What are your past studies and professions?
I was interested in societal and economic questions after High School, so I began my studies with a Sociology major and Economics minor at the University of Mannheim. I quickly realized that I actually loved the quantitative classes I had taken, so I switched to studying only Econ after the second semester. I spent my fifth semester at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, where I discovered what living in such a different country and a different university system is like. After my undergrad, I decided I wanted to live and study abroad for some more time. Thanks to professors and friends recommending me TSE and given that I was more interested in Microeconomics, I came to Toulouse for the M1, and I ended up staying in this beautiful city to do my PhD.
What motivated you to choose the thesis topic you are currently working on?
I am doing research in Empirical Industrial Organization and the Economics of Digitization. I am interested in learning and understanding, for example, how companies interact in different industry settings, how one should deal with market failures, and at which point the government should step in and regulate economic actors. I love using empirical techniques and digging into new datasets. Moreover, while new technologies and digitization are having a tremendous impact on our lives, we still understand very little about how digital markets work: Should companies’ conduct in these markets sometimes be regulated, and if so, how? What is the importance of data in these markets? Is it problematic that some digital platforms have grown very large and dominant? These types of questions are driving me to do research on them.
Do you have a female role model?
Not anyone in particular. However, I am lucky enough to have grown up in a society in which it is normal for women to work or to go to university. Seeing at least some female leaders in society and having female classmates or professors has impacted me for sure.
Do you have any advice for female students?
At a few instances during my undergrad studies, I felt discouraged whenever fellow students pointed out things in our studies that they found incredibly easy, while I found them difficult. My advice is: do not listen to them, and do not compare yourself to others. Believe in yourself and in your abilities. Economics can be a difficult and abstract field, but try your best to truly understand the things you learn, even if they are seemingly impossible to understand once you start. It can be very rewarding!
The TSEconomist 