university of toronto economics phd placement

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Check the latest UofT COVID-19 updates more information

Industrial Organization

Land Security and Mobility Frictions

Quarterly Journal of Economics , 2024 Tasso Adamopoulos, Loren Brandt, Chaoran Chen, Diego Restuccia, Xiaoyun Wei

Tax Evasion and Capital Taxation

Journal of Political Economy , 2024 Shahar Rotberg and Joseph Steinberg

Invidious Comparison: Ranking and Selection as Compound Decisions

Econometrica , 2023 Jiaying Gu and Roger Koenker

Optimal Environmental Targeting in the Amazon Rainforest

Review of Economic Studies , 2023 Juliano Assunção, Robert McMillan, Joshua Murphy, Eduardo Souza-Rodrigues

Revealed Price Preference: Theory and Empirical Analysis

Review of Economic Studies , 2023 Rahul Deb, Yuichi Kitamura, John Quah, Jörg Stoye

Optimal Fiscal Policy in a Model with Uninsurable Idiosyncratic Income Risk

Review of Economic Studies , 2023 Sebastian Dyrda and Marcelo Pedroni

What: Forging a Path: Causal Inference and Data Science for Improved Policy When: November 10-11, 2023 Where: Data Sciences Institute, 10th floor Seminar room, 700 University Ave, Toronto

Department of Economics University of Toronto Max Gluskin House 150 St. George Street Toronto, Ontario M5S 3G7, Canada (416) 978-4622

• University of Toronto
• Faculty of Arts & Science
• UTM Economics

School of Graduate Studies

Program overview.

The Department of Economics offers degree programs leading to the Master of Arts and  Doctor of Philosophy . The ultimate goal of the graduate programs in Economics is to further the student’s capacity for economic analysis through rigorous instruction in theory, econometrics, and a wide variety of fields. Graduates of the programs have obtained desirable university positions, responsible employment in the public sector, and in private industry. Because of the size and diversity of the department’s faculty, students can readily specialize in almost any area of interest in economics.

Students may also be interested in a combined degree program:

• Law, Juris Doctor / Economics, Master of Arts or
• Law, Juris Doctor / Economics, Doctor of Philosophy ​

The degree program, Financial Economics (MFE) , is jointly offered by the Department of Economics and the Rotman School of Management.

Quick Facts

Master of arts, program description.

The MA is a coursework-only program (i.e., has no thesis requirement) that may be taken on a full-time or part-time basis. It is designed for individuals who wish to work in the public, private, and not-for-profit sectors, and also for students intending to pursue a PhD in economics.

Minimum Admission Requirements

Applicants are admitted under the General Regulations of the School of Graduate Studies. Applicants must also satisfy the Department of Economics' additional admission requirements stated below.

An appropriate bachelor's degree with at least a mid-B (75%) standing in the final year of the program.

Successful completion of full-year courses in calculus, intermediate microeconomics, intermediate macroeconomics, and statistics.

Admission is competitive, so accepted applicants will normally have achieved a standing considerably higher than the minimum of at least a mid-B (75%) in the final year.

All applicants who do not hold a degree from a Canadian university must submit an official Graduate Record Examination (GRE) General Test score. Applicants who hold a degree from a Canadian university are strongly encouraged to submit an official GRE General Test score. See the departmental website for details.

Program Requirements

Successful completion of 4.5 full-course equivalents (FCEs) as follows:

0.5 FCE mathematics and statistics course (ECO1010H);

4.0 FCEs including the core courses in micro (ECO1200H), macro (ECO1100H), and econometrics (ECO1400H). Five 0.5 FCE elective courses are selected from current courses or may be graduate courses offered by another unit, provided they make a strong contribution to the student's economic training. At most two (1.0 FCE) of the five courses may be offered by another unit, and these courses must be approved by the Associate Chair, Graduate Studies. Units that offer courses that we may approve include Mathematics, Statistical Sciences, and the Rotman School of Management.

