Economics
Economics research at Surrey has a firm practical and policy-related relevance. Members of staff advise governments, international organisations and private companies both in the UK and abroad, giving the School of Economics a reputation beyond the academic community.
Research programme
Taught programme
Research Environment
The School of Economics enjoys a strong profile in research and teaching, confirmed by the last Research Assessment Exercise and good performances in national league tables and student surveys. We pride ourselves on the levels of supervision we provide, and on the friendly but highly effective research atmosphere.
Surrey economists produce a stream of books and refereed articles published in leading core and specialist academic journals. Postgraduate students are an integral part of the Department. You are encouraged and expected to participate in our active seminar series and other events throughout the year. We provide a shared office, complete with computers, for all full-time postgraduate students. You may also gain teaching experience by contribution to the teaching of undergraduate classes.
Key Research Areas
- Macroeconomics (Centre for International Macroeconomic Studies)
- Energy economics (Surrey Energy Economics Centre, RESOLVE – Lifestyle values and energy consumption)
- Health economics (Health Research Group)
- Applied microeconomics
- Microeconomics
- Labour economics
- Industrial organisation
- International trade
- Economic theory
- Applied microeconometrics
- Econometrics
- Financial Econometrics
Research centres and groups
Surrey Energy Economics Centre (SEEC)
The research of SEEC covers a broad range of economic issues arising in energy and related markets. SEEC has conducted research across the whole spectrum of energy economics, including the international oil market, North Sea oil and gas, UK and international coal, gas privatisation and regulation, electricity privatisation and regulation, measurement of efficiency in energy industries, energy and development, energy demand modelling and forecasting, and energy and the environment.
The Centre for International Macroeconomic Studies (CIMS)
CIMS focuses its research on open-economy macro-modelling and monetary/fiscal policy issues in particular, employing and developing state-of-the-art modelling techniques to achieve this. We are particularly well placed to engage with the policy debate that has emerged on how, in an interdependent world, monetary and fiscal policy, alongside new banking regulations and new monetary instruments, should be designed to support price stability and growth in the post-credit-crunch world. CIMS has a strong national and international network of collaborators which, among other things, supports its highly original research into macroeconomic policy in developing countries and the role of the ‘hidden economy’ in macroeconomic policy.
www.surrey.ac.uk/economics/research/groups/centreinternationalmacro
Applied Microeconomics
Applied microeconomics research at the University takes a variety of forms, including theoretical analysis of particular issues, empirical analysis (including collection of new data sets) and multidisciplinary research; in general, the emphasis is on theoretical and empirical analyses of ‘real-world’ problems and policy issues. Examples include labour markets, industrial organisation, regulation, business competitiveness, and crime and legal services. The Applied Microeconomics Group provides a focus for this research, via regular meetings and workshops to discuss research ideas.
www.surrey.ac.uk/economics/research/groups/appliedmicro
Health Research Group
The Health Research Group focuses on health economics and health services research. Much of its work is interdisciplinary and has direct practical relevance. The group has attracted research grants for evaluative studies and systematic reviews. Papers have been published in core economics and health journals.
www.surrey.ac.uk/economics/research/groups/hrg
Radio Communications Group
This unique group blends the study of radio engineering techniques and economics to examine the effects of different allocation methods for radio spectrum and the welfare effects of alternative communication technologies. Themes include spectrum auctions and trading, spectrum pricing and measuring the economic benefits of the more efficient use of spectrum. The group engages in a significant amount of multidisciplinary work and collaborates closely with the University’s Centre for Communication Systems Research, the Smith Institute (Oxford) and commercial organisations such as QinetiQ and Vodafone.
www.surrey.ac.uk/economics/research/groups/radiocommunicationgroup
Food, Consumer Behaviour and Health Research Centre (FCBHRC)
In addition to an understanding of the fundamental biological effects of foods and nutrients on health, there is a crucial need to understand consumer behaviour and choice of foods and to integrate these insights with those from the biological sciences.
FCBHRC offers a solution to integrate the social and biological sciences needed to address these crucial issues. The major driving force behind the research centre is the need to translate basic biological knowledge on food safety, diet and health in order to facilitate the improvement of people’s lives.
www.surrey.ac.uk/psychology/research/fcbh
RESOLVE
RESOLVE is a new and exciting collaboration located entirely within the University of Surrey, involving four internationally acclaimed departments: the Centre for Environmental Strategy, the Surrey Energy Economics Centre, the Environmental Psychology Research Group and the Department of Sociology. Funded by ESRC, RESOLVE aims to unravel the complex links between lifestyles, values and the environment.
Research Academics
Career Development
Following their PhDs, many of our students continue their academic careers, often in countries other than the UK. Others join government or private-sector research organisations or consultancies.
Links with Industry
The high quality of research at Surrey and its policy relevance has resulted in a record of success in attracting research income from the ESRC, as well as from the Leverhulme Trust, the Nuffield Foundation, the Overseas Development Administration, the British Academy and other donors.
The most important thing is the quality of supervision and the relationship that Surrey students build with their supervisors
Apostolos Pan Thomadakis
PhD Economics
I have heard people talking about the University of Surrey ever since I was a student in Greece. Two of my siblings did their degrees here, and they only had extremely positive things to say.
So when I decided to move to England and open new horizons in my academic career, the choice was obvious. I am now a second-year Surrey PhD student and my
research on contagion in financial markets is going really well. I have also just been accepted for an internship at the European Central Bank in Frankfurt.
This institution has proven to be one of the best experiences I have ever enjoyed. What I find really attractive is not just the beautiful campus and the vibrant
international environment, but also the academic staff and the excellent cutting-edge research.
The most important thing is the quality of supervision and the relationship that Surrey students build with their supervisors. It strikes a balance between the
freedom to be innovative and the encouragement to turn rough initial ideas into great gems of knowledge.
I serve as the representative for the PhD students in my School, and I was also a member of the Postgraduate Research Conference 2011 organising committee. To
relax, I make full use of the facilities at Surrey Sports Park. To make the most of being a Surrey PhD student, you need to be passionate, creative and take
advantage of all the opportunities that there are here. The journey might be a long one but the benefits to you are invaluable. The best thing you can do is to fasten
your seatbelt and enjoy it.