A number of students reading for a Master of Science in Economics at the University of Malta today presented their proposals for research studies which will be concluded by September 2021. Chairing the symposium, Dr Briguglio stated that “students identified economics topics which are highly relevant and which they are clearly passionate about.â€
The proposals spanned various fields of economics including health economics, environmental economics, transport and energy economics, monetary and financial economics, macro economics as well as labour, housing and tourism economics.
There was particularly keen interest in the housing market, with students proposing to examine the link between this market and tourism, the links between consumption and housing prices as well as the role that such prices have on young people’s decisions to leave home. The determinants of wealth also featured as a topic for investigation.
Within the labour market domain, students proposed a sectoral analysis of the Beveridge Curve, as well as on studies on the response of wages to immigration and on the socio economic features of low income earners.
In the Tourism market, students proposed to employ google trends to forecast tourism as well as the impact of Covid on tourism – including local tourism. The Economic Impact of English Language Schools will constitute another study to be conducted this year.
In the domain of health economics, students proposed to investigate the impact of food taxes and subsidies to tackle obesity, the economic cost of antimicrobial resistance as well as the economic impact of legalising Marijuana.
Students were keen to assess economic impacts of various other proposals including the racetrack, the EU’s Energy Tax Directive, and the EU’s Farm to Fork strategy.
A number of students focused on consumer and household behaviors proposing to employ experiments and surveys to assess grocery-shopping preferences, consumer comprehension of energy bills, fuel consumption as well as electronic waste disposal.
The environment featured strongly in various other proposals too including those seeking to determine the value of the marine environment and the willingness to pay for management of the Blue Lagoon.
In macroeconomic domains, students proposed research to examine the response of stock markets to elections, the question of whether public sector spending generates more tax revenues, and the link between the shadow economy and tax incidence. Students also plan to tackle the response of Foreign Direct Investment to money laundering and corruption.
More broadly, students proposed to examine the links between human development and growth as well as an assessment of Wellbeing Indicators.
Dr Carl Camilleri, Head of Department of Economics commended the students for their effort and thanked the Malta Financial ¸£ÀûÔÚÏßÃâ·Ñ Authority for the kind offer to utilise their premises for this event.