An MA student may be permitted to fulfil core course requirements by taking the corresponding PhD-level core courses (ECO2200H and ECO2201H for microeconomics, ECO2100H and ECO2101H for macroeconomics, or ECO2400H and ECO2401H for econometrics). To make this substitution, the student will be required to take the PhD-level ECO2010H (mathematics and statistics course), and must obtain written permission from the Associate Chair, Graduate Studies prior to starting the mathematics and statistics course in August.

Program Length

2 sessions full-time (typical registration sequence: F/W); 6 sessions part-time

3 years full-time; 6 years part-time

Doctor of Philosophy

The Department of Economics offers two PhD programs: a regular-entry program for students who have completed a master’s degree in economics or a closely related field, and a direct-entry program for students with only an undergraduate degree. Both are full-time programs.

PhD Program

Minimum B+ standing in an MA program in economics. Admission is competitive, so accepted applicants will normally have achieved a standing considerably higher than the minimum B+.

A strong preparation in advanced mathematics, statistics, and economics, including successful completion of MA-level microeconomic theory, macroeconomic theory, and econometrics.

Students must maintain a minimum average of B+ throughout their coursework and successfully complete a total of 4.0 full-course equivalents (FCEs) as follows:

Year 1: 3.0 FCEs, normally consisting of two half courses in each area:

Microeconomics (ECO2200H and ECO2201H)

Macroeconomics (ECO2100H and ECO2101H)

Econometrics (ECO2400H and ECO2401H)

Year 2: at least two half courses (1.0 FCE), including the required courses for a major field of specialization and a minor field of specialization.

Students must write an original paper in Year 2 and present it in the relevant workshop in the Fall session of Year 3.

Students must also take ECO4060Y 0 Graduate Research Seminar (1.0 FCE) in Year 2 and complete it by the end of Year 3.

Suitable PhD-level courses taken by a student in the MA program in the Department of Economics may, with the permission of the Associate Chair, Graduate Studies, fulfil a portion of the major and minor field requirements of the PhD program.

A thesis based on original research.

General examinations

Successful completion of theory comprehensive examinations. Students are required to take two comprehensive examinations in microeconomic and macroeconomic theory after the end of the Winter session (usually June) in Year 1 of their program. Performance on these exams is evaluated on a distinction/pass/fail basis. If a theory comprehensive examination is failed on the first attempt, it must be re-taken later in the Summer (usually in August) of the same year.

If a student does not obtain a minimum grade of A in every course required for their major field of specialization, or took some of the required courses during their MA in Economics program at the University of Toronto, the student is required to take a field comprehensive examination in their major field of specialization after the end of the Winter session in Year 2 (usually June). If the exam is failed, it must be re-taken later in the Summer (usually in August) of the same year. The major fields of specialization offered regularly are:

Behavioural Economics

Econometrics

Economic Development

Financial Economics

Industrial Organization

International Economics

Labour Economics

Macroeconomics

Microeconomic Theory

Public Economics.

PhD Program (Direct-Entry)

Minimum A– standing in the last two years of study in a bachelor’s program in economics or a related field, such as finance, statistics, or mathematics. Because admission is competitive, accepted applicants will normally have achieved a standing considerably higher than the minimum A–.

A strong preparation in advanced mathematics, statistics, and economics.

Students must maintain a minimum average of B+ throughout their coursework and successfully complete a total of 6.0 full-course equivalents (FCEs) as follows:

Year 1: normally two half courses in each area (3.0 FCEs), as follows:

Year 2: six half courses (3.0 FCEs), including the required courses for a major field of specialization and a minor field of specialization.

General examinations.

Successful completion of theory comprehensive examinations . Students must take two comprehensive examinations in microeconomic and macroeconomic theory after the end of the Winter session (usually June) in Year 1 of their program. Performance on these exams is evaluated on a distinction/pass/fail basis. If a theory comprehensive examination is failed on the first attempt, it must be re-taken later in the Summer (usually in August) of the same year.

