (LSE), specialising in Econometrics and Mathematical Economics. Her early years at the LSE saw her working as a Research Assistant and later as a Research Officer at the Centre for Labour Economics (now the Centre for Economic Performance).
During this time, Wiji’s collaborations with Professor Stephen Nickell laid the foundation for her academic career, and together, they co-authored several papers. It was after encouragement from Professor Nickell and other colleagues that, after six years of full-time work, Wiji took the plunge and submitted her work for a PhD.
Every data point represents a story
When her close colleague Professor Nickell left for Oxford, Wiji decided to spread her wings too. She came to Warwick in 1984.
“Things were a little different and less competitive than they are today.” She reflects, “I had a three-year probation period, but it was very informal. There’s a lot more paperwork these days!”
That isn’t the only thing that has changed during Wiji’s tenure. The past 40years have seen monumental movement in technology. “At that time, we didn’t have computers or laptops – we had to do all our analysis on a mainframe computer which was sitting in the University of London Computer Centre. It was a powerful machine!”
By 1986, she had secured a permanent position at Warwick, marking the start of a distinguished career spanning four decades. Her early work involved statistical modelling and data analysis, a shift from the theoretical training of her student days. “I realised I really enjoyed working with large cross-sectional and longitudinal data” she explains, describing how “every data point represents a unique story”.
40 years of change
Wiji’s time at Warwick has seen remarkable growth within the Department of Economics. From less than 25 teaching staff and a modest MSc cohort in the 1980s, the department now boasts around 100 faculty members and hundreds of postgraduate students.
“You can see how big the department is and how the programme has expanded. Things have really changed.”
But, some change is bittersweet, as she reflects “Over 40 years, I’ve seen colleagues who were very good friends of mine and who had supported me, pass away. That’s the saddest part.”
Despite these changes, Wiji’s core ethos—finding joy in teaching, research, and collaboration—has remained constant.
"Things just fell into place.
I feel very lucky."
And, her contributions have not gone unnoticed. She is among the top 2% of highly cited researchers in the field of economics. Her work on unemployment scarring—a concept that highlights the long-term wage and employment disadvantages faced by those who experience repeated joblessness— gained renewed relevance during the COVID-19 pandemic. “It’s funny how something you wrote 20 years ago suddenly becomes important again,” she muses.
A supportive
family
Family has always been important to Wiji, since her childhood when her parents relocated the family to the UK to improve their opportunities. “Without a supportive family, you can’t succeed.” She reflects on how her late husband took care of their daughter when she had to attend and present at conferences, helping her to succeed in her career whilst raising a family. “It’s so important to have that work life balance.”
Now, as she prepares for retirement, she hopes to move to be closer to her daughter, who has followed in her father's footsteps and built a successful career as an emergency doctor in London.
For Wiji, happiness has been the compass guiding her choices. “I never had a master plan,” she admits. “But when opportunities came, I chose paths where I knew I’d be happy. I don't have any regrets.”
"When opportunities came, I chose paths where I knew I'd be happy. I don't have any regrets."
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