Departmental news

Once again, we proudly report on the publication of 14 student papers on the Warwick Monash Economics Student Papers (WM-ESP) portal which contains some of the most exciting undergraduate and postgraduate dissertations of Economics students from Warwick and Monash.

This is the fourth round of student papers published on the WM-ESP portal, launched in September 2021, showcasing now 56 dissertations which have been carefully selected based on their academic quality and originality. They cover a wide range of topics from all areas of economics, and focusing on some of the most pressing global issues that young economists are trying to understand and solve: inequality, poverty, the pandemic, climate emergency, obesity and healthcare, and many others.

We congratulate all the students selected and wish them every success in their future careers.

Below we feature six Warwick MSc graduates and their research papers:

In the next feature in our series focusing on our undergraduate entrepreneurs, we meet the team behind Butterfly, a new app taking flight on campus.

Alex Reid, Zain Mobarik and Josh Okusi (pictured above, left to right) are a team with an ambitious vision – they plan to “put the social back into social media” with their app, Butterfly.

Second year Economics student Alex and his friends were workshopping ideas for a new sorting algorithm Josh had developed. They realised that they had a bigger vision than simply ranking undergraduates according to their popularity – why not make an app that would help to bring digital friendships off the screen and into the real world?

Alex explains: “We all felt that social media has lost its way – far from being social, these days it is about passive scrolling and the consumption of entertainment, often far removed from our own day to day lives.

“We decided to create a social media app that is grounded in our community, with all the content shared on the app being relevant to the real lives of its users – and which puts the focus on enabling friendships in the real world.”

Butterfly is only available to users with a Warwick student email, which keeps the content grounded in the realities of campus life. As well as creating their profile pages – the Butterfly ‘Flashcard,’ – and posting thoughts and confessions, users can chat with their course-mates or explore societies and campus events before deciding to attend, taking a bit of the anxiety out of trying something new.

Regular giveaways and prizes keep the community engaged, and there are perks for registered users such as discounts. Alex says “We now have over 60 discounts at partner stores, exclusive to Butterfly users. Our partners now include Kasbah, Tenpin, Phat Buns, Royal Pug, and Boom Battle Bar Coventry.”

“We also have a fantastic partnership with Benugo,” Alex added. “Butterfly users can get 10 per cent off anything on the menu and we ran a competition last year where the app’s most enthusiastic users won a free meal with a plus one. That really captured our ethos of supporting students to grow their real-life friendships.”

Commenting on the app, first year student Sofia said: “Butterfly has completely changed my university experience at Warwick. It has built my confidence and encouraged me to go to loads of events.”

Since its launch in September last year Butterfly has been downloaded 3,000 times. Its creators have won Warwick’s Student Enterprise Competition and been accepted onto Google’s Startups for Cloud Programme.

The app is available in the App StoreLink opens in a new window and Google PlayLink opens in a new window .

In an occasional series focusing on our undergraduate entrepreneurs, we hear from Kartik Jambur, Warwick Enterprise Innovation Fellow, about his work to embed innovation and entrepreneurship at every level of the university and beyond.

Kartik Jambur (BSc Economics and Industrial Organisation) - Innovation Fellow

Currently in his second year studying Economics and Industrial Organisation, Kartik is one of six Innovation Fellows chosen to help promote entrepreneurialism and innovation across the University of Warwick.

As a fresher Kartik got to know Warwick Enterprise through working alongside them as part of entrepreneurship societies on campus. After meeting the previous cohort of Innovation Fellows at a careers fair hosted at The Shard in London he was keen to become more closely involved.

“I was instantly intrigued by the role,” Kartik says. “It seemed like the best opportunity to be at the forefront of the student entrepreneurship community at Warwick and help scale up the innovation culture. I’m excited to be making innovation accessible to students across the University.”

As an Innovation Fellow Kartik’s role includes raising awareness, liaising with departments, and promoting a range of events and challenges. He leads on building collaborative partnerships with Warwick’s student societies, and raising awareness of the resources available at the Warwick Innovation Space, housed in the Junction Building.

