UEC launches Econ Expo
The economics society’s first-ever Economics Expo featured networking and panels in the Kaneff Centre.

On October 8, the University of Toronto (U of T) Mississauga (UTM)’s Undergraduate Economics Council (UEC) hosted Gateway Economics Expo 2025, a networking and panellist showcase for undergraduate students. From 5 to 8 p.m., over 100 students flocked to the UEC’s air travel-themed flagship event, which had a split venue in the Kaneff Centre.

Guests lined up at a reception desk where they were signed in, given a name tag, and assigned to one of several tables in the Kaneff Rotunda, which had been decorated with blue and white balloons and streamers. Throughout the evening, the Rotunda served as a space for guests to wander, introduce themselves, and have open discussions at their leisure.

The event also featured tabling by the UTM Department of Economics, the Rotman School of Management, the Munk School of Global Affairs & Public Policy, and the Master of Financial Economics, Master of Urban Innovation, and Master of Science in Sustainable Management programs.

About 30 minutes in, over three dozen attendees crowded into the event’s second location, the adjacent Kaneff Family Presentation Room, for a video conference about graduate schools.

Graduate student David Wechselberger, speaking from Sweden, gave a rundown of studying at the Stockholm School of Economics. He provided insights into the application process, academic planning, and what it’s like to live in Sweden, assuring that Canadians who choose to study there would comfortably find themselves in a “modern and open society.”

Speaking from Toronto, Program Coordinator Josie Valotta discussed the U of T Master of Mathematical Science program. She emphasized the program’s relatively small class sizes, fast-tracked 12-month delivery, and proclivity for undergraduate students from “mathematically rigorous programs.”

She also stressed the importance of graduate studies. “You can certainly get a job in finance with an undergraduate degree… but our studies show that career advancement requires grad experience.”

A third speaker from the Barcelona School of Economics couldn’t make it, instead sending the UEC a document showcasing the school and instructions on how to apply. The UEC promised to share this document along with a comprehensive list of graduate programs for economics students after the event.

After a 10-minute break, event organizers launched another panel discussion, this time about economics research.

The discussion began with a presentation by members of the masthead for the UEC’s scholarly journal, Pareto, led by Dr. Nicholas Zammit. Zammit went over the process of submitting articles to Pareto, noting that students can submit their coursework to potentially be published in the journal.

He also gave advice on how first- and second-year students can prepare to get into research, stressing the importance of accumulating volunteer research experience that’s recognized by the co-curricular record.

Next, PhD candidate Adrian Schroeder discussed his research in theoretical econometrics and his motivations for pursuing a PhD. “I always liked the courses that get you to actually think about the topics,” he said. “Studying for a PhD gives you the freedom to explore topics that way.