If a student does not obtain a minimum grade of A in every course required for their major field of specialization, the student must take a field comprehensive examination in their major field of specialization after the end of the Winter session in Year 2 (usually June). If the exam is failed, it must be re-taken later in the Summer (usually in August) of the same year. The major fields of specialization offered regularly are:

0 Course that may continue over a program. The course is graded when completed.

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Check the latest UofT COVID-19 updates more information

Industrial Organization

Invidious Comparison: Ranking and Selection as Compound Decisions

Econometrica , 2023 Jiaying Gu and Roger Koenker

Land Security and Mobility Frictions

Quarterly Journal of Economics , 2024 Tasso Adamopoulos, Loren Brandt, Chaoran Chen, Diego Restuccia, Xiaoyun Wei

Optimal Fiscal Policy in a Model with Uninsurable Idiosyncratic Income Risk

Review of Economic Studies , 2023 Sebastian Dyrda and Marcelo Pedroni

Use It or Lose It: Efficiency and Redistributional Effects of Wealth Taxation

Quarterly Journal of Economics , 2023 Fatih Guvenen, Gueorgui Kambourov, Burhanettin Kuruscu, Sergio Ocampo, Daphne Chen

Revealed Price Preference: Theory and Empirical Analysis

Review of Economic Studies , 2023 Rahul Deb, Yuichi Kitamura, John Quah, Jörg Stoye

Learning before Trading: On the Inefficiency of Ignoring Free Information

Journal of Political Economy , 2022 Doron Ravid, Anne-Katrin Roesler, Balázs Szentes

What: Forging a Path: Causal Inference and Data Science for Improved Policy When: November 10-11, 2023 Where: Data Sciences Institute, 10th floor Seminar room, 700 University Ave, Toronto

Department of Economics University of Toronto Max Gluskin House 150 St. George Street Toronto, Ontario M5S 3G7, Canada (416) 978-4622

• University of Toronto
• Faculty of Arts & Science
• UTM Economics

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Economics: economics phd, doctor of philosophy, program description.

The Department of Economics offers two PhD programs: a regular-entry program for students who have completed a master’s degree in economics or a closely related field, and a direct-entry program for students with only an undergraduate degree. Both are full-time programs.

PhD Program

Minimum admission requirements.

Applicants are admitted under the General Regulations of the School of Graduate Studies. Applicants must also satisfy the Department of Economics' additional admission requirements stated below.

Minimum B+ standing in an MA program in economics. Admission is competitive, so accepted applicants will normally have achieved a standing considerably higher than the minimum B+.

A strong preparation in advanced mathematics, statistics, and economics, including successful completion of MA-level microeconomic theory, macroeconomic theory, and econometrics.

All applicants who do not hold a degree from a Canadian university must submit an official Graduate Record Examination (GRE) General Test score. Applicants who hold a degree from a Canadian university are strongly encouraged to submit an official GRE General Test score. See the departmental website for details.

Program Requirements

Students must maintain a minimum average of B+ throughout their coursework and successfully complete a total of 4.0 full-course equivalents (FCEs) as follows:

Year 1: 3.0 FCEs, normally consisting of two half courses in each area:

Microeconomics (ECO2200H and ECO2201H)

Macroeconomics (ECO2100H and ECO2101H)

Econometrics (ECO2400H and ECO2401H)

Year 2: at least two half courses (1.0 FCE), including the required courses for a major field of specialization and a minor field of specialization.

Students must write an original paper in Year 2 and present it in the relevant workshop in the Fall session of Year 3.

Students must also take ECO4060Y 0 Graduate Research Seminar (1.0 FCE) in Year 2 and complete it by the end of Year 3.

Suitable PhD-level courses taken by a student in the MA program in the Department of Economics may, with the permission of the Associate Chair, Graduate Studies, fulfil a portion of the major and minor field requirements of the PhD program.

A thesis based on original research.

General examinations

Successful completion of theory comprehensive examinations. Students are required to take two comprehensive examinations in microeconomic and macroeconomic theory after the end of the Winter session (usually June) in Year 1 of their program. Performance on these exams is evaluated on a distinction/pass/fail basis. If a theory comprehensive examination is failed on the first attempt, it must be re-taken later in the Summer (usually in August) of the same year.