“A lot of students never visit the Junction except for exams and we’re working to change this,” he jokes. “Working with student societies helps me spread the word about Warwick Enterprise more efficiently. My goal is to connect students with entrepreneurial ambitions to the huge range of resources available to them.

“We have programmes and resources for students at every stage of the start-up journey. And we create opportunities to test those new problem-solving skills, such as the Warwick Secret Challenge, where students work to solve real-life problems that departments in the University are facing.

“I’d encourage everyone to take part in at least one of these challenges as they boost your ability to think innovatively and also introduce you to the whole enterprise ecosystem.”

Kartik credits his early years in Bangalore, “the start-up city of India,” for inspiring his passion for innovation and entrepreneurship.

“I was surrounded by entrepreneurship from an early age. Members of my family built their own companies and my interest in innovation was really sparked when some of them failed. This might sound counter-intuitive but it was that experience which taught me the importance of resilience and of critical thinking.

“The idea of building something of value from the ground up, and scaling it to the next level, is something that philosophically attracts me.”

Asked what skills entrepreneurs need, Kartik doesn’t hesitate. “Work ethic,” he says. “It is resilience and work ethic that distinguishes great entrepreneurs from good ones.”

Curiosity is also high on Kartik’s list. “You need to be curious about every single thing in your industry. It completely boils down to asking enough questions in your specific area that you become an expert. This is the best way to build credibility for yourself – when you stand in front of an investor they want to know whether you’ve put in the work and whether you are an expert in your market.”

Kartik believes strongly that his background in economics gives him an advantage when it comes to innovation. “I might be biased but I truly believe that no-one understands products and markets better than economists – this is the core skill that drives entrepreneurship and I’m looking forward to exploring the intersection between economics and entrepreneurship throughout my life.”

Warwick Enterprise

Warwick Enterprise was created in 2019 with the vision of promoting a culture of innovation at every level of the university.

The Innovation Fellows make a vital contribution to the delivery of this vision. The all-student team works to boost knowledge about Warwick Enterprise throughout the student and staff body. “Our focus is now on embedding innovation as part of the curriculum in every department,” Kartik explains.

“We want the University of Warwick to be synonymous with innovation and entrepreneurship, and to be renowned for our entrepreneurial culture. And we are expanding our reach by collaborating with universities across the UK and around the world.”

Kartik’s top tips for student entrepreneurs:

• The most important thing is to understand the resources available, whether it be through Warwick Enterprise, your department or through joining appropriate student societies.

• Take part in at least one of the innovation challenges like the Warwick Secret Challenge, the Global Think Tank, Ingenuity, society challenges or challenges run by individual departments.
• If you do have a start-up idea, speak to one of the Innovation Fellows or the staff at Warwick Enterprise to receive guidance and support to build on it and explore any funding opportunities available.
• If you want to build up your knowledge and skills, sign up for the workshops and take part in the Warwick Enterprise Pathways Programme.
• Make sure you attend student society events that are focussed towards entrepreneurship as you’re guaranteed to meet students who are equally interested in entrepreneurship and you’ll help strengthen the innovation and entrepreneurship community at Warwick.

Related content

Find out more about these opportunities at Warwick EnterpriseLink opens in a new window 

We're organising a bespoke innovation workshop for Economics students on 22 February 2023. Invitations will be sent out w/c 23 January 2023.

Two teams from Warwick Economics have been Highly Commended in the recent university-wide Excellence in Gender Equality AwardsLink opens in a new window.  

The Awards Link opens in a new windowwere created by the Athena Swan Self-Assessment Team and the Gender Taskforce to acknowledge commitment to equality, diversity, inclusion and sharing best practice. This year entries were judged by University Provost Professor Chris Ennew, the Chairs of Faculty, and Kulbir Shergill, Director of Social Inclusion.

