Matthew Lulay, UM Duluth 2010
The Pound Predicament: How and why the United Kingdom has continued to use the pound in a continent largely unified with the euro
Major
Economics
Mentor
Bedassa Tadesse: Economics
Brief Bio
I am currently studying abroad at the University of Birmingham in central England. My interests include economics, philosophy, traveling, fitness, and guitar.
Future Plans
Graduate school, Peace Corps, or military service
Why Research?
I went into college not knowing how economics would work out. After a few courses I realized that it was for me. I grew more interested in international economics and decided to learn more. I was curious as to why England has remained with the Great British Pound (GBP) in a continent largely converted to the euro. I submitted a proposal with the guidance of Prof. Tadesse and we went from there. Now I am in England studying the GBP and the euro on location which has been a great experience.
What Did I Get from Research?
Thus far in the project I have gained invaluable research skills while learning how to manage my time to achieve better efficiency. Scholarly research is a difficult entity, but I am learning how to produce such material. The work that I have done on this UROP will help me prepare for similar projects that I will be doing for entrance into graduate school and beyond.
How Did I Start?
I heard about a UROP through my study abroad advisor and decided it could be for me. I contacted Prof. Tadesse and I prepared some topics for him to review. We decided on one of those and we prepared a proposal together in conjunction with doing some preliminary research and literature review. We submitted the proposal and a few weeks later I was notified that our proposal was accepted.
Advice for Another Student
If you are interested in exploring a subject of interest more intensely then this is for you. It is a lot of work and it is very tedious, but it is certainly worth the effort. The sense of accomplishment that I will have when I am finished will be tremendous.
Project Description
I am trying to discover how and why the United Kingdom has continued to use the pound in a continent largely unified with the euro. There are cultural, political, and economic reasons why the UK has decided to stay true to its historic currency, and we are analyzing those subjects in depth.