“When young people are thinking about their careers and businesses they should focus on learning to analyze and solve problems,” said alumnus Robert C. Douglas. “Become a problem-solver.”
Douglas’ advice to current students comes after a long and successful career in public service, the foundations of which he built here at the University of Toronto.
“I’ve always thought highly of the Department of Economics. I was fortunate to work at the Institute for Quantitative Analysis (at 150 St. George) for a summer after graduation and have been very pleased to meet and thank several of my professors over the years,” Douglas explained.
The alumnus is making an impact on the Department of Economics today. Having graduated from what was then the Department of Political Economy in 1969, Douglas returned to the University in March to attend the Undergraduate Awards of Academic Excellence in Economics. A past winner of the Mary Keenan Award himself, Douglas presented it to third-year students Victor Popa Burca and Jia Xiao.
“Winning this award is an unexpected reward for being in a program I love,” said Xiao, “being able to shake hands with Mr. Douglas, who has won the award in the past, and who has done so much that is meaningful to Economics at the University, makes it even better.”
Popa Burca believes the awards is meaningful both to himself and to the department’s learning community.
“This award is the result of my hard work,” said Popa Burca. “I hope other undergraduates see they can win this kind of recognition and are motivated to keep working hard.”
The presentation was not Douglas’ only role at the awards event. Arjun Chaudhuri who obtained the highest mark in ECO446H1, won the Robert C. Douglas Public Finance Award. Douglas endowed the award in 2022 to encourage future economists who are preparing to consider a career in the public service.
“Robert Douglas’ ongoing engagement with the Department of Economics is encouraging to both undergraduate students and members of our faculty,” said Professor Robert Gazzale, Associate Chair of Undergraduate Studies. “Alumni support shows students that there is a long line of people like them who have faced the same challenges, met them, and gone on to play important roles in public finance, policymaking, and other areas that help society function.”
From Douglas’ perspective, students who graduate thinking like economists today, have just as strong a foundation as he did upon graduation.
“Remember to think of both the supply and demand sides. It might sound simple, but it goes a long way!”
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