Departmental news

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.” 

Star PhD student Latifa Alsostad launches our new bookable outreach activity, ‘From Solar Power to Horse Power’, in celebration of National Chemistry Week

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

Congratulations to our faculty member Professor Andrew Oswald on receiving a prestigious honour of being selected as a Citation Laureate for 2022 by Clarivate Plc.

The award honours Andrew Oswald ‘for pioneering contributions to the economics of happiness and subjective well-being.’

This award recognises an exceptional citation record within the Web of Science™ - one that demonstrates research influence comparable to that of Nobel Prize recipients. For twenty years the Web of Science, now owned by Clarivate, has each year released a group of names a few weeks prior to the Nobel announcements from Stockholm. More than 60 of those individuals have gone on eventually to win the Prize in Physiology or Medicine, Physics, Chemistry, and Economics. This year, 2022, a total of 21 recipients have been honoured as Citation Laureates across the 4 disciplines.

Andrew Oswald is one of three recipients of this award, jointly, for their work on the economics of wellbeing (the others are Richard Easterlin of the University of Southern California and Richard Layard of the London School of Economics).

Andrew Oswald said:

“It's nice to receive this, most especially alongside my international colleague Richard Easterlin, who is now in his nineties and who helped begin the field in the 1970s. I am also pleased for Warwick and the Economics Department: for some decades they have allowed me to do often-unconventional types of research."

Oswald is Professor of Economics and Behavioural Science at the University of Warwick. He joined Warwick from LSE in 1996, and is currently a member of the board of reviewing editors of the journal Science.

Andrew’s recent research has included work on the empirical study of job satisfaction, human happiness, mental health, pain and the business cycle, labour productivity, and climate change.

Related Links

Professor Andrew Oswald's staff profile and his personal website

Clarivate Reveals Citation Laureates 2022 – Annual List of Researchers of Nobel Class

University of Warwick's Professor Andrew Oswald named as 'Nobel Prize class' researcherLink opens in a new window

Calling all Year 10 Science Teachers from any type of school, anywhere in the UK! Why not enter your pupils into the National Scientific Thinking ChallengeLink opens in a new window?

Congratulations to Dr Dani Pearson for making a difference in teaching, outreach and student experience.

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