Recent News

For the first time since 2020, the UW Office of Global Affairs hosted the return of the Study Abroad Fair. This typically annual event invites UW academic departments to represent and promote their programs and exchanges, and is very popular for students who are exploring their options to study abroad. The Department of Economics sponsors six bilateral exchange programs with renowned partner institutions across the globe – Aix-Marseille University in Marseille, France; Free University of Bozen-… Read more
2023 was an exciting year for research in the Department of Economics. We were the proud hosts of four conferences in multiple economic fields, drawing attendance from around the world. Several of our graduate students had the opportunity to present their research at these gatherings.  Research is a cornerstone of our graduate program, with many of our students presenting at seminars and conferences at UW and beyond. Presenting… Read more
The Department of Economics celebrated the retirements of three faculty members this quarter.  Professors Emeriti Robert Halvorsen, Haideh Salehi-Esfahani, and Michelle Turnovsky have each made a unique impact on our community. We spoke with them to learn more about their time at UW and their favorite memories from Economics.  Robert Halvorsen  Robert Halvorsen began teaching at UW in 1972. The courses he most enjoyed teaching were those focused on using economics to improve public policy,… Read more
The Department of Economics was proud to host the Econometrics and Optimal Transport Workshop from June 12-14, 2023. Optimal transport (OT) is the problem of transporting one distribution/shape of mass to another as efficiently as possible, relative to a given cost function. Thanks to its solid mathematical theory and recent breakthroughs in the development of efficient computational algorithms, OT-based… Read more
University of Washington is home to many opportunities for students to expand their learning outside of the classroom. Economics students have long been involved across campus, and we are proud to share some of their recent accomplishments.  The Undergraduate Research Symposium is an opportunity for undergraduates to share their research in poster sessions, panels, and individual presentations with the greater UW community.… Read more
The Department of Economics is proud to announce our 2023 Distinguished Alumnus, Wing Suen (‘88)! Wing will return to University of Washington to give the keynote speech at the Department of Economics graduation ceremony on June 6, 2023.  Wing earned his bachelor's degree in economics from the University of Hong Kong (HKU) in 1985, and his Ph.D. in Economics from the University of Washington in 1988. He… Read more
The Department of Economics is proud to announce that Grace Du, a senior studying Economics and Law, Societies, and Justice, has been named one of the Husky 100. This prestigious honor is awarded to undergraduate and graduate students from all three UW campuses that exemplify what it means to be a Husky. We had the chance to sit down with Grace and learn more about her UW experience and the impact of her… Read more
Join the Department of Economics for a seminar presented by Dr. Ramanan Laxminarayan (UW MPH ‘99, PhD Economics ‘99) on Wednesday, May 24 at 3:00 PM in Savery Hall 130. Space is limited, so please RSVP with this form. See the details of Dr. Laxminarayan’s presentation, “On The Value of Disease Surveillance,” below:  Abstract: Disease surveillance enables early detection and response to emerging infectious disease threats but the value of… Read more
Historian and Associate Professor of History Christopher Tounsel recognized the lasting impact of UW Economics alumnus Andrew Brimmer in his latest book, "Bounds of Blackness: African Americans, Sudan, and the Politics of Solidarity.” Check out the … Read more
In November 2022, UW Economics Professor Fahad Khalil welcomed Economics Nobel Laureate 2014 Jean Tirole to his alma mater, Dhaka University in Bangladesh.  As part of the Centenary Celebrations of Dhaka University, Jean Tirole was invited to give the 2022 Commencement Speech.  Fahad helped coordinate the visit.  Bangladesh is a major exporter of readymade garments, and Jean Tirole visited a large readymade garments factory outside Dhaka.  Along with the… Read more