The two Economics teams recognised for excellence in working towards gender equality were Dr Stefania Paredes Fuentes and the ‘Women in Economics: A Student Workshop’ Team; and the ‘Warwick Women in Economics International Women's Day Conference’ Team.  

The Women in Economics Student WorkshopLink opens in a new window was co-ordinated by Dr Stefania Paredes-Fuentes and a group of undergraduate students with the goal of hearing the student perspective on the debate on female under-representation in the discipline. During the two day event, students from 12 universities gathered in Warwick to present their ideas and to discuss the issues around the lack of diversity in the discipline. Outcomes from the workshop have included the ‘Economics for All’ guide with 7 Action Points to promote diversity in Economics, and the foundation of the Warwick Women in EconomicsLink opens in a new window (WWiE) society.  

The judges said that the Workshop “was a great initiative and event, which definitely demonstrated sharing good practice and meeting of the criteria for commitment to gender equality (and wider inclusivity) and delivering on a specific project.” 

The second Highly Commended Economics team was the 15-strong student team behind the 2022 WWiE International Women's Day conferenceLink opens in a new window. The IWD event was the society’s first in-person conference and attracted more than 80 attendees and 100 online participants. The aim of the day was to raise awareness of the different career paths available for female economics graduates.  

Milena Ermolenko, the society’s Vice-President, said “It was a huge achievement for the team to organise our society’s first large-scale in-person event and the high attendance confirms its success. The conference offered economics students a platform to raise their voice, ask questions about their degree, and become more curious about their future career prospects.  

“We are delighted that WWiE has been recognised for our contribution to equality, diversity and inclusion, and our commitment to building more inclusive environments and experiences through everyday behaviours at the University of Warwick.  

“The judges described our International Women’s Day Conference 2022 as ‘a successful and well-attended event.’ We intend to make it bigger and better in spring 2023.” 

Last week Warwick Economics students had a unique opportunity to meet with representatives of 19 organisations who were invited on to campus for our annual Careers in Economics Event to talk about internships and career opportunities specific to Warwick Economics students and graduates.

Professor Caroline Elliott, Deputy Head of Department (Teaching and Learning) opened the event by welcoming the employers and current students and wishing them a productive networking opportunity. It was good to see and chat with many of them, including our former students who talked about specific skills gained during their time at Warwick and how they apply them now in their current jobs.

As part of the event five organisations delivered short presentations about specific roles they were recruiting to, and highlighted the skills and experience they were looking for in economics graduates:

Cornerstone Research

Compass Lexecon

South West Water

NERA Economics Consulting

Competitions and Markets Authority (CMA)

The final part of this successful event was a keynote lecture delivered by John Burn-Murdoch, Chief Data Journalist at the Financial Times, on the topic of Quantitative Social Science in Action. This was hosted jointly by the CAGE Research Centre and introduced by Prof Mirko Draca, the Centre’s Director.

During the Covid-19 pandemic John became well-known for his clear and trusted analysis of the latest public health data, through charts and tables published on the FT.com website and also on Twitter. John’s work informed public debate and influenced decision-making across all sectors of the economy and public life.

Prof Draca welcomed John, speaking briefly about the challenge of misinformation in the public sphere and the need for high-quality analytical content to challenge it.

Taking the podium, John began with a simple question - Why do we make charts?

For John, charts are a vital tool because research shows that they can change people’s minds far more effectively than the written word alone. Done well, data visualisation is powerful and helps people make sense of complicated information.

John explained that a successful chart needs both numbers and words – well-thought-out text annotations, good use of colour, and clear titles help people read and understand the data.

The logarithmic scale proved a challenge to public understanding at the beginning of John’s COVID-19 series. John showed a sample of tweets challenging his work because the vertical scale was not uniform. Many people found this confusing and some thought it was a deliberate attempt to minimise the size of the pandemic. Taking advantage of the two-way nature of social media, John recorded an explainer video about what a log scale is and why he chose it – and was delighted when his followers began posting the link in response to puzzled tweeters.

