Ariane Curtis
Ariane is an economist working across both the public and private sector. She is originally from Toronto, Canada, and moved to London in 2014 to pursue her master's degree in economics at UCL. She has previously worked in the Bank of England’s International directorate, and currently works at Capital Economics as part of the Global Economics team.
Why did you choose to study economics?
I always loved math when I was in school, and originally chose to study economics because I thought it would provide a good balance between analytical/mathematical problem solving as well as being very current.
How would you describe economics?
It’s hard to narrow it down to a simple definition, as the scope of economics is huge. But essentially I think of economics focussing on production and consumption, both in terms of the inputs and outputs, and how they affect societies.
If you had a time machine and could meet your 16-year-old self, what advice would you give them?
I would tell myself to be open to every opportunity and to ask more questions.
What is your favourite part of economics?
For me, the best part about economics is having a better understanding of how the world works. Being a macroeconomist means that although you may not be an expert in many fields, the combination of critical thinking skills and keeping up to date with what’s going on in the world economy means that you are still able to take part many interesting discussions!
Is there anything you would do differently if you had the chance?
I’m pretty fortunate to say I wouldn’t do things differently. My many years being a student and then working professional were not always free from errors, but everything has worked out and I have learned a lot along the way.