Faculty of Economics, South Asian University

Post-Session Insights | Alumni Speak with Ramandeep Kaur On August 23rd, 2025, the Placement Cell of the Faculty of Economics, South Asian University, had the privilege of hosting Ramandeep Kaur, Lead Analyst at American Express. She shared practical advice on moving from academic research to corporate careers. 📌 Key Takeaways : Sharpen Your Skills: A strong base in economics must be paired with constant upskilling. Stata supports research, but Python drives corporate analytics. Try and explore data science tools, GitHub, and Kaggle projects to showcase applied skills. Certificates vs. Experience: Certifications alone don’t stand out; real impact comes from projects and application. IBM, and IIT courses are useful when combined with hands-on practice. Classroom to Corporate: Along with theory, focus more on methods in action. Turning dissertations into portfolio projects that apply regression, cluster analysis, or factor analysis can make a strong impression. Interview Prep: Expect assignments, case studies, and technical tests. Consulting firms test guesstimates, while corporate roles look for practical tool use and applied methodologies. A heartfelt thank you to Ramandeep for her inspiring guidance and valuable insights.

Greetings from the Faculty of Economics, South Asian University! We are proud to announce the launch of our Placement Drive for the M.A. Economics Batch of 2026 and the release of our Placement Brochure. The M.A. Economics at South Asian University is a rigorous two-year program with a specialization in Economic Development, designed to blend intellectual depth with an application-driven approach. Students undergo training in microeconomics, macroeconomics, statistics, econometrics, and development economics, and advanced electives and a dissertation blending theory with practical application. Our students gain practical training in Stata, R, Python and MATLAB, with exposure to time series, industrial organization, and game theory. Through workshops, seminars, and alumni talks, they connect with real-world perspectives. Coming from across South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) nations, they bring diversity and sharp analytical skills, adept for careers in research, consulting, finance, policy, and data-driven sectors. We invite organizations to engage with our Placement Cell and explore the potential of this talented cohort. Kindly use the following email address- sau.economicsplacementcell@gmail.com For placement related queries, please contact: Gaurav Jain : gauravjain@students.sau.ac.in Meghmala Ghosh : meghmala@students.sau.ac.in Koshika Pandey : koshika@students.sau.ac.in #Placements #Economics #SAU #SouthAsianUniversity #MAEconomics #Recruitment #Hiring #Consulting #Finance #Policy #DevelopmentEconomics #DataAnalytics #Econometrics #Stata #Python #Placements2026 #FutureEconomists

Alumni Speak | Reflections on Careers and Professional Competence The Placement Cell, Faculty of Economics, South Asian University is delighted to host an engaging session with our distinguished alumna Ramandeep Kaur, currently Lead Analyst at American Express. With her rich corporate exposure, Ramandeep will share valuable insights on career building, competence, and navigating growth in the corporate world. 🗓 Date: 23 August, 2025 🕕 Time: 1 pm onwards A must-attend session for students aspiring to pursue careers in analytics, business, and the broader corporate sector. Looking forward to your active participation! For queries, contact: Gaurav Jain : +91 7065182298 Meghmala Ghosh : +91 9674467808 Koshika Pandey : +91 9451987106 #SouthAsianUniversity #AlumniSpeak #Economics #Careers #Competence #CorporateGrowth #ProfessionalDevelopment

Welcoming the MA Economics Batch of 2025-27 ! The Faculty of Economics at South Asian University held an engaging orientation today to mark the beginning of their academic journey. Here's to a future filled with learning, growth, and opportunities. #SouthAsianUniversity #Economics #OrientationDay #FutureEconomists #HigherEducation

Post-session Insights | Alumni Speaks with Pratyoosh Kashyap On August 2nd, 2025, the Placement Cell of the Faculty of Economics, South Asian University was honoured to host an interactive session with our esteemed alumnus, Pratyoosh Kashyap, who is currently serving as a Research Scientist at Virginia Tech’s Department of Agricultural and Applied Economics. During the session, he recounted his journey and insights with students aspiring to pursue a PhD abroad. Significant Takeaways from the Session: 1. Searching the Right Fit: During selection process it’s essential to consider departmental strengths, faculty research, and overall student experience, rather than rankings alone. 2. SOP & LOR Support: Draft your SOPs around clear research interests and in alignment with the department goals. Personal journey matters but academic focus is key. Strong faculty recommendations (LORs) also make a difference. 3. Funding & Scholarships: PhD programs in the U.S. often come with funding support (stipends, TA/RA roles, or fee waivers). However, competition is high. Start early for funding (explore RA/TA roles, University Grants Commission (UGC)-NET, TATA scholarships, and SAU’s support). 4. India vs. Abroad Options: Consider the trade-offs between Indian and international PhD programs in terms of structure, funding, job markets, and personal goals and preferences. 5. Career Pathways Post-PhD: It includes multiple careers pathways from academic and policy research roles to opportunities in think tanks, international organisations, and the corporate sector. We extend our sincere thanks to Pratyoosh Kashyap for sharing with us a goldmine of his honest, detailed and motivating insights. #AlumniSpeaks #PhDJourney #StudyAbroad #EconomicsResearch #VirginiaTech #SAUAlumni #AcademicLife #ResearchMatters #PhDLife #Scholarships #GradSchoolTips #CareerInAcademia #GlobalOpportunities #StudentDevelopment #PostdocDiaries #HigherEducation #ResearchScientist #EconomicsPhD #SOPTips #StudyInUSA #LORGuidance #RStats #Stata #PhDAbroad #UGCNET #TataScholarship #PolicyResearch #PlacementCellSAU South Asian University