John encouraged the researchers in his audience not to be afraid of bold headlines, citing a famous aphorism from “data rock star” Hans Rosling - ‘You have to be like the worst tabloid newspaper in the front and the Academy of Science in the back’

While COVID-19 has not gone away, John has turned his attention to the question of whether ill health is driving economic inactivity in the UK. He presented some snapshots of his work in progress and concluded with time for questions from the floor.

If you missed the talk, you can watch it on YouTube: Quantitative Social Science in ActionLink opens in a new window.

Warwick Economics graduates Victor Sosanya and Yijun Tang have been recognised for the outstanding quality of their research by the judges of the Global Undergraduate Awards 2022.

Victor (pictured receiving his award from Jim Barry, Chair of The Global Undergraduate Awards) was declared the Global WinnerLink opens in a new window in Economics, and Yijun the Regional WinnerLink opens in a new window (Europe).

The Global Undergraduate AwardsLink opens in a new window is an international academic awards programme that recognises originality, innovation, and excellence at the undergraduate level. It is open to all undergraduate students in universities, colleges and institutes around the world.

Victor’s award-winning paper was The Effect of Pre-University Work Experience on Graduate Wages. His supervisor was Dr. Eman Abdulla, Assistant Professor of Economics at Warwick.

In 2021, Victor was recognised as the UK’s 9th most outstanding African student by Future Leaders MagazineLink opens in a new window. Alongside achieving academic excellence and starting his career in banking Victor dedicates his time to delivering inspiration, encouragement and practical guidance through his podcast ‘ValuableLink opens in a new window’. His impact not only extends to the workplace and educational institutions but is felt in his local community.

Commenting on his award, Victor said:

“The countless hours spent in the library and with my supervisor were not in vain. I’m glad I had the opportunity to conduct independent research. But to be globally recognised for my efforts and research is truly humbling. To God be the glory!”

As Global Winner for Economics, Victor received a gold medal, a certificate of recognition, and an expenses-paid place at the UA Global Summit in Dublin. His paper will be uploaded to the Undergraduate Library, an open access library dedicated to the preservation and exhibition of all award-winning entries of The Global Undergraduate Awards Programme.

Yijun’s Highly Commended paper was Who entered the high-wage industries in China? The importance of network, hukou, and productivity factors. His work was supervised by Professor Abhinay Muthoo.

As Regional Winner, Yijun was recognised as the highest performing Highly Commended Entrant for the Economics category in Europe.

Yijun said:

“It has been a great honour to be chosen as the European regional winner in the Global Undergraduate Awards 2022. I'll build on this achievement and continue to work hard in the study of Economics and the research field. Also, I would like to thank Professor Abhinay Muthoo for his guidance and continuous support, and Professor Caroline Elliott, the module leader of Research in Applied Economics, for her insightful comments.”

Related articles

Economics student reaches final of prestigious global competitionLink opens in a new window - Yijun Tang was chosen as one of four finalists in an international competition organised by the prestigious International Atlantic Economic Society (IAES), published on 17 October 2022

Class of ’22 Economics graduate Yijun Tang was chosen as one of four finalists in an international competition organised by the prestigious International Atlantic Economic Society (IAESLink opens in a new window) to find and celebrate outstanding undergraduate research.

As one of the finalists, Tang travelled to Washington DC to attend the annual conference of the International Atlantic Economic Society (IAES) and present his paper to the judging panel.

Now in its 18^th year, the Best Annual Undergraduate Paper Award (BUPALink opens in a new window) competition is organised by the IAES to recognise and reward outstanding research conducted by undergraduate students worldwide.

Each year, the field is narrowed to just four finalists invited to present their research in person to the IAES conference audience of senior economists and finance experts.

Tang was the only 2022 finalist from a university outside the USA and presented his paper, Who entered the high-wage industries in China? The importance of network, hukou, and productivity factors.

