Contributors

I became an Emeritus Professor in the Faculty of Business, Economics and Law at the University of Queensland in 2021. Prior to that I was the Director of the Australian Institute for Business and Economics (AIBE) at the University of Queensland. I also held visiting positions at the Universities of Kiel, Lancaster, Ulster, and the National University of Ireland, was a visiting Fellow at Queensland Treasury and an Eminent Visitor in Residence at the Department of Employment and Education within the Queensland Government.

I have always combined my role as an academic with applied research and consultancy because I believe that to be a good economist you must combine economic theory with practical application. After taking up the role as Emeritus Professor I am more active in applied research and consultancy with recent projects for Jobs Queensland (labour market research), BMD (Construction workforce management), the Tasmanian Wine Association (modelling wine demand, price elasticities), the Kingston Group (Economics of Artificial intelligence) and the University of Queensland Paralympic Centre of Excellence on projects involving the Australian, Queensland, Western Australian and South Australian economies.

All these areas complement my main areas of expertise and interest in applied economics, particularly labour economics, and economic modelling. My other strong interest is in the economics of professional sports where I have written on Cricket, Football (Soccer) and Rugby league, particularly from a data analytics approach. I taught a course called the Business of Professional sports for several years and found economic theory and diagnostic techniques perfect for analysing professional sports leagues. I want to continue all these interests in my blog and website and to extend its reach and coverage to a wider audience by exploring contemporary economic topics in a more fun, general, less formal manner, than that required for academic writing. In this way I will be able to start a dialogue with readers and subscribers both in Australia and around the world about interesting economics and sports related issues in an interactive manner.

As the blog develops, readers and subscribers will be encouraged to suggest new areas for research and make contributions of their own research to be housed on the website. I will maintain my economic consulting activities and use the blog as a means by which interested parties can contact me to discuss their research needs.

Economics, particularly in its applied form, is a fascinating area of study for which no topic is beyond consideration. Personally, and in collaboration with others, I have researched the economics of bigotry, multiculturalism, spousal abuse, workplace injuries, Test match and Indian Premier League cricket, referee basis in the NRL. Others have expanded the boundaries of economics by examining the economics of happiness and other socio-economic issues. The research question, “the economics of ” can be applied to examine almost any topic. Therefore, I intend the blog to be a wide-ranging and welcoming environment for both readers and contributors.

I have been very fortunate to have been able to study and research in several world class universities and senior Government departments and, in a small way, to influence public policy. I was not always easy, and I was helped along the way by several scholarships and bursaries. As such, I wish to use the blog to assist others wishing to study economics who, for a variety of reasons, require additional help to pursue their studies. I will establish a donation fund, to be administered by an independent board and the proceeds used to purchase equipment and care assistance for these students.

John Mangan – June 2024

For more information, you can visit my University of Queensland profile.