Last week, I presented my ongoing research on household inflation expectations in India at the Annual Conference of The Society for Economic Measurement (SEM) at Athens University of Economics and Business. Also got an opportunity to attend some very high quality research work in empirical macro, including a few very interesting keynotes, and met some active empirical researchers. I must thank the organizers, especially Georgios P. Kouretas for some fabulous hospitality. Although coming at the fag end of this summer's conference circuit, it represented several firsts for me. Firstly, this was my first individual foray into applied empirical macroeconomics research (had co-authored some empirical macro research in past but bulk of my individual research had almost entirely been in theory). Secondly, I was participating for the first time in the SEM conference even though I had been a member for a while. Thirdly, my first time in Greece, and what an experience it has been! Took some time off after the conference to look around: wonderful Acropolis (visible from vantage points almost all over the city), ancient agora which had a thriving democracy in 6th century BCE (you can still visit the square where citizens gathered and gave speeches, and the noticeboard where announcements were pasted), the Roman agora which had a thriving market in 2nd century CE (yes, contrary to popular opinion, markets predated capitalism by more than a thousand years! you can visit the central square around which the erstwhile shops lie in ruins), Hadrian's library from 1st century CE, and some beautiful clean beaches within 45 min journey from city center in the excellent public transport system. And yes, it can get a bit overwhelming to see the sight of greek letters which we use in our mathematical models all around you! But above all, what I would take away from there is the warm Greek hospitality and food (souvlakis and gyros for sure, but also some great stews, salads and dips), excellent music, a vibrant and lively city where cafes and restaurants stay open till late into the night and the excellent quality of its institutions which certainly does not deserve "peripheral" tag - many of the institutions, in fact, perform more efficiently than several "core EU" countries I have been to lately.

Alumni Speak Series | Academic Highways: PhD, Scholarships & Life as a Research Scientist The Placement Cell, Faculty of Economics, South Asian University is pleased to announce an inspiring session with our distinguished alumnus Pratyoosh Kashyap, currently a Research Scientist at the Virginia Tech Department of Agricultural and Applied Economics. Join us as Pratyoosh shares his journey from South Asian University to a postdoctoral role in the U.S., navigating scholarships, doctoral research, and his current work on food systems, development, and community transformation. 🗓 Date: 2nd August 2025 🕕 Time: 6 PM onwards A must-attend session for students aspiring to pursue higher education and research across the globe! Looking forward to your active presence to learn, ask, and get inspired! #PhDJourney #AcademicLife #ScholarshipsAbroad #CareerInResearch #PostdocLife #SAUAlumni #AlumniSpeak #SouthAsianUniversity 

Alumni Speak | “Reserve Bank of India (RBI): The Journey & Experiences” Date: 12 July 2025 | Speaker: Ms. Rashika Arora The Placement Cell, Faculty of Economics, South Asian University had the pleasure of hosting Ms. Rashika Arora, Manager at the Department of Economic and Policy Research (DEPR), Reserve Bank of India (RBI), for an incredibly informative session. Here are a few takeaways that stood out for us: 1. RBI’s Organisational Structure From the Central Board of Directors down to various departments, Ms. Arora gave us a clear map of how India’s central bank is structured and governed. 2. Inside the DEPR She elaborated on the department’s core role in providing research-based inputs for policy decisions, ranging from macroeconomic indicators to sector-specific insights. Her own division? International Trade—where she contributes to research on external sector management, BoP, and global spillovers. 3. Balancing Preparation with Work For aspirants, her honesty about preparing for RBI exams while working full-time was both relatable and reassuring. It’s tough but achievable with resilience and clarity. From key publications like State Finances to research in financial markets and external sectors, the session gave us a 360° view of how DEPR operates at the intersection of economics, data, and policy. A big thank you to Ms. Rashika Arora for sharing her experience and inspiring the next generation of economists. South Asian University #RBI #DEPR #EconomicsInAction #SouthAsianUniversity #PolicyResearch #RBIExamPrep #ExternalSector #Macroeconomics #CareersInEconomics #RBIAlumni #EconomicsStudents #RBIJourney #WomenInEconomics #InspiringEconomists #PublicPolicy #ResearchAndPolicy

Alumni Speak | Reserve Bank of India (RBI): The Journey & Experiences The Placement Cell, Faculty of Economics, South Asian University, is excited to host Rashika Arora, Manager at DEPR, Reserve Bank of India (RBI), for an insightful session on her journey with RBI- from preparation to professional experiences. 🗓️ Date: 12 July 2025 🕔 Time: 5 PM onwards 📍 Platform: Google Meet Join us for an inspiring interaction with one of our distinguished alumni and get a behind-the-scenes glimpse into life at RBI. ✨ Be curious and don’t miss this opportunity to learn, ask, and get motivated! South Asian University #RBI #AlumniSpeak #SAUPlacements #DEPR #RBIJourney #CareerAtRBI #EconomicsStudents #FutureEconomists #RBIPreparation #RBIExperiences #RBIInsights #SAUAlumni