As one of the finalists, Tang will see an 800-word summary of his research published in the Atlantic Economic Journal, founded in 1973 by the IAES to increase communication among scholars from different countries to encourage cross-fertilization of ideas and scholarly research.

Reflecting on his conference experience, Tang said:

'It has been a truly rewarding and fruitful experience to attend the IAES conference. I have had the precious opportunity to communicate with Economics scholars at other universities and receive constructive feedback on my research. Such experience helped me to gain a new perspective on my project and broadened the scope of my research.

“I would like to thank IAES for giving me this opportunity, and Professor Abhinay Muthoo for his guidance and insightful comments that allowed me to perfect this research.”

Professor Caroline Elliott, Deputy Head of Department (Teaching and Learning) said:

“On behalf of the whole Department I’d like to congratulate Yijun on reaching the final of this year’s IAES Best Undergraduate Paper Award.

“To be chosen as one of the four best authors from an international field is a significant achievement for Yijun and an ongoing testament to the high quality of the work completed by our students in the Research in Applied Economics dissertation module.”

Previous finalists from Warwick have included:

2018Link opens in a new window: Paul Noller, Evaluating the Credibility of the European Bank Bail-in Commitment, and Maria Polyakova, Child Marriage and Female Educational Attainment: an Investigation into a Complex Relationship, Using Nigerian Data.

2017Link opens in a new window: Gytautas Karklius The Effect of Central Bank Informal Communication on Bond Markets: The Evidence from the Bank of England and Yin Li Toh The Role of Land Wealth on Child Labour in Vietnam.

2016Link opens in a new window: Adam Brzezinski, Synergies in Labour Market Institutions - the nonlinear effect of minimum wages on youth employment. Adam was the overall winner in 2016.

2015Link opens in a new window, Hameem Raees Chowdury, Joint-Liability in Microcredit: Evidence from Bangladesh, and Virginia Minni, Can greater bank capital lead to less bank lending? An analysis of the bank-level evidence from Europe.' Hammem’s paper, won the competition and was included in the Atlantic Economic Journal.

17 October 2022

We are proud to announce that PhD candidate Ozge Demirci has won the Emerging Scholar Award for her research in diversity, equality and inclusion.

The Emerging Scholar Award is annually given to an outstanding early career scholar by the Diversity, Equality, and Inclusion Research Network, an interdisciplinary academic organisation connecting researchers from various fields, including economics, business, and computer science. This year's award was announced at the Network's Annual Conference held virtually in June. The award committee were impressed by the quality of work in Ozge's portfolio, her research agenda, and her dedication to the field of discrimination and diversity.

Ozge's research focuses on the intersection of discrimination and digital economics with applications to behaviour of individuals and firms. She investigates the role of information in overcoming discrimination, especially in digital technologies such as algorithms and digital platforms. She studies questions including whether removing group information such as race and gender can alleviate bias in the algorithms or whether people from historically disadvantaged groups can obtain better results on digital platforms by providing more information about their individual characteristics. Her research aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of the role of information in reducing discrimination digitally.

Ozge commented about receiving the award:

"It is an honour to receive this Emerging Scholar Award. When choosing to conduct research on discrimination and diversity, I strongly felt that this is an important subject with an impact. This award recognises that there is real interest in this issue, and I hope to see more research in this field."

We congratulate Ozge on her award and wish her further success in the future.

Find out more about Ozge's research

Dr Lory Barile, Associate Professor in the Department of Economics and Dr Bo Kelestyn from WBS took the lead in organising Warwick Sustainability Challenge, a project fully funded and brought to staff and students at Warwick by the Warwick International Higher Education Academy - Education for Sustainable Development (WIHEA ESD) learning circle. The project, developed in partnership with Coventry City Council, proved to be a great success in raising awareness about sustainable development.

