Interviews

Name: Catherine Corrigan
Title: 2016 Chair of the Trinity Economic Forum (TEF)
Year: Final Year Business & Economics Student

About: In February 2016, students, professors and a distinguished line up of speakers (including 2002 Nobel Laureate in Economics, Vernon Smith) gathered for the fifth annual Trinity Economic Forum. It combined individual talks and panels with collaborative workshops which addressed topics such as Brexit, China’s global dominance and The Black Economy amongst others.

Tell us about the Trinity Economic Forum (TEF)?
TEF was founded in 2012 by three Trinity students (Sean Gill, Patrick Lynch & Gary Finnerty) who at the time believed there should be a better platform for students across Ireland to engage in economic discourse. The aims of the forum are:

• To give students across Ireland an opportunity to contribute towards a better economic future
• To open discourse on a national level and offer solutions to current policy issues
• To share with students the knowledge, insight and expertise of professionals
• To bridge the gap between student leaders and those in office

Over 300 students from universities across Ireland attended the events in February. How does the TEF engage these students?
We engage with the universities across Ireland by contacting their relevant business, economic and politics departments, as well as maintaining strong links with the relevant student societies across those campuses. TEF has never been an event just for Trinity students and in 2016 we improved our demographic greatly with a huge contingent from both the universities in Northern Ireland, Queens and University of Ulster, which is a testament to the growth and reach that TEF now has.

How does the Forum engage at a national level?
The forum itself puts students in direct contact with the guest speakers, whether that is governmental or academic. We encourage open discussion at the forum and have the motto “TEF does not accept the conditions as they exist; TEF accepts the responsibility to change them". David McWilliams spoke passionately this year about questioning what we learn at our respective academic institutions and that we don't need to accept the conditions that exist. Likewise with economic policy we provide the platform for students to open pose questions to the business leaders and governmental figures who are making important decisions.

The workshops at TEF have become an integral part of the forum providing attendees with the opportunity to engage in discussion over economic policy issues in a smaller group. We at TEF believe that the students that come to our forum will be the leaders of the future, and their voices should be heard today. Having such a strong Northern Irish presence this year helped to push the debate on Irish economic policy because of the repercussions it has in the North of Ireland.

The 2016 Forum agenda was “Taking Economics Forward”. Tell us about the hottest topic at the weekend?
The hottest topic of the weekend came from the potential British exit from the European Union, which was discussed at length in our panel discussion and by several of the keynote speakers. It places in our minds the importance of the topic and how necessary it is for students have their voices heard on the matter. Again with the strong Northern Irish presence there was a long open debate, as Irish and Northern Irish students considered the effects if the exit goes ahead.

We also covered the topic of global dominance by China and what this could mean for us all going forward as they look set to become the largest economy in the world. Linda Yueh (business economist, broadcaster, and author) who sat on the panel discussion was shocked at the proportion of the audience that had visited China, demonstrating how the business/economics/politics students of today appreciate its global importance.

Tell us about your personal experience and key learnings in organising such a professional event?
Coincidentally, I selected 'exploring organisational experiences' as one of my final year business classes and used TEF as my organisation, so I have spent a year reflecting on this very question. What surprised me most in undertaking the organisation of TEF, is that my key learning and experience comes from the preparation and lead up to the event and not the event itself.

My team of 12 and I spent a year organising everything from venue and food to speakers and running order. I took the position of coordinator whilst I was still living in Shanghai and this was the first big challenge. I quickly realised micro managing in a different time zone, and a country that has vast limitations to internet usage was extremely challenging. However, my deputy Ryan did an excellent job of managing from Ireland which made the transition smoother when I returned.

Preparation was key for us, with our Nobel Laureate having been secured 10 months in advance of the event itself. The week before the event presented the most challenges with several issues over speaker drop outs, merchandise delivery etc. But as always the show must go on! And it was the diverse and willing team behind the scenes that made the event possible and its success is a testament to their hard-work all year.

What can we expect to see at the 2017 Forum?
2017 promises to be the most successful year yet as TEF goes from strength to strength. I expect we will see even more notable and distinguished guests as TEF continues to get more traction across Ireland. We have excellent sponsors in both Mazars & NTMA. They not only help us finance this great initiative but also support through guidance and guest speaker suggestions, as well as being present over the weekend to meet with the students. Ryan Morgan will be leading the 2017 forum and I have every confidence he will make it the most memorable forum yet.

We also run a secondary schools competition to further promote the study of economics at different levels, this will be advancing into its third year in 2017. If alumni would like to learn more about TEF please email us coordinator@trinityeconomicforum.ie