Profiles
Undergraduate:
- James Bebbington
- Cheyne Cudby
- George Hollobon
- Hautahi Kingi
- Nond Maolanon
- Tere Rei
- Christopher Sissons
Postgraduate:
VIAF Programme:
Staff:
James Bebbington
Current BCA/BSc student
James Bebbington is currently studying towards a conjoint BCA (Economics & Money and Finance) with BSc (Computer Science). He has been awarded a prize for being top in ECON 201 (2007) and an NZUSA Scholarship.
James became interested in economics and finance after studying it at college and working for a few months in an Investment Department at the National Bank. He found studying at Victoria offered him many exciting opportunities, including participation in an overseas exchange to the University of California, Berkeley.
James feels Economics and Finance is important pretty much regardless of what job you go into. "Understanding finance helps you make wise decisions with your personal funds as well as giving you a better understand of what's going on with the finances in the company you work for. A knowledge of how the Economy works is also extremely helpful in that it gives you insight into why things are happening in the wider economy, and allows you to consider what changes could occur the future."
James advises new students that there are a wide range of broad topics in economics and finance - "giving as many a go as possible will help you to figure out where your interests might be. If there is some golden advice I can suggest it would be to work hard, but make sure you have fun. It gets more interesting each year."
Cheyne Cudby
Current BCA/LLB student
I studied economics throughout school and found it was something that came naturally to me. Although I did not initially start out majoring in economics, I decided I really enjoyed learning about the theories underlying our economy, and its relevance to everyday life. I decided to continue with economics after having a taste of it in the compulsory first-year courses and realizing how well it related to my career goals.
I also like that I have to really push myself in order to succeed. The programme can be challenging, but that also means that it is very rewarding. There is tough competition in both economics and law, but knowing you are among such a high calibre group of students is very encouraging. I am forced to keep on top of my game and feel I gain a lot out of my courses.
This summer I am going to take an internship with PricewaterhouseCoopers, working in the tax department, which I hope will help me decide what I want to do once I finish my studies. I am interested in working for the Commerce Commission, or for a tax or corporate law firm. The options are endless, which can make it hard to choose!
George Hollobon
Current BCA student
I have always had an interest in business and economics, as I believe the finance sector is the fastest growing and most influential sector of society, and is becoming more and more vital in the modern economy. I expect my Bachelor of Commerce and Administration majoring in Economics and Finance will be invaluable for a career within the finance industry.
Wellington is a great place to study and live. As well as a wide range of music and sporting events and a very cool culture, the city embraces style and innovation, which is important in the business world. In addition, as the seat of government Wellington hosts many major economic players, such as the Reserve Bank of New Zealand and the Treasury. Victoria's connection to these institutions has helped me gain a scholarship for Economics and Finance from the Reserve Bank of New Zealand.
My plans for the future include completing Honours and then travelling overseas to further my career in banking, possibly to London or New York. From there, who knows? Maybe I'll be the next Governor of the Reserve Bank.
Hautahi Kingi
Current BCA/BSc Student
Hautahi Kingi is currently studying towards a BCA majoring in Economics and Money and Finance, and a BSc majoring in Maths and Statistics. His many awards and achievements include the Victoria School Leavers Scholarship for Academic Excellence, Alumni Association Faculty Prize for top 2nd year in SEF, VUW Blue for Athletics, PriceWaterhouse Coopers Aspire Scholarship Programme, Maori and Polynesian Higher Education Scholarship.
Hautahi hadn't considered studying Economics before University, but became inspired by the relevance that economics and finance have to the real world, realising that there is never a newspaper where economics and finance don't feature. He believes economics in particular "can make a real difference today when issues such as world poverty and sustainable growth are more significant than ever."
Hautahi advises current students that while it's easy to get discouraged sometimes, especially in early courses, if you are genuinely interested in the subject it's important to persevere because there are so many branches and side topics to get your teeth into. "I don't think anyone enjoys every bit of economics and finance, but it's an awesome feeling when you do find that thing that interests you. Further, I recommend that you get a good handle on the online content that SEF provides, and don't be afraid to ask questions - that's how you learn."
Hautahi plans to continue with study at Victoria to complete his Honours year, then head to a graduate school overseas, either in the US or the UK - given the wide range of schools of thought in economics, he would relish the opportunity to look at them from different perspectives. In the longer term he aims to be part of an international organisation such as the UN, using economics and finance to help in addressing some of the issues we face.