The aim of the challenge was to bring together staff and students to co-create solutions to tackle a real environmental challenge in Coventry: how to increase the use of public transport in Coventry. Participants had to present their ideas to a panel of judges:

• Bret Willers, Head of Climate Change and Sustainability, Coventry City Council
• David Pipe, Senior Officer, Transport Strategy, Coventry City Council
• Dr Lee Griffin, Associate Professor, WMG
• Dr Lorenzo Lotti, Associate Professor, Institute for Sustainable Resources, UCL

Attracting around 70 participants, the challenge started with two 3-hour workshops to facilitate a collaborative approach and to provide initial support for each team. The challenge lasted for two more weeks during which time the teams had access to further support from experts in sustainability in the form of drop-in sessions or thematic resources, before submitting their final project in the form of an e-poster or a presentation, and a video.

The challenge culminated in a final showcase event held on 8 July at Scarman (Warwick Conferences) during which 5 shortlisted teams presented their projects and answered questions from the judging panel in front of a small audience of staff, students and visitors from local schools.

The winning teams were from WMG (1st Prize): Zixin Wu, Zixian Hao, Liuming Bao, India Palmer and Daniel Dillon; Team 8 (2nd Prize): Yiwen Gao (GSD) and Dylan Davis (PPE), and Sociology (3rd Prize): Saskia Wagner, Jamie Deane, Fikayo Falade and Ilina Joshi.

The Department of Economics, represented by a team of 5 with two students and three academic staff: Yara Aziz, Yingran He, Dr Atisha Gosh, Dr Andreas Markoulakis and Dr Samuel Obeng, was commended for the best use of insights and research.

Dr Lory Barile commented:

"As an Economist with a strong interest in environmental economics (and Module Leader for UG and PG Modules in Environmental Economics), I was pleased to see how this project provided an opportunity for us all, students, staff and external stakeholders, to deepen our understanding of the importance of sustainability and good environmental practice to create a better world. I was particularly delighted to see our students come up with some excellent solutions within such a short period of time.

"I hope that the Sustainability Challenge 2022 has enabled colleagues and students to engage in a critical discourse about environmental sustainability and will encourage more participants to get involved in future initiatives supporting education for sustainable development."

One of the student participants, Dylan Davis shared his thoughts about taking part in the challenge:

"Having the opportunity to co-create and present a shared vision with academics across the University to the Coventry City Council has been rewarding and has transformed my critical approach to sustainability. From developing my green skills to learning design thinking from expert students and coaches, it enhanced my creativity and initiative to think outside the box when solving genuine environmental challenges in Coventry.

"Taking a holistic approach when designing our idea and e-poster to present in 10 days was intense, but it only highlighted even more how crucial deep collaboration and time management were to the success of our project. Overall, my experience was immensely enjoyable, as I am thoroughly motivated to apply my new competencies in tackling the real-life challenges in a working and studying environment."

Further details about the challenge can be found on the Warwick Sustainability Challenge page.

End

Banner/Photograph credits (final showcase 8 July 2022): from left to right: David Pipe, Bret Willers, Dr Lory Barile, Zixian Hao, Zixin Wu, Daniel Dillon, India Palmer, Dr Lee Griffin.

Warwick Economics finalist, Aaron Lee (BSc, Economics, 2021), is one of the winners of the University's Outstanding Student Contribution Awards 2021 in recognition of his numerous achievements during his time at Warwick. The OSCAs recognise and celebrate the outstanding contributions of Warwick's students who not only excel academically, but also find the time to campaign for good causes, fundraise, start small businesses, and work with charities.

During the pandemic, Aaron founded LA Edge, the first integrated social consultancy and careers platform of its kind - an initiative which has been recognised by several prominent organisations. His platform provides pro bono career advice and peer support to disadvantaged individuals, redirecting them to situation-specific resources, both within Singapore and the UK. An impact-driven individual, Aaron has also found tremendous success in various leadership and mentorship roles on and off campus. He has graduated with a first-class honours degree and will be embarking on a career in investment banking.

