Nandini Rakheja

Tell us about your degree - why did you choose it?

I decided to study Economics quite early in my education, and that interest remained with me through to university, where I also completed an undergraduate degree in Economics.

What drew me in was the way the subject explains how economies actually function, the forces behind demand and supply, the factors that shift them, and above all the ability to test a hypothesis and solve problems using data.

What did you enjoy the most about your course?

The MSc stood out on every front: the teaching staff, the diversity of my peers, the facilities, and above all the course content. Behavioural Economics was a module I had never encountered during my undergraduate years, and at Leeds I genuinely fell in love with it. It came to me so naturally that I secured 80/100, an achievement that still means a great deal to me. Econometrics and Applied Econometrics had a similar effect: I would head to the Laidlaw Library almost daily to work through lectures and seminars, simply because those subjects gave me a real urge to understand them properly.

Much of the credit goes to the staff, who were consistently supportive. I would especially like to thank my dissertation supervisor, Dr. Anindita Chakrabarti, who took me on as her student and believed in me even at moments when I did not believe in myself. She guided me towards a topic in health economics, a field I remain deeply interested in today because of the knowledge and direction she gave me.

What did you enjoy most about your life as a student at the University of Leeds?

Life at Leeds is calm and peaceful, and at the same time genuinely exciting as a student. I attended a range of social events, took part in a few dance events with the dance society, and made regular use of The Edge sports centre. I was also elected Course Representative for MSc Economics, and engaging with my peers in that role did a great deal for my communication skills and my confidence. Leeds is a wonderful place to be a student, and I miss it more than I expected to.

What professional skills and experience did you gain?

The clearest professional skill I took away was the ability to turn data into a defensible argument. The econometrics teaching at Leeds trained me to question the quality of my data, justify every methodological choice, and be honest about what my results could and could not prove. That discipline is something I use constantly now.

The MSc also built strong research and project management skills. Working to tight deadlines across multiple modules, while producing extended independent written work, taught me to plan backwards from a deadline, work without supervision, and revise my own thinking when the evidence pointed elsewhere.

How did your time at Leeds prepare you for the future?

Coming to Leeds as an international student meant handling everything on my own for the first time, a new country, a new academic system, and the day-to-day practicalities of living independently. It was challenging and rewarding in equal measure and that combination is exactly what prepared me for what came next.

Academically, I had to adapt quickly to a style of learning that expected far more independence than I was used to. Nobody chased me for progress; the responsibility to keep up, ask questions and manage my own time sat entirely with me. That shift taught me self-discipline and resilience.

How has your career progressed since leaving the Business School?

Since graduating with a First-Class Distinction in MSc Economics, my career has taken me into commercial research and consulting. I began as a Data Analyst Intern at Savills in London, working on property assets worth over £100 million. Since May 2025 I have been a Consulting Intern at IWSR in London, and the past year there has been the most formative stage of my career so far. I have led survey design, testing and quality assurance across more than 20 multi-country studies, each drawing on responses from over 3,000 participants, and produced client-facing research reports that translate large survey datasets into strategic recommendations for major international clients.

What are your ambitions for the future?

In the long run, my ambition is to prepare for and pursue a PhD. My dissertation at Leeds, on the determinants of mental wellbeing among ageing adults in India, was the point at which I realised research is where I want my career to sit, and doctoral study feels like the natural way to take that further.

What was your biggest highlight of studying at Leeds?

If I had to name a single event, it would be the week-long study exchange at Frankfurt School of Finance and Management. We attended lectures, visited Deutsche Bank and the Money Museum, and had time to explore the city itself. Being able to learn inside Germany's financial capital, rather than only reading about it, was an experience I will never forget. It was exactly the kind of opportunity I had hoped studying abroad would open up, and Leeds is the reason I had it.

But the larger highlight, the one I carry with me most, is how much I changed as a person over that year. Leeds put me among people from an extraordinary range of countries, cultures and backgrounds, and being genuinely part of that mix, not observing it, but living and studying inside it every day shifted my whole perspective. I learned how differently people can think about the same problem, how much someone's background shapes the way they approach their work, and how much there is to gain from simply listening to a person whose life has looked nothing like your own.

Would you recommend Leeds University Business School?

If someone asked me today whether to study economics at Leeds, my answer would be an easy yes.