Nond Maolanon
Current BCA student
When I was a young boy in Bangkok, my mother would take me to the stock exchange once in a while and made me wait while she did some trading. I thought it was extremely boring. However, as I grew up, I started to wonder what went on in the markets: how did they operate, and why do some people do so well in them?
I am now in my third year of the Bachelor of Commerce and Administration majoring in Economics and Finance. The programme has given me a solid foundation in the techniques used in today's markets as well as some knowledge of human behaviour. It incorporates mathematics, statistics and a touch of programming, with a heavy emphasis on the intuition behind the numbers, which is exactly what I was looking for.
Once I have finished my undergraduate degree I hope to complete my Honours in Finance. After that, I will either go into the workforce or continue with a Master's. I believe that it is always good to leave options open - a flexible plan is the best plan.
Tere Rei
Current BCA student
After 17 years as a policeman, Tere Rei decided to return to study and work towards a BCA in Economics and Finance and a BSc in Maths.
Of Te Arawa, Ngati Toa and Ngati Awa descent, Tere started studying part time initially, but then relocated his family down to Wellington so he could study full time. He always enjoyed maths related subjects and intended to return to study, but it wasn't until his wife began working in Wellington that he took the plunge.
Tere says that he has enjoyed his papers in Maths and Econometrics in particular, and is pleased with his grades. Whilst juggling study and family life, as well as work during the trimester breaks, has been a challenge, he is confident that the qualifications he is aiming towards will enhance his career.
Christopher Sissons
Christopher Sissons is currently studying towards a BCA/BSc. He has been awarded the SEF Prize in second year macroeconomics and a bonded merit scholarship. For Chris, learning about economics and finances is "learning about the nature of the forces that shape our economy. As everyone plays an active role in the country's economy, even if only by actions as small as deciding to buy one product over another, understanding these subjects helps us to make the most informed decisions possible for the benefit of ourselves and ultimately the whole country."
Christopher has found the range of areas he is studying within his BCA very useful: "By studying economics I have learned the basic theoretical relationships between economic variables. Studying econometrics I have begun to learn the practical tools required to test these relationships, and studying commerce in general I have learnt the power of information. It is amazing how useful economic information is."
Christopher advises new students to read the lecture notes before coming to class and come prepared with questions. "Asking questions is one of the best ways to learn, and participation marks can mean the difference between a B+ and an A. Ultimately, the best way to succeed is through preparation and hard work."
Christopher is aiming for a PhD in Economics or Physics, with a long term ambition of becoming Governor of the Reserve Bank. Completing an Honours degree at Victoria will enable him to apply for the Reserve Bank scholarship which includes an internship, an opportunity he describes as "a great foot in the door."
Paul Conway
Paul Conway completed his MCA in Economics with a thesis entitled 'Sources of Macroeconomic Fluctuations in New Zealand: A real business cycle perspective' in 1996 and currently works as an economist for the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) based in Paris.
Paul chose to study at Victoria because it is "in the capital and well connected with the various arms of government, it is an ideal place to study economics. It has a good reputation and its graduates are well regarded by prospective employers. In addition, Wellington is a vibrant and exciting city with plenty going on."
He advises future students to "be prepared to work hard. The range of interesting and important job opportunities for top graduates is excellent. Make sure you get a good overall grounding in the subject and learn the way economists think and approach problems. Then you will be well equipped to tackle a wide range of issues."
When it comes to future goals, Paul sees a wide range of opportunities available to him: "I don't mean to sound like a Miss Universe contestant but I would like to do interesting work that improves people's lives. I currently work on non-member countries, India in particular, and like to think I'm doing that now. I have no idea what I'll do in the future but I do know that economics has given me a powerful lens for looking at the world and that there will be interesting opportunities in all sorts of areas."
Eli Grace-Webb
Eli Grace-Webb completed a BCA(Hons) majoring in Economics, along with an LLB in 2006. He was awarded the Victoria University of Wellington Medal for Academic Excellence.
Eli found Wellington the ideal place to study. Big businesses and government departments means all the action is here. For him, "Victoria University was the obvious choice with an exceptionally high standard of academic staff, and strong links to the business community. Victoria has an active part of the economics and finance industry, and this really reflects in the depth and quality of their teaching and programs."