If a student does not obtain a minimum grade of A in every course required for their major field of specialization, or took some of the required courses during their MA in Economics program at the University of Toronto, the student is required to take a field comprehensive examination in their major field of specialization after the end of the Winter session in Year 2 (usually June). If the exam is failed, it must be re-taken later in the Summer (usually in August) of the same year. The major fields of specialization offered regularly are:

Behavioural Economics

Econometrics

Economic Development

Financial Economics

Industrial Organization

International Economics

Labour Economics

Macroeconomics

Microeconomic Theory

Public Economics.

Program Length

Phd program (direct-entry).

Minimum A– standing in the last two years of study in a bachelor’s program in economics or a related field, such as finance, statistics, or mathematics. Because admission is competitive, accepted applicants will normally have achieved a standing considerably higher than the minimum A–.

A strong preparation in advanced mathematics, statistics, and economics.

Students must maintain a minimum average of B+ throughout their coursework and successfully complete a total of 6.0 full-course equivalents (FCEs) as follows:

Year 1: normally two half courses in each area (3.0 FCEs), as follows:

Year 2: six half courses (3.0 FCEs), including the required courses for a major field of specialization and a minor field of specialization.

General examinations.

Successful completion of theory comprehensive examinations . Students must take two comprehensive examinations in microeconomic and macroeconomic theory after the end of the Winter session (usually June) in Year 1 of their program. Performance on these exams is evaluated on a distinction/pass/fail basis. If a theory comprehensive examination is failed on the first attempt, it must be re-taken later in the Summer (usually in August) of the same year.

If a student does not obtain a minimum grade of A in every course required for their major field of specialization, the student must take a field comprehensive examination in their major field of specialization after the end of the Winter session in Year 2 (usually June). If the exam is failed, it must be re-taken later in the Summer (usually in August) of the same year. The major fields of specialization offered regularly are:

0 Course that may continue over a program. The course is graded when completed.

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Check the latest UofT COVID-19 updates more information

Industrial Organization

Tax Evasion and Capital Taxation

Journal of Political Economy , 2024 Shahar Rotberg and Joseph Steinberg

Invidious Comparison: Ranking and Selection as Compound Decisions

Econometrica , 2023 Jiaying Gu and Roger Koenker

Optimal Environmental Targeting in the Amazon Rainforest

Review of Economic Studies , 2023 Juliano Assunção, Robert McMillan, Joshua Murphy, Eduardo Souza-Rodrigues

Randomize at Your Own Risk: On the Observability of Ambiguity Aversion

Econometrica , 2022 Aurélien Baillon, Yoram Halevy, Chen Li

A General Framework for Robust Contracting Models

Econometrica , 2022 Daniel Walton and Gabriel Carroll

Optimal Fiscal Policy in a Model with Uninsurable Idiosyncratic Income Risk

Review of Economic Studies , 2023 Sebastian Dyrda and Marcelo Pedroni

What: Forging a Path: Causal Inference and Data Science for Improved Policy When: November 10-11, 2023 Where: Data Sciences Institute, 10th floor Seminar room, 700 University Ave, Toronto

Department of Economics University of Toronto Max Gluskin House 150 St. George Street Toronto, Ontario M5S 3G7, Canada (416) 978-4622

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Departmental placement record.

The job Placement Record lists the current/first positions of all students that completed a PhD in philosophy at the University of Toronto since 1970:

Every effort is made to ensure that our record is accurate; we welcome any corrections or updates (please email Belinda Piercy with any relevant information).

Current Placement Candidates (2023-2024)

AOS: Area of specialization AOC: Area of competence

Jack Beaulieu, PhD

AOS:  Indian Philosophy AOC:  Epistemology, Philosophy of Mind, Philosophy of Disability, Metaphysics Links to CV , Research Statement , and personal website

C. Dalrymple-Fraser, PhD

AOS:  Bioethics, Ethics, and Philosophy of Disability AOC:  Epistemology, Global Philosophy, Philosophy of Medicine, Queer & Trans Philosophy Links to CV , Research Statement , and personal website

Lisa Doerksen, PhD

AOS:  Philosophy of Mind, Epistemology AOC:  Early Modern Philosophy, Kant, Metaphysics Links to CV and Research Statement