We asked Aaron to tell us more about his recent achievements and here is what he said:

1. What is LA Edge and why you decided to set it up?

"LA Edge is the first integrated career services (LA Apply) cum social consultancy (LA Assist) platform of its kind in the world. LA Edge started as a passion project which sought to bridge the asymmetric information gap within the social welfare sector from which I had once benefited. Due to the lack of an aggregated platform for NGOs and welfare organisations, individuals who require help often do not know where to start looking. The Covid-19 pandemic gave tremendous impetus for LA Edge’s founding and provided an opportune moment for market entry during a period where more people were seeking support than ever before. Having been successful in securing several good internships and student committee roles, I had been approached by both friends and strangers for assistance in reviewing application material. I realised that starting a career services platform was not only an efficient and structured way to share my knowledge, but it was also complementing my non-profit work. LA Edge operates on a closed-loop revenue model where I channel profits generated from the former into the latter. This allows me to serve individuals across the socio-economic spectrum, whilst generating effective revenue."

2. Tell us a bit more about the social consultancy and career services platforms.

"LA Assist is a non-profit peer-support service which provides not only a listening ear, but also direction to situation-specific public and private welfare resources. Where appropriate, LA Apply career services will be extended pro-bono, to those deemed eligible.

Contrary to popular opinion, LA Assist does not cater only to those afflicted by adverse circumstances. Individuals who are looking to celebrate their achievements or simply seeking a sounding board are welcome too. Fun fact: LA Assist is partly inspired by Warwick Nightline!

LA Apply is a one stop, personalised career service which helps with career planning and job applications, for example CV creation and editing, interview coaching, and cover letter review services. Profits from LA Apply are funnelled into LA Assist which may be used to provide temporary relief to disadvantaged individuals, for instance in the form of food delivery vouchers."

3. Is this your first enterprise?

"No, but it is definitely the most successful one yet! Prior to enrolling at university, I had two online businesses. The first was a fashion store selling gaming and media related apparel (think Dota 2, Game of Thrones etc.) and I discontinued the business when I left for the UK. My other venture involved selling revision materials to high schoolers and providing general proofreading and editing services. The effort was not worth the pay, and I was receiving requests faster than I could clear them. I shut that operation down almost as quickly as it started.

I consider LA Edge an inflection point in my entrepreneurial journey. My previous ventures were hosted on online marketplaces and platforms; marketing then simply meant sharing links on my Facebook wall. With LA Edge, I had to take ownership of the entire business value chain. From aligning LA Edge’s strategic intent with its product portfolio, to sourcing for partnership opportunities; from embedding a payment ecosystem to learning about SEO marketing, I understood for the very first time why entrepreneurs do what they do."

4. What mentoring work were you involved in during your studies at Warwick?

"I volunteered as a senior undergraduate mentor for the Department of Economics, assisting with the integration of Economics first year students into University life. I also held mentor positions at Project Access and SEO London, providing prospective Warwick students UCAS application advice and assisting disadvantaged students with internship applications. I was also selected as the Economics course ambassador for the Singapore society where I provided both academic and general welfare advice to my Singaporean juniors, helping them maximise the international experience. Finally, as the business mentor for Warwick Incubator, I leveraged my entrepreneurial experiences to support the progress of the participating start-ups."

5. Why is mentoring important?

"Mentorship has at its core knowledge transfer from one individual to another. This includes both theoretical knowledge (subject-specific; ‘how to do this’) and what I term 'indigenous knowledge' (unwritten best-practices; ‘street’ knowledge). In my view, mentorship is not just important, but essential to thrive in any environment.

For the mentee, knowing the pitfalls and the best-practices of an organisation is non-negotiable when seeking success. Cultivating a good relationship with a mentor can also yield cascading benefits, since business is ultimately relationship-driven. The psychological benefits and the associated confidence boost from knowing that there is someone with a vested interest in your success cannot be understated.