Eli found economics to be a particularly rewarding area of study. Combined with an LLB, economics provided a strong problem solving tool kit that he has put to good use time and time again. Having a career plan in mind helped him to focus on what Victoria had to offer and how the papers he decided to take would help him towards this goal in the long run. He strongly recommends being career focused from day one and advises students to "make as many contacts and networks as you can across all disciplines at Victoria because in a few years time these are the people you will be calling on to refer work and help problem solve."
After graduating, Eli worked as an analyst for Catalyst Strategic Advisors. His long term goal is to become a consultant in the UK or US, covering broad world issues such as solving poverty and restoring economic stability to volatile nations. One of the best parts of his work is when something pans out and solves a problem - "you really feel like you're contributing to something."
Andrea Lu
Andrea Lu completed her BCA(Hons) and is currently working on an MCA thesis titled "Assessing the performance of market power tests in electricity market." Originally from China, she has grown to love Wellington, and when it came to choosing a university she "saw no reason to leave when such a high quality institution as Victoria is located so centrally."
Andrea chose to study economics because "in the increasingly interrelated global economy it is more and more important to understand how markets interact in order to be successful. I feel that an understanding of the financial and goods markets will be of great assistance to me in getting a job that will help me to realise my aspirations. The financial sector is of growing importance in most modern countries and my studies in finance will allow me to gain access to this job market."
Her advice to prospective students is firstly that maths is very important for success in either economics or finance and she would recommend that students take some maths papers in preparation for postgraduate study in either of these fields. Secondly, students should not be afraid to approach lecturers as "the lecturers in this school are extremely personable, friendly and willing to help. If you ever have a problem with a class it is usually worth going to see the lecturer and most of them have an 'open door' policy towards their students."
She recommends students "always pursue the subjects which you enjoy the most. Studying a subject which you don't enjoy will only lead to disillusionment later on in your degree and it will be difficult to motivate yourself to study."
Andrea is now aiming for entry to an overseas doctoral programme and in the long term wants to achieve success and respect within the business community through her professional achievements and be able to comfortably raise and support a family.
Mike Wilkinson
Masters student Mike Wikinson has been presented with a goal setter award by the Rotary Club of Port Nicholson.
Mike, currently working towards a MA (Economics) thesis in Retail Payment Systeems, suffered serious injuries after being hit by a car while running. A participant in the Taupo based Ironman New Zealand competition, Mike feels very lucky to receive a Goal Setters award, and acknowledges that it reflects mulitple areas of his life: "Between Ironman, my MA thesis and my recovery from my brain injury , goal setting has been something of a theme in my life. It was awesome to win an award reflecting that."
However, he remains focused on the future: "At some stage soon, hopefully I'll have reached these goals. I am sure my life will bring new goals my way and I also hope that I'll enjoy the process of achieving them as much as I have for these."
Mike's thesis supervisor, Lew Evans described the award as "very well deserved. His advancement in so many dimensions in recovering from his accident is remarkable."
Steen Videbeck
Steen completed his MA with distinction in 2004. He chose Victoria because of "its ability to provide supervisors of a world-class quality. The School's excellent mix of experienced researchers, young and up-and-coming academics, and a steady stream of distinguished visitors, mean that it is definitely a great place to study".
Mia Dong
Mia Dong first came to Victoria in 2003 as part of a twinning programme with Nanyang Institute of Technology in China, completing a BCA majoring in accounting and finance. After graduation she worked in an Auckland based accounting role for two years, but coming from a family which strongly values higher education, and always being focussed on continually developing herself, it was perhaps inevitable that she would return to university.
Realising that finance was the area of study that was the best fit for her, she heard about the VIAF programme from friends and was attracted by the fact it was "about the real world"; she wanted to learn skills she could apply in real life.Mia studied for the Masters in Applied Finance fulltime, taking the minimum 18 months to complete. In her first trimester she was offered the chance to take the Advanced Corporate Finance class, a demanding course co-taught with an honours class. Initially she found the project, which involved research into power deal rates in Victoria, Australia, very challenging, but she pushed on through, telling herself "I'm not stupid", and it paid off. Mia considers successfully completing that project one of the best experiences of her degree, as it proved to her what she could do when she set her mind to it.
In her final year, Mia was offered part time employment by the programme as a sessional assistant, assisting lecturers in lab based teaching for two courses. She really enjoyed helping other students, particularly those from other cultures - as someone who had been an international student herself, she often had a good understanding of their perspective and could provide alternative ways of looking at problems.
