Almost 700 students and their teachers from high schools across south-east Queensland attended the UQ School of Economics Schools Day on Thursday last week.
The students were given an overview of UQ and the School of Economics as well as listening to five lectures based on the common theme of real life choices and how economics helps to decide the everyday matters such as love and marriage.
Dr James Laurenceson’s presentation on Dating and Marriage: what’s love got to do with it? was popular. Dr Laurenceson presented to a full audience and was inundated with questions.
“Economic theory can be used to understand some common real world decisions, such as why most people choose to get married around the age of 30,” Dr Laurenceson said.
“The rational evaluation of costs and benefits underpin the choices made when choosing a date or deciding to marry to the same extent they underpin the choices made by CEOs in a business context.”
Students laughed and argued with Dr Laurenceson as he convinced them to look beyond the feeling of love and encouraged them to consider that economic theory is a critical tool in the dating market whether or not we realize this.
Head of the UQ School of Economics, Professor Flavio Menezes told students that by studying at UQ they could work in Australia’s largest organisations and be sought after around the world.
Professor Menezes said that a Bachelor of Economics from UQ was a passport to some of the most stimulating jobs around the world.
“Economics is how the world works. With economics you can make any choice the best choice,” he said.
His presentation was on Climate Change and Australia’s Emissions Trading Scheme. It revealed how deep exploration of the economic concepts to manage short and long term management of Green House Gas Emissions will keep economists busy well into the future.
Each lecture explored the theme of everyday choices along with current global issues. The keynote address given by Mr Alan Duhs on Globalisation: Crises and Crunches stimulated ideas around trade and government’s control of trade and their impact on the Global Financial Crisis (GFC)
Dr Fabrizio Carmingnani discussed Australia’s trade and economic performance in relation to the GFC. Students examined the concept that Australia’s economy, although much smaller than many other counties such as America and Japan, is strong and resilient.
How Australia is responding to the GFC and the Australian governments ‘cash splash’ was discussed by Dr Bruce Littleboy. Dr Littleboy summerised the current situation in Australia by talking about job losses and private sector down turns.
The students enjoyed a BBQ and won prizes throughout the day. Schools Day gave the visiting students the opportunity to sample university life by exploring the surrounds of the UQ Centre and attend the mini lectures.
Doug Cave, President of the Queensland Economics Teachers Association said Schools Day was an important event that would assist many students when deciding which university they would attend to study economics.
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