Executive Education Beginner’s guide to microeconomics for the public sector 2026

Should we promote competition? What taxes should be used to raise government revenue? How can economics help to reduce traffic congestion? Should we price carbon? If you have ever wondered what economists really mean when they use microeconomic concepts, this course is for you. In this course, you will learn basic concepts of microeconomics including trade-offs, opportunity cost, supply and demand, taxes and subsidies, public goods, externalities, market failure, as well as competition, monopolies and regulation.

Key topics include:

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

At a glance

Format: Online

Duration: 2 weeks (excluding orientation)

Commitment: 4-6 hours per week

Cost: $1,495 (or $1,195 for early bird registrations by 9 May 2026)

Start/end date: 9 - 18 June 2026 with a course introduction / meet and greet on 2 June

Group discounts available.

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.

Real-world application

While its direct relevance to businesses is well understood, the insights and solutions that can be gained from microeconomics are equally important for the public sector. Successful policy design and implementation is greatly facilitated by a solid understanding of the responses and reactions of those influenced by policy.

Course curriculum

Module 1 Introductory microeconomics concepts
Module 2 Supply, demand, and elasticities
Module 3 Externalities and market structure
Module 4 Government intervention

Session schedule

This course will run as an online and distance program in 2026. It is scheduled to run for two weeks 9 - 18 June 2026 with a course orientation / meet and greet on 2 June. Specific dates and times to note in your diary are as follows:

10-11am Tuesday 2 June 2026 – Course introduction/meet and greet session
10-11.30am Tuesday 9 June 2026
10-11.30am Thursday 11 June 2026
10-11.30am Tuesday 16 June 2026
10-11.30am Thursday 18 June 2026

Note: Dates and times are in Canberra time (AEST). The calendar invite for each session should automatically adjust to your timezone when you add it to your calendar. You can check at a site like this to be sure.

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Presenter

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).

Online training: How it works

This is a real-time, date-specific course, in which you will join live classes, engage and connect with experts, other course participants and the Executive Education team. Here’s how it works:

Pre-course live session. This is an opportunity for you to grab a cuppa and join our meet and greet before the course commences.
Practice + Study. Set aside 4 to 6 hours per week – this time commitment will vary depending on how deeply you choose to engage with the material. It is up to you.
Course pack. Each participant will receive a carefully curated workbook, which includes everything you need to guide you through the course.
Live sessions with presenter. This is a specified date and time for you to come together with the presenter and other participants to consolidate your learning.
Post-course. On completion of the course, you will receive your post-course resources for your reference and further learning.

Why choose online training?

No time off work – study and practice when you can.
Busy schedule? No problem, you can go at your own pace, join just the live classes, and do the course work whenever suits you best. We know that work and family obligations can be overwhelming. Mix and match the schedule to fit your life.
No travel. This is a course right at your fingertips. With no travel expenses, this is a very affordable option for high-level training with world-leading experts.
Live interaction with world-leading experts. You’ll have direct access to all the best resources and trainers.
Working remotely? With the online and distance format, we welcome participants from around the world to join us.

FAQs

What if I can’t make a live session? No problem, we understand you are busy. Live sessions are recorded for you to catch up in your own time.

What if I’m in a different time zone? All advertised course times from 5th April 2026 to 3rd October 2026 are scheduled in Australian Eastern Daylight Time (AEDT) otherwise known as GMT+11. All other scheduled times in 2026 are Australian Eastern Standard Time (AEST) or GMT+10. Convert for your time zone here.

What if I am not tech savvy? As long as you have access to a phone or computer, you will have no problems. Our online courses require a working laptop, desktop or smart device with good internet connection. Bring your headset. Join the tech-check session for support and insider tips.

I would like to purchase multiple courses, are there any discounts available? Yes, discount offers are available if you would like to book multiple courses throughout the year. You may contact us to discuss further options.

I work for a company or organisation that would like to enrol multiple employees in the same time. Is it possible? Yes, discounted rates are available for groups attending from the same organisation. Get in touch with us if you want to register as a group.

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

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