Winner – Trust Me
oskarbirol
April 17, 2018
Stian Sandberg explores the consequences of China’s proposed Social Credit System; a plausible future where trust is quantified. Imagine a normal day, except everything you…
The Cashless Society
oskarbirol
April 17, 2018
James Baghurst examines the rise of mobile payment apps in China Recent Chinese innovation in the financial services industry is another chapter in the long…
Zipping The Pocket
oskarbirol
April 17, 2018
Feiyang Shi discusses the motivations behind Chinese capital control policies and their implications on investor relations The last year has seen a series of Chinese…
Section Opener: Luxury
oskarbirol
April 17, 2018
Luxury is back in fashion! According to a recent study by Bain & Co, the global luxury goods market — encompassing both luxury goods and…
Runner-Up: Poland’s Fragile Luxury
oskarbirol
April 17, 2018
Robert Jacek Włodarski explores the unstable luxury goods market in Poland. When KPMG published a highly optimistic report on the £3.1bn Polish luxury goods market…
The Necessary Evil
oskarbirol
April 17, 2018
Michal Solcansky explores the economic logic behind conspicuous consumption and its societal benefits. When Thorstein Veblen first suggested that some people tend to spend excessively…
Ethical Consumption in the Millennial Age
oskarbirol
April 17, 2018
Lisa Suerken explores how millennials are making ethical purchasing decisions. Fairtrade, sustainability, corporate social responsibility, charity shops — the list goes on and on. In…
Section Opener: Happiness
oskarbirol
April 17, 2018
‘If you were a miserable poor person you’re going to be an equally miserable rich man’, is a cliché often cited by self-help advocates in…
Runner-Up: Coffee & Donuts
oskarbirol
April 17, 2018
Student explores the rise and fall of Krispy Kreme The Gamble Within most Krispy Kreme stores sits both an impressive feat of engineering and a…
One More Thing Money Can Buy
oskarbirol
April 17, 2018
Amber Murray ponders whether happiness has become the currency of our times. Happiness. Success. Fulfilment. Difficult concepts to pin down, and even more difficult to…
The Spending Bowl
oskarbirol
April 17, 2018
Lars Leimkühler looks into the ritual consumption that surrounds Americas favourite holiday. Super Bowl LII has been record-breaking in many regards as both teams accounted…
Consumerism: More Good than Bad?
oskarbirol
April 17, 2018
Henry Badger explores the multifaceted impact of consumerism on the wellbeing and evolution of our society. The word ‘consumerism’ has often been used to describe…
Section Opener: Technology
oskarbirol
April 17, 2018
Technological advances now occur at a blistering and (crucially) increasing rate. As consumers try to keep up with the latest gadgets, we will likely continue…
Seeking a New Path
oskarbirol
April 17, 2018
Sam Bacevich explores economic growth policy in developing nations. David Ricardo’s theory of competitive advantage demonstrates that trade increases consumption for participating countries — subsequently…
Planned Obsolescence
oskarbirol
April 17, 2018
An Evil Plot by Manufacturers or the Lynchpin of the Economy? – Blanca Sans. Would you believe that planned obsolescence is not as manipulative and…
Runner-Up
What is the Matter with Sustainable Consumption?
oskarbirol
April 17, 2018
Leo Čunderlík explores how climate change changes everything. We are on the precipice of climate change tipping points beyond which there is no redemption’ were…
Section Opener
Cryptocurrencies
oskarbirol
December 6, 2017
Introduction Blockchain, often synonymous with the term Bitcoin, has perfused into our quotidian economy since its 2008 inception by an anonymous person or group known…
In Consensus Algorithms We Trust
oskarbirol
December 6, 2017
Theodor Beutel discusses the potential of blockchain. Beyond Bitcoin First on the agenda is payment. Initially proposed in 2008, Bitcoin is both the oldest and…
No money, No worries?
oskarbirol
December 6, 2017
Vikram Parathalingam explores the socio-economic implications of a cashless society in the future. Imagine a world without physical money, where you go to a shop…
Bitcoin is no longer a currency
oskarbirol
December 6, 2017
Written by Student If you thought Bitcoin was a currency, perhaps one mainly used to buy drugs on the Dark web, you’d be wrong. At…
Cryptocurrency – An opportunity for change?
oskarbirol
December 6, 2017
Alec Edgecliffe- Johnson explores the potential of alternative currencies in amending the abundant social failings of the current financial system. In the wake of the…
Section Opener
Society
oskarbirol
December 6, 2017
The internet brings us together. From social media messaging to anonymous forums, the communication afforded by our online presence holds a huge place in our…
The Flat White Economy of Edinburgh
oskarbirol
December 6, 2017
Discover Edinburgh’s very own Flat White economy, a tightly knit community pushing the boundaries of the city’s tech landscape. The flat white economy, so named…
Online Revolution of Streetwear
oskarbirol
December 6, 2017
Matthew Boreman explores the online revolution that the streetwear and trainers world has undergone over the past few years. The world of trainers and street-wear…
eSports: A hidden gem?
oskarbirol
December 6, 2017
Peter Ly believes that as internet usage continues to increase, online games are rising to challenge our traditional perception of sports. Every sport has a…
Of memes and copyrights
oskarbirol
December 6, 2017
Wan Adzhar explores the complex interaction between memes and copyrights, and why copyrights can be unjustified, yet useful. Our world is largely informed by the…
AI: a look into the future
oskarbirol
December 6, 2017
Fanny Wu explores how AI affects future job structure, social inequality, and how we can better equip ourselves to embrace the ongoing challenges. Do people…
An Unusual Paradox
oskarbirol
December 6, 2017
Rhiannon Martin explores the hilarity and despair of Google’s top trends In 2016, the British public’s ‘how to’ Google searches sought to achieve happiness and…
Section Opener
Industry
oskarbirol
December 6, 2017
The digital age has dramatically shifted how industries of all kinds operate, disrupting traditional ways of working and paving the way for new ones. This…
Winner
Crystal Ball Policing
oskarbirol
December 6, 2017
Elisabeth Dietz investigates the economics of pre-crime policing. One day the police come knocking on your door and tell you that you are under suspicion.…
Healthcare’s New Frontier
oskarbirol
December 6, 2017
Frederick McElwee explores how the internet is revolutionizing Healthcare, Telehealth, and the integration of healthcare into the “Internet of Things” The internet will transform healthcare,…
Section Opener
Information
oskarbirol
December 6, 2017
In a famous contribution to the discipline of Information Economics, George Akerlof challenged neo-classical economic theory with his 1970 paper ‘The Market for Lemons’. He…