Another important aspect of the programme for Mia was that it provided networking opportunities, and she made many friends and contacts. It was a former student of the programme who alerted her to an employment opportunity at her workplace, and Mia now works as a financial analyst for ACC, valuating ACC's financial risk in relation to employers in Accredited Employers Programme which offers large employers the opportunity to manage their own claims. Mia is now getting stuck in to this busy but fulfilling role, happy that all her hard work has paid off.
Chris Wilson
Chris Wilson completed the Master of Applied Finance in 2008 and is currently working as an Analyst for ASB Group Investments, which is a market leader in the KiwiSaver space and one of the larger NZ Funds Management companies.
Chris initially completed a BA(Hons) Economics & BComm Finance degrees at Otago University, and began his career as an analyst in a non financial services sector. He says that whilst he enjoyed the challenge of the role medium term he wanted the ability to move into a more traditional finance role, and the MAF offered him the flexibility to study whilst in full time employment.
He particularly appreciated the networking opportunities with people in different parts of the industry.
"With many people in the course taking papers related to roles it is an excellent opportunity to hear firsthand reports on how the different topics you are taught are treated in different organisations."
Chris initially found time management challenging, as the structure of the papers requires students to make the most of their time before attending classes and keeping up to date without the constant reminder of weekly lectures. However he found this to also be a strength of the course as it is good preparation for a work environment where the ability to manage time commitments and priorities is crucial.
Completing the MAF has made Chris confident that he has the level of skills he requires to continue on his current path without further training, but give the skills he has learnt during his study he is considering research based study in the future.
Eliki Boletawa
Eliki Boletawa was working for the Reserve Bank of Fiji as Acting Manager - Accounting under the Currency and Corporate Services Group when he started to develop an interest in financial markets. He chose to study the Master of Applied Finance at Victoria because of the flexibility to study areas of interest and the extensive industry experience of the lecturers.
Eliki found the programme allowed him to understand the mechanics of the finance world in a better and more practical way. It has changed his perspective on how to approach real situations in the finance world and the different methods or ways to solve them. Studying the Master of Applied Finance has given him first-class research, focused teaching and the opportunity to meet with motivated and global-minded students.
Like many full time students, Eliki found the block release format difficult to get used to initially. He recommends students prepare themselves well, and note down questions they want to ask. The programme was "intense but fulfilling" and Eliki looked to friends and classmates to help keep him focused.
Upon completion of his studies, Eliki returned to Fiji to join the Reserve Bank in June 2008. Initially he was attached to the Financial Markets Group with the newly implemented Payment System following the RTGS (Real Time Gross Settlement System) principle which is adopted by most developed countries in the world. Later he successfully applied for a position as Manager - Domestic Markets - a success he believes the Master of Applied Finance was a crucial part of. Eliki says that he is now confident with the knowledge and experience gained from the VIAF programme he can proudly state that he is "better able to deliver my responsibilities well and serve my country. The future for me is to help and contribute in anyway to lifting the standard of our capital market in Fiji into the next level."
John Randal
Senior Lecturer
When counting sheep won't help
It's strange what keeps people awake at night - too much coffee, a good book or perhaps noisy neighbours.
John Randal, a Senior Lecturer in the School of Economics and Finance, is probably one of a very few people in the world who can claim that estimating variation of heavily rounded stock prices can cause insomnia.
With a PhD and Master of Science in Statistics and Operations Research, John currently teaches Econometrics at stages 1-2 and Finance at postgraduate level, but he's also acutely aware this is only one small part of what the Faculty of Commerce and Administration has to offer.
"One of the best aspects of the Bachelor of Commerce and Administration degree is its variety - from highly mathematical subjects such as econometrics, to tourism, industrial relations and public policy. So much of what we teach is relevant to the world around us."
John's other research interests include tax evasion and stock price modelling, yet his research has enabled him to present at conferences on subjects as diverse as exchange rate exposures for New Zealand companies and how the 9/11 bombings affected tourism in this country.
"Sometimes it's not until you get involved in a subject that you see how broadly you can use something that at face value seems quite specific and complex."
A movie buff and a fan of mountain-bike orienteering and rogaining (long distance corss-country navigation for teams travelling on foot), John is a strong advocate of study/life balance.
"When you're at Victoria, don't forget to study a bit of life itself! Wellington is a great little city and Victoria is at its heart."