alumni
Eye on Alumni: Laura Pérez '18
“In the first year of my PhD I realized that I had acquired a really strong background from my training at BSE that definitely has helped me a lot.”
Laura Pérez '18 (Economics) is a PhD candidate at Queen Mary University of London. In this Eye on the Alumni interview she shares how her Master's Degree at the Barcelona School of Economics helped her in her path towards the PhD.
After the master's at the Barcelona School of Economics, you started a PhD in Economics at Queen Mary University of London. Was that your idea when you applied for the BSE Master's Program in Economics?
Yes, that is so. When I finished the undergrad, I already had the idea in mind. This is why I took the BSE Master's Program in Economics and did the Advanced Track. I applied for the BSE Master's Program in Economics because I wanted to have a strong background in Economics before starting the PhD. I wanted to have a general background on main topics such as macroeconomics and microeconomics and this was the best program I could find for my aims. As you said, I started the PhD at Queen Mary University of London and I joined the applied micro group, where I am now doing research in political and media economics.
So, do you think the Economics Program helped you in your aim to undertake a PhD?
Definitely. Firstly, because it was a solid Master's Program from a prestigious institution. Then, there is the matter of the courses I had to take when I started the PhD. I did the master's in research, and realized that I had acquired a very strong background from my previous training at BSE that definitely helped me in the first year of my PhD. Furthermore, doing the master's at BSE totally convinced me that I indeed wanted to do a PhD in the future and I ended up in Queen Mary. So, the master's definitely put me on track, also giving me the necessary preparedness.
How was social life like during the Master's?
As I said, I did the Advance Track and the workload was very high. There were also tough courses. So, all the events that BSE organized for us were kind of like taking a breath of fresh air before continuing our study, and I appreciated these occasions a lot. For example, I remember we had much fun in the futsal tournament or in all food events that BSE prepared, such as the butifarrada and fideua. It was definitely a very good break between classes and for our study time.
How was your relationship with your classmates?
I still have a lot of friends from the Barcelona School of Economics. When we talk and remember our year at BSE, we always say that the master’s was tough but the fact that we spent many hours together in both the library and BSE study rooms made the year very nice. I think the social part of the school is key to make the year a very nice experience. We created super special bonds and we still meet each other from time to time.
Connect with Laura Pérez on LinkedIn
Learn more about the Economics Program and the PhD Track Program