Technology Consultant, KPMG Vancouver
Hometown: Vadodara, Gujarat, India
How did your economics degree prepare you for your next challenge?
Parin Shah
In order to gravitate to new problems and solve them, an academic major that challenges a broad range of skills is crucial, and economics did exactly that for me. Economics coursework that ranges from quantitative econometrics, decision theory to deep understanding of business strategy and international trade taught me how interactions between agents in an economy work intuitively. Hence, overall, the economics toolkit will help me make better decisions throughout my life and allow me to understand multiple perspectives while working on a problem.
Why study economics at UBC?
Similar to the way most universities around the world develop individual schools for Business, Medicine and Law, UBC has went beyond and also developed a school specifically for Economics, the Vancouver School of Economics. This infers the high significance Economics holds for the university’s strategy. Further, UBC has attracted some of the world’s best economics faculty and is consistently ranked as a top school to study Economics in Canada. It is a rare opportunity to have mentors who are also thought leaders in their field globally.
Why did you choose the BIE program?
In additional to the theoretical economics courses, the BIE program also incorporates a variety of applied courses from the business school. This combination of courses, spanning various fields, allowed me to better draw analogies between different bodies of knowledge, which I have believed to be crucial to innovate and be creative. In hindsight, the cohort based system in BIE was also very gratifying – it ensured that you get to know your classmates as family since you see the same people over 4 years in majority of your courses, and hence, you get to learn a lot more from people around you.
What skill have you learned with your degree that you value the most?
Ability to identify patterns and trends in data, and developing a logical approach to solving complex problems
What was your most memorable or best experience as a student?
Every single BIE event – from barbeques and scavenger hunts to the graduation dinner and reception.
What advice do you have for BIE students?
Undergraduate programs aren’t supposed to be easy and they aren’t meant to just teach you how to solve problems previously solved. Hence, if you find your degree is not challenging enough, take courses, participate in competitions and get involved in organizations that help you push you to your limits and force you to act outside your comfort zone. I think that piece of advice helped me make the most of my undergraduate degree.
Favourite place in Vancouver?
I love food. Try Mexican Antojitos Y Cantina in Downtown Vancouver.
