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Course participants will develop an understanding of the key insights from economics and how they can be applied in policy and government settings. 

The series includes: 

Course overview

Topics include: 

Beginner’s guide to microeconomics for the public sector

  • Key insights and introduction to the economic way of thinking
  • Markets and prices: demand, supply and elasticities
  • Government intervention: price controls
  • Government intervention: taxes
  • Government intervention: market failure, externalities and public goods
  • Summary: role of government

Beginner's guide to macroeconomics for the public sector

  • The role of Australia in the global economy and the importance of trade.
  • Macroeconomic statistics such as GDP and inflation.
  • The role of institutions like the Reserve Bank of Australia.
  • The relationship between economic growth, environmental sustainability, productivity, and innovation.
  • Government’s role in stabilizing the economy.

 

Learning outcomes:

Beginner’s guide to microeconomics for the public sector

  • Understand key microeconomic concepts
  • Develop the ability to analyse applied case studies in microeconomics
  • Understand key tools for the analysis of competitive markets
  • Develop skills in applying the supply/demand framework to real-world settings
  • Gain an understanding for why markets may not perform as well as desired
  • Apply microeconomics concepts to real-world cases
  • Gain an understanding of the role of government in addressing microeconomic issues
  • Critically analyse government interventions

Beginner's guide to macroeconomics for the public sector

  • Understanding of macroeconomic concepts such as economic output, productivity, inflation, foreign investment, and trade.
  • Application of macroeconomic statistics used by governments and media, including GDP and inflation.
  • Analysing the role of government in economic stabilisation and setting conditions for long-term growth in living standards.
  • Developing a framework for thinking about economic challenges through practical case studies.

 

Who should attend?

This course is designed for individuals at any level of their career who are interested in gaining a deeper understanding of basic economics and its usefulness and application to policy issues. 

The course is designed for those with no economics background. 

Testimonials

The presenter was superb. Paul delivered first-class lectures and provided a high level of interactivity in live sessions, as well as ensuring understanding of concepts before advancing. Fascinating readings and practical case studies further enhanced the experience.

There were three aspects I really appreciated about the program, the attached videos which expanded on economic theory; the analysis of current world events and how they could impact the global or regional economies; and the in-course games intended to demonstrate how different aspects of economic theory operate in practice.

Presenter

Ippei Fujiwara
Ippei Fujiwara

Prof Ippei Fujiwara

Ippei Fujiwara is an Honorary Professor at the Australian National University (ANU), and a Professor of Macroeconomics at Keio University. He serves as Associate Editor of the European Economic Review and Co-Editor of the Japanese Economic Review.

He holds several prominent research and advisory roles, including:

  • Research Fellow at the Centre for Economic Policy Research (CEPR)
  • Fellow at the Asian Bureau of Finance and Economic Research (ABFER)
  • Deputy Director at the Center for Applied Macroeconomic Analysis (CAMA), ANU
  • Japan Director of the Australia-Japan Research Centre (AJRC), ANU
  • International Advisory Board Member at the Asian Bureau of Economic Research (ABER), ANU
  • Faculty Fellow at the Research Institute of Economy, Trade and Industry (RIETI)
  • Advisory Board Member at the Macroeconomics, Growth and History Centre (MaGHiC), University of Kent

Professor Fujiwara earned a D.Phil. in Economics from the University of Oxford (Nuffield College) and a Ph.D. in Applied Economics from Osaka University. Prior to joining ANU in 2011, he spent 18 years at the Bank of Japan.

His research interests lie in international finance, monetary economics, and macroeconomics. His work has been published in leading journals, including the American Economic Review, Journal of Applied Econometrics, Journal of Economic Dynamics and Control, Journal of International Economics, Journal of International Money and Finance, Journal of Money, Credit and Banking, Journal of Monetary Economics, Macroeconomic Dynamics, Review of Economic Dynamics, and Theoretical Economics. He has authored 17 articles in A* journals listed in the Australian Business Deans Council (ABDC) ranking.

Presenter

Prof Paul Burke

Prof Paul Burke

Professor Paul Burke is Deputy Director of the Crawford School of Public Policy at the Australian National University. His research is in energy and environmental economics, with a focus on the Asia-Pacific.

Paul has published in journals including the American Economic Journal: Macroeconomics, Economic Inquiry, Nature Geoscience, Nature Climate Change, Energy, and Global Environmental Change. Ongoing research topics include Australia's electricity sector and energy transition in South-East Asia.

Paul has delivered Executive Education training in microeconomics, environmental economics, energy economics, and related fields for a range of public sector and open enrolment participants.

Paul holds a Bachelor of Agricultural Economics (Honours I) from the University of Sydney and a PhD in Economics from the Australian National University. He is a Fellow of the Academy of Social Sciences in Australia (FASSA) and a Distinguished Fellow of the Australasian Agricultural & Resource Economics Society (AARES).

Contact us

Can’t find the answers are you looking for? Contact our team for support at csee@anu.edu.au.