Eliran Haziza, PhD

AOS: Epistemology, Philosophy of Language, Philosophy of Mind AOC: Ethics, Logic, Metaphysics, History of Analytic Philosophy Links to CV and personal website

Alice Huang

AOS: AI Ethics, Formal Social Epistemology, Decision Theory AOC: Philosophy of Science, Philosophy of Mind Links to CV and Research Statement

Griffin Klemick, PhD

AOS: Pragmatism, History of Analytic Philosophy, Epistemology AOC: Continental Philosophy, Metaethics, Feminist Philosophy, History of Western Philosophy Link to CV , Research Statement , and personal website

Michaela Manson, PhD

AOS: History of Ethics, Feminism, Philosophy of Human Sexuality AOC: Early Modern Philosophy Links to CV , Research Statement , and personal website

Daniel Munro, PhD

AOS: Epistemology, Philosophy of Mind, Philosophy of Cognitive Science AOC: Philosophy of Technology, Philosophy of Religion, Metaphysics Links to CV and personal website

Dylan Shaul, PhD

AOS: 19th Century Philosophy (esp. German Idealism), Jewish Philosophy AOC: Early Modern Philosophy, 20th Century Continental Philosophy, Ethics, Philosophy of Religion Links to CV and personal website

Zachary Weinstein

AOS: Aesthetics, Philosophy of Art, Mind, and Language AOC: Philosophy of Cognitive Science, Post-Kantian Continental Philosophy, Philosophy of Technology, Applied Ethics Links to CV and Research Statement

Mason Westfall, PhD

AOS: Philosophy of Mind, Epistemology, Philosophy of Cognitive Science AOC: Metaphysics, Philosophy of Sexuality, Business Ethics, Environmental Ethics Links to CV , Research Statement , and personal website

Seyed Yarandi, PhD

AOS: Ethics, Epistemology, Islamic Philosophy AOC: Logic, Bioethics, Philosophy of Language, History of Analytic Philosophy Links to CV and Research Statement

The following tables show the various sectors in which percentages of our PhD graduates are employed, as well as the locations of their employment, and the average time to the first tenure-track position of academically-employed alumni. The department’s alumni are contrasted with other U of T alumni, alumni from the Faculty of Arts & Science, and alumni from other humanities programs/departments.

Main Employment Sectors of All PhD Graduates, 2000-2015

Current employment location of phd graduates, 2000-2015, average time to first tenure-track (tt) position, 2000-2015, about the department’s placement director.

The department appoints a Placement Director to counsel students at any stage of the doctoral program, and also to provide assistance especially to those nearing completion and preparing to enter the job market in philosophy. The Placement Director for 2023-24 is Professor Donald Ainslie , and the Placement staff person is Evan Drapeau .

Job Market Placements

2022-23 job market placements, 2020-21 job market placements, 2019-20 job market placements, 2018-19 job market placements, 2017-18 job market placements.

PhD Thesis and Job Placements

Access to full theses & dissertations are available via The Atrium (The University of Guelph Institutional Repository) using the link below.

Jianhan Zhang (PhD 2024)

Thesis Title: Endogeneity in Kink Threshold Regression Models . Placement: Assistant Professor (tenure track), School of Statistics, Dongbei University of Finance and Economics, China

Tselmuun Tserenkhuu (PhD 2023)

