Souq Economics aims to create a platform where researchers from across the world can come together to disseminate their research as well as collaborate with one another to create new research. SE also envisions itself as a bridge between researchers in economics and policy-makers, resulting in the betterment of society.
Souq in Arabic means marketplace. Souq Economics (SE) views itself as a marketplace for the exchange of ideas in economics. The subject of economics has been evolving in response to challenges faced by countries of the world. The previous century saw the evolution of Keynesian economics as a way of managing floundering economies, an approach that gave way to more market-oriented approaches a few decades later. Two episodes of this century have similarly challenged economics. The first, the Great Recession of 2008, was sufficiently widespread and devastating to invite comparison with the Great Depression of the previous century. The discipline responded to this challenge with deep introspection at the way economics was taught and researched. The second episode, namely, the ravages wrought by the COVID pandemic, has upended most economies of the world and many are still struggling to recover from it. In response to this second challenge, economics has focused on policy prescriptions to alleviate the suffering faced by millions of individuals across the world. Research in economics, however, does not emerge only in response to specific events. Contemporary as well as long-standing problems continue to guide research in areas such as political economy, inequality, climate change, poverty, globalization, economic history, gender economics, institutional economics and public policy among others.
Souq Economics hopes to bring together research and researchers from across the world for the advancement of economics as a discipline. The research that will be of particular interest to the SE will be evidence-based research in a variety of areas including, but not limited to, the problems which stare the world in its face currently. Some of this research will be carried out in-house but SE will also provide a platform for researchers anywhere in the world.
The Souq will also bring on board policy makers and policy researchers to create a dialogue which will enhance policy effectiveness. Economics has always been open to collaborations across disciplines, be it politics, sociology or history, to name but a few. The SE hopes to carry this tradition forward and create a platform where various disciplines intersect. Apart from being a catalyst for generating research, it hopes to bring cutting edge research in economic and allied disciplines within easy grasp of all those who are interested in the subject.
Souq Economics proposes to develop and disseminate research in economics among the community in which it is located and also beyond. It intends to be an interface between researchers, policy makers and the public at large. Among the public, it will focus particular attention on those entering or hoping to enter the field of economics. New and existing students of economics will be a significant part of the intended audience. The SE hopes that it will be able to kindle a passion for economics among these new entrants to the field, a passion that has motivated researchers in economics around the world.
Head of Souq Economics
Professor Ajit Karnik
a.karnik@mdx.ac.ae
Professor Sheilagh Ogilvie
Chichele Professor of Economic History
All Souls College
University of Oxford
UK
Dr Jeremy Edwards
Emeritus Reader in Economics
Faculty of Economics
Cambridge University
Cambridge, UK
Dr Cedwyn Fernandes
Pro-Vice Chancellor, Middlesex University
Director, Middlesex University Dubai
Dr Shubhada M. Rao
Founder QuantEco
Mumbai, India
Dr Chandrahas Deshpande
Professor of Economics
Welingkar Institute of Management
Mumbai, India
Dr Cody Morris Paris
Deputy Director Academic Planning & Research
Associate Professor of Social Science
C.Paris@mdx.ac.ae
Pallavi Kishore
Senior Lecturer
Campus Programme Coordinator - Undergraduate and Postgraduate Accounting and Finance
p.kishore@mdx.ac.ae
Research areas that are of interest to the Souq are listed below but this list is by no means exhaustive:
- Climate change
- Covid and its impact
- Economic history
- Economics of development
- Financial economics
- Gender economics
- Globalization
- Inequality
- Institutional economics
- Political economy
- Poverty
- Public policy