Economics

Director of Studies and Academic Support

At the heart of the Cambridge academic experience is the relationship between students and their Director of Studies (DoS). Your DoS oversees your academic progress, advises on paper choices, arranges supervisions, and ensures you are supported throughout your time in Cambridge.

Our current Director of Studies in Economics is Ruohan Qin, an Official Fellow of the College. Ruohan is a microeconomic theorist whose research focuses on networks, game theory, and the economics of conflict. With extensive teaching experience across undergraduate and postgraduate courses, Ruohan is deeply committed to helping students thrive academically and personally, supporting students continuously from your first day of matriculation to the last day of graduation. He’ll always be there to listen and support you—whether you’d like to talk about your studies, seek guidance, or just have a friendly chat.

Q&A with the Director of Studies

What do you look for in candidates?

We look for academic ability and potential in Economics. In practice, that means we look for evidence demonstrating the following:

• the ability to translate real-world phenomena into mathematical form,
• the technical skills to work through the mathematics itself, and
• the insight to interpret the mathematics back into meaningful economic ideas.

An ideal economist is both mathematically rigorous and conceptually imaginative. We value applicants who are confident with numbers but also able to communicate ideas clearly, linking abstract models to real-world issues. Put simply: Imagine someone who loves debating world events and economic policy over dinner, and another who is a brilliant mathematical problem-solver. The best candidates strike a balance between the two: curious about ideas and confident with numbers. That combination is what makes a great economist.

What’s your advice on writing the Personal Statement?

There’s no single ‘correct’ way to write a personal statement — it really does need to be personal and reflect your voice, interests, and motivations. I can’t tell you the perfect way to write one, but I can tell you a few common mistakes to avoid:

1. Don’t let fancy words get in the way of your message
   Sometimes we see personal statements filled with long, complex sentences and elaborate vocabulary. While grammatically correct, they can be exhausting to read. You’re not writing a literary essay — your goal is to communicate clearly. Keep it simple, keep it readable, and focus on getting your ideas across.
2. Don’t throw around fancy economics terms you don’t fully understand
   It’s tempting to throw in buzzwords — ‘Kuhn-Tucker conditions’, ‘OLS estimation’, "dynamic stochastic general equilibrium"... But if you don’t really understand them, it shows. Remember, we’re trained economists — we can tell when you’re bluffing. It’s far more impressive to explain a simple idea clearly than to misuse complex ones.
3. Don’t drown your reader in technical details
   Even if you avoid the first two traps — well done! — the final danger is overloading your statement with technical content. It’s great if you’ve done some reading or explored advanced economic models or programming, but don’t let your statement become a methods showcase. What we care about most is why the topic excites you, what you’ve learned, and how you think. Economics is about ideas first — the tools come second.

How do interviews work?

At Murray Edwards, applicants for Economics usually have two interviews, each with two economists at the University.

Think of the interviews as a kind of mock supervision. You’ll be given a few problems or topics to work through, and your interviewers will guide you as you think aloud and develop your ideas. The aim isn’t just to test what you already know, but to see how you reason, how you approach problems, and how you respond to new information and guidance.

Above all, we want you to feel at ease. The interviews are more like friendly academic conversations than exams — a chance for us to get to know you, and for you to show your curiosity and potential as a future economist.

How should I prepare?

The best preparation is to learn to think like an economist. Here’s one way to picture it:

Imagine you’re a non-native English speaker preparing to meet a native speaker in a few years’ time, hoping to convince them you’re fluent. How do you prepare? By actually learning and practising the language.

Similarly, in your interviews you’ll be “conversing” with economists — so the best preparation is to actually immerse yourself in economics.

My advice is to read serious economics textbooks and start thinking with economic models. This process trains your mind to approach questions in the way of an economist. At the end of the day, it’s not about memorising theorems or equations, but about internalising how an economist thinks.

One of my own favourites as a student was Hal Varian’s Intermediate Microeconomics.

👉 You can also find a suggested preliminary reading list from the Faculty of Economics here: Preliminary Reading List (Faculty of Economics).

What’s your favourite thing about the College?

My personal favourite thing about the College is the atmosphere of openness. At many colleges in Cambridge, you’ll find immaculate lawns that students aren’t even allowed to step on — reserved for Fellows only. At Murray Edwards, it’s completely different. Not only are students free to enjoy all the green spaces, but you can even pick flowers from the gardens for your room!

It’s this sense of freedom and inclusivity that makes Murray Edwards such an inspiring place, and I’m proud to be part of it. I warmly invite you to join us at Murray Edwards one day. Wishing you the very best of luck in your academic journey — and I hope to meet you here in the future.

What the students say

Huiru Wu

Why Economics?             

To me, economics is more than just graphs and equations—it’s the hidden logic behind everyday life. I love how a simple theory can unravel the choices behind everything from a student’s budget to a nation’s climate policy, solving real-world problems. What truly captivates me about economics is its power to address the most pressing environmental challenges of our time. I'm particularly passionate about environmental economics—where rigorous analysis meets sustainability. 

Life at Murray Edwards:

Our college's vibrant community makes every day special. The tennis courts have become my happy place - there's something magical about evening matches where the setting sun turns the courts golden. Whether I'm playing friendly doubles or practicing serves, it's the perfect way to unwind after lectures. One of my favorite surprises about college life has been watching our gardens transform through the seasons. During exam term, when my brain felt full of equations, the sudden explosion of flowers outside the library became my daily dose of calm. 

Kelly Ting

Studying Economics at Murray Edwards was a truly rewarding experience. I was lucky to be surrounded by such inviting and supportive peers, including supervisors who are so inspiring, being experts in their field. Economics is a broad subject, and I felt encouraged to explore my specific passions during my studies while learning from the bright minds around me, particularly development economics and the study of inequality. As an interdisciplinary subject, you are challenged to develop both literary and quantitative skills. While it was certainly demanding, I am proud to see how far I’ve grown, both intellectually and personally.

At Medwards, I quickly found a home away from home. From my college family and college wife, to my tutor and DoS, I’ve been well supported through the transition to university life. Academics aside, there are also endless opportunities to explore hobbies and curiosities! I had the privilege of being Treasurer of ABACUS and part of the Cambridge University Dance Competition Team and tried out lots of new hobbies in between. These experiences reminded me of how important it was to make time for the things you love, as my time at university flew by!