For the mentor, mentorship is an excellent way to pay it forward. After all, what you now know you once learned from someone else. Mentoring someone, especially an individual from a disadvantaged background can go a long way in uplifting someone from their circumstances. The significance really hit home when my mentee from SEO London— which provides career assistance to students from low ethnic minority or low socioeconomic backgrounds—successfully landed an internship at a bulge bracket bank. Furthermore, mentorship can foster goodwill which can be advantageous to the mentor as the mentee advances up the hierarchy.

In my experience, the true value of mentorship is unlocked by cultivating a trusted, non-judgemental relationship where both parties can hold frank conversations and where constructive feedback can be dispensed. Perhaps the most beautiful thing about mentorship is that you are embedding a part of your legacy within another person, and that is truly special."

6. What are your hobbies beyond your studies?

"I consider myself someone with wide ranging interests. I enjoy sports, travelling, dance and simply hanging out with friends. I am always seeking out unique, fun and thrilling adventures to embark on. I’ve climbed Helvellyn on a whim, sat on UK’s fastest rollercoaster, watched five West End musicals in my first year and just recently watched a ballet for the first time. I dabble in day trading and am also a huge cinephile. I’m passionate about aviation and intend to take a private pilot’s license within the next two years. I love eating (sometimes too much) and have embarked on a quest to tick off the best restaurants around Europe."

7. What other student societies have you been involved in and which of these roles was the most rewarding?

"I have been involved in several clubs and societies on campus in various capacities. I was the junior executive member for the Warwick Consulting Society, the Finance and Sponsorship Officer for the Warwick Economics Summit (WES), Business Mentor for Warwick Incubator, captain of my society team for the Warwick Sport football league and a member of the Squash Club.

All these experiences have been rewarding in their own way, but if I had to pick one, it would be my stint in WES. Seeing the largest student-led Economics summit in Europe materialise from mere scribblings and PowerPoint slides was particularly satisfying. The summit was my first major achievement at University and my experiences in the society laid the foundation for my future leadership successes."

8. How would you describe your time at Warwick?

"Transformational. My time at Warwick was marked by many ‘firsts’. The first time snowboarding; the first time giving a lecture to a packed audience; the first time taking a road trip, amongst many other indelible memories. Studying abroad presented innumerable opportunities for personal development. Living in a foreign land is different from taking a vacation in one, especially in the UK—the nexus of Europe. It is easy to be overwhelmed by the myriad of different accents, the rhythms of the local jargon, but one eventually learns to distinguish. It is also easy to be overcome by the sheer demands of university life. You suddenly find yourself having to cook, to clean and to pay rent; to contend with the infamous trilemma of ‘studying, partying, sleeping’ - you can only pick two; to bash through the unforgiving jungles of spring week applications, of assessment centres; to deal with the realisation that adulthood is fast approaching, but one eventually learns to manage. Reflecting on my journey, I would like to think I’m a little wiser and a little worldlier than when I stepped onto English shores for the first time in my life, only three short years ago."

9. What advice would you give to those students who are starting their studies in October this year?

"Do not be afraid to step out of your comfort zone. While this advice is applicable to all, it is especially important to international students, some of whom I observe hang out exclusively with peers of similar nationality. It is my firm belief that staying within the same familiar social bubble, defeats the purpose of an international education. Immerse yourself in the rich tapestry of cultures on campus; pick up a new sport; take road trips; apply for that executive position; make the first move. As the saying goes, 'you miss all the shots you don’t take'. Trust me, it’s really not that daunting once you try it. I promise, more often than not, you’ll end up pleasantly surprised!"

10. Any other things you wish to mention?

"I would like to dedicate this award to the passionate teaching Faculty, my amazing friends and above all, my supportive family without whom all of this would not have been possible. My three years at Warwick have strengthened my resolve to leave a positive legacy wherever I go, and have served as a timely reminder that the best is indeed yet to be."

Links: Feel free to connect!

• LA Edge website
• Aaron Lee - Linkedin
• Aaron Lee - Instagram: @aaryleee