UBC Economics Student Association Global Markets Challenge

Description

I was tasked with assembling a team of economics students to address an international economic problem revealed at the competition's start. The challenge involved modelling global economic responses to exchange-rate volatility caused by U.S. dollar appreciation, and providing recommendations for international corporations and emerging economies — including analysis of trade alliances like BRICS.

Process

The team gathered data to develop an economic model capturing the core mechanics of currency, inflation, and growth in a free-market environment. We then identified where real-world data and events diverged from theoretical predictions, and used that divergence to refine the model.

Results

The team achieved second place among twenty competitors. What set us apart, in my view, was our ability to answer the judges' questions after presenting — it demonstrated deep understanding of our model, but more importantly, flexibility in, and not over-reliance on, that model.