Michael di carlo (phd 2023), devina lakhtakia (phd 2023), myrto kasioumi (phd 2022), renliang liu (phd 2022), anastasia dimiski (phd 2022), nikos fatouros (phd 2021), ruifeng liu (phd 2021), henrietta agyei asiamah (phd 2021), hui xiao (phd 2020), nicholas manuel (ma 2014, phd 2020), chaoyi chen (ma 2015, phd 2019), haibin zhang (ma 2013, phd 2019), sergiy pysarenko (phd 2018), gregory galay (ma 2011, phd 2017), mustafa koroglu  (phd 2017), jamie lee (ma 2009, phd 2017), parisa mahboubi (ma 2011, phd 2017), tin ching (esmond) lun (phd 2016), anastasios papanastasiou (phd 2016), dong meng (raymond) ren (phd 2016), elmira aliakbari (phd 2016), michael batu (ma 2010, phd 2015), jennifer teng (ma 2009, phd 2015), diana alessandrini (ma 2009, phd 2014), fraser summerfield (ma 2009, phd 2014), joniada milla (ma 2008, phd 2013), marcel oestreich (ma 2009, phd 2013), kathleen rodenburg (ma 2009, phd 2013), ​zeb aurangzeb (phd 2011), xiaofeng (penny) li (phd 2011), mehmet pinar (ma 2007, phd 2011), joel wood (ma 2005, phd 2011), vitali alexeev (phd 2010) , katerina koka (ma 2003, phd 2010), ​bin hu (phd 2009), brennan thompson (phd 2009), zhi (jane) li (phd 2008), arian khaleghi moghadam (phd 2008), ning qi (phd 2008), ​burc kayahan (phd 2007), zhihong (joanne) liang (phd 2007), olusegun oladunjoye (phd 2007), ling yang (phd 2007), peng (amy) chen (phd 2005), umut oguzoglu (phd 2005), julia witt (phd 2005), francis mckenna (phd 2004), dingding li (phd 2002), ​patrick martin (phd 2001), mark raymond (phd 2001), audrey laporte (phd 2000), stephan schott (phd 2000), benjamin   amoah (phd 1998), zhenjuan liu (phd 1998), boping yan (phd 1998), xianqiang zhang (phd 1998), timothy colwill (phd 1997), margaret insley (phd 1997), ​anastasia lintner (phd 1995).

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The QED has long ranked among the strongest Economics PhD programs in the world ...

Placements of phd graduates by year, earlier phd graduates.

Historical Placement of Ph.D. Students

The program of study is designed to train for research careers as faculty in public policy programs, public health programs, and other academic programs, and for non-academic research careers in think tanks, private consulting, government, or the not-for-profit sector.

At Cornell University, economists are trained in many departments, schools and colleges, and as a part of multiple graduate fields. All Cornell Ph.D. graduates with training in economics are listed here. 

Main Content

Rotman Finance offers top-tier training from some of the world’s leading experts in fields such as risk management, corporate governance, delegated asset management, and behavioural finance. The PhD Program in Finance at the Rotman School trains prospective scholars to become highly skilled and innovative researchers and teachers, and to prepare them for careers as faculty members at premier academic institutions throughout the world.

Strengths of the Program

Rotman Finance offers top-tier training from some of the world's leading experts in fields such as risk management, corporate governance, delegated asset management, and behavioural finance. Students are assigned faculty mentors upon admission and work closely with faculty throughout the program. We train prospective scholars to become highly skilled and innovative researchers and teachers.

Admission to the Program

The PhD Program in Finance is looking for accomplished graduate and undergraduate students, with strong backgrounds in economics, finance, quantitative methods or related fields. Our admission is highly competitive. We encourage you to explore our website to discover what makes a successful candidate.

PhD Courses

Rotman PhD courses in finance stream provide a strong base in finance theory, economics and empirical methods. Preview course offerings here.

Program Structure and Requirements

The PhD program in Finance is an intense academic exercise providing effective training for an academic career. Our program includes required courses, comprehensive examinations, research paper presentations as well as the final dissertation.

Current PhD Students

The doctoral students in the Finance stream are a key strength of the Rotman School. After graduation, these students will go on to work at some of the world's top universities, helping to extend the reputation of Rotman and of the University of Toronto.

Meet the Rotman Finance faculty.

Faculty by Research Focus

As a PhD student you will work closely with faculty that share your research interests, are working on similar areas, or can provide a new perspective. Find out what our faculty members are currently working on here.

Risk Management Research Team

Exciting research opportunities at Rotman abound. Learn about a new research team in Risk Management.

ICPM Grant on Corporate Governance

Exciting research opportunities at Rotman abound. Learn about a new research project on Governance.

News, People, Projects & Events

Everything Economics at the University of Toronto

Wellness Wednesday: Keeping a Balanced State of Mind with Anubha Agarwal

May 22, 2024 By Adriano Macedo

Anubha Agarwal vividly remembers when her high school teacher explained how economics is a social science. Knowing the field is quantitative and measures the causes and effects of human actions, and their social implications through economic activities, excited Anubha.

