As the global economy faces unprecedented shocks, through a dire cost of living crisis, supply chain instability, rampant inflation, and political insecurity, it is more crucial than ever for policymakers to act decisively in order to protect those in need and promote prosperity. The work of the Business and Economics Policy Centre at King’s Think Tank understands and appreciates the necessity for policymakers to act. With that, we are excited to introduce our two topics for each semester: (1) Stabilising the International Economy, and (2) Development Economics in Crisis. In exploring these two facets of economic policy, we hope to provide a comprehensive picture of the uncharted territory that policymakers must navigate.
For semester one, we will be analysing the intersection between politics and the economy, through global political shocks. With the war in Ukraine, political uncertainty, and rising costs of living, the interconnected modern economy is in crisis. For the Business and Economics Policy Centre, we believe that the best way forward is through cooperation and multilateralism amongst states. Hence, for the first semester, we will be investigating the role of multilateral international economic organisations in stabilising global markets, in tempering ongoing political tensions through the promotion of commerce, and establishing economic security for all.
In our second semester, we will be taking a national focus, with an analysis of the essential role that developmental economics has in the contemporary policy landscape. It cannot be denied that sectoral shifts have massive political and social implications for economies. However, with ongoing crises of inflation, stagnating growth, and environmental degradation, development in economies around the world have an unprecedented and new set of challenges to face. Therefore, through our second semester, we will be tackling questions of inclusive and sustainable development, in a world bearing the weight of a massive economic crisis. In doing so, we hope to argue for a more sustainable and inclusive economic policy going forward.
These two topics, alongside our Policy Centre’s theme for the King’s Think Tank Conference, Growth and Inflation: The Future of Economic Policy, recognize the challenges that policymakers must face in a world of crisis and management. This year, we are truly excited to provide you with a greater insight into the contemporary challenges of economic policy, and how they can be overcome to create a more prosperous world.
Joaquin Magno
Director, Business and Economics Policy Centre
Our Policy Centre:
Joaquin Magno
Director
Joaquin is a second-year International Relations BA student, coming from Hong Kong and the Philippines. With regard to politics and policy, he is mainly interested in international trade and ensuring the integrity of multilateral economic organizations. Outside of his work at King’s Think Tank, you can likely find him going on a run, at the pub, or still struggling to adjust to British weather. Nonetheless, he is extremely excited to be leading the Business & Economics Policy Centre this year.
Kireyna Santoso
Editor
Kirey is a second-year Economics BSc student at King’s. She is mainly interested in issues concerning inclusive development and sustainability. You will often find her at the Maughan Library’s Round Reading Room or at The Shack with her daily dose of coffee. Outside her studies, she enjoys running and watching sitcoms.
Our Working Group:
Arushi Agarwal
Arushi is a 2nd Year Politics student at KCL. Her interests revolve around public policies affecting political and economic trends and situations. Recently, Arushi has been very interested in the economic and political impact of the Russia-Ukraine Conflict in the energy sector. In her spare time, she enjoys watching sports, walking around the neighbourhood, and clicking random pictures that she thinks look very cool.
Hinano Arai
Hinano is a first-year International Relations student, originally from Tokyo, Japan. Her interests revolve around the role international trade plays in the recent rise of protectionist policies and the move against globalisation. She is also interested in the immigration policy of Japan as a strategy to counter the years of economic stagnation. In particular, Hinano is keen to explore the ways in which the diverse community of immigrants can be effectively integrated into the homogenous society and help tackle the aging population.
Carly Kilgore
Carly is a postgraduate student pursuing an MA in International Political Economy. Originally from New York, Carly received her bachelor’s from the University of Richmond in Virginia. There, Carly was a double major in Leadership Studies and International Business and also minored in Latin American and Iberian studies.
Post-grad, Carly worked on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC. Carly left the Hill as a Senior Legislative Assistant, responsible for a portfolio of agriculture, commerce, defense, environment, foreign affairs, trade, and transportation policy.
David Neef
David is a master’s candidate in the International Political Economy program, focusing on policies regarding inequality, monetary policy, production, and the economics of war and conflict. Born and raised in Guatemala, and a proud member of the Kaqchikel, he and his family later moved to the United States where he attended the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, and later obtained his first master’s degree at Indiana University. He was previously the Assistant Director of the Blanco Public Policy Center at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. He is an avid outdoorsman and swimmer, enjoys reading history, creating playlists, and cooking.
Radia Mernissi
Radia is a third-year student studying International Relations. Her research interests are tied to her Moroccan background, through a political economy lens, she adopts dependency theory to the analysis of macroeconomic topics. In the field of policy, she is interested in the emergence of new tools like blockchain, labeled as “techno-saviourism”, that are increasingly mobilised by international agencies, alongside their intersection with traditional tools.