“I developed a very keen interest in economics from my first class. I’ve never looked back. I knew very early on that I wanted to specialize in economics,” she said.

Anubha completed her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in economics in India and plucked up the courage to move halfway across the world to start her PhD at the University of Toronto in 2018.

“Anubha is an exceptional graduate student who approaches challenges with determination and perseverance, always striving to expand her knowledge and skills,” said Professor Diego Restuccia, Anubha Agarwal’s thesis committee co-supervisor. “She is one of the nicest and kindest students I have interacted with, always willing to collaborate and support her peers.”

Adriano Macedo: When did you decide to pursue a PhD in economics?

Anubha Agarwal: I was always interested in doing a PhD even when I was in my master’s, but I wasn’t fully sure about it. It’s a pretty big commitment in terms of time and effort, so I decided to work for a year or two before I was fully and mentally ready to take up the challenge.

AM: What are you working on now?

AA: My research field is macroeconomics. More specifically, I work on topics related to firm dynamics, market power and innovation. I’m currently working on understanding the sources and implications of firms’ geographic expansion. I’ve been very lucky to have a very supportive committee. Professor Diego Restuccia and Professor Murat Celik are my co-advisors, and Professor Gueorgui Kambourov is on my committee too. They’re all very helpful and insightful.

AM: Do you like Toronto?

AA: I love Toronto. I love the fact that it’s so diverse, so many cultures, a lot of different cuisines. I’m a foodie, I love to cook, so I’m always excited about trying different cuisines. So that’s very exciting.

AM:  What is a book that made an impact on your life?

AA: I read The Kite Runner and A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khalid Hussaini when I was a teenager. I think the subject of the books and the characters displayed were influential in terms of the way I thought about life.

AM: Is there a movie that has inspired you in your life?

AA: There’s a Hindi movie that I really like. It’s called Chak De! India . It’s a sports movie about a team of girls who play field hockey, the national sport of India. And the movie is about how there’s a team of girls coming from different states of India who were selected for the national team, but they don’t really know what a team is. The coach, who is kind of the hero in the movie, is played by the famous actor Shah Rukh Khan. He motivates them to play together as a team. It was a movie that showed me how one person’s actions could impact the greater good, how you could, as an individual, influence people around you, make them believe in themselves, in the power of being with each other and doing something greater for the country or for the world. That movie left a deep imprint on me, and I often go back to it when I’m feeling low.

AM: What do you consider your main virtue?

AA: I believe my main virtue is honesty and being straightforward with people. I believe that the harder way to care for somebody is to show them the truth, even if it means being candid with them.

AM: What do you most value in your friends?

AA: I value honesty and kindness, I tend to make friends with people who are kind individuals and not just with me, but with everybody because that shows a certain character.

AM: What is your idea of happiness?

AA: My idea of happiness is a well-balanced life in terms of finding a career that you enjoy doing and working really hard. But at the same time, having some empathy for other people, having some quality time to spend with your family and friends. And having the time to take care of your own health and your own mental and physical health. If I’m able to do that in the years to come, I will be very happy.

AM: What makes you happy?

AA: Small things make me happy, things like watching a movie that can uplift my mood, having a good meal cooked by myself or cooked by somebody around me can really make me happy. Having a good, cold coffee or watching some nice scenery. It could be like very pretty mountains, the snow or just a beautiful beach.

AM : How do you keep a balanced state of mind?

AA: I definitely try to find time to do some physical exercise regularly. It’s very important to have a very balanced lifestyle which includes, firstly, eating well. I put a lot of energy into deciding how I eat what I eat. Eating fresh food like fruits then green vegetables, nuts. The second is being mindful of your physical and mental health. I regularly take breaks to go for walks, to go for runs, go to the gym, do yoga, and go dancing.

AM: What is your motto?

AA: I don’t think I have a motto, but one thing that I’ve really abided by is there’s no substitute for hard work. If you want to achieve something, I think consistency and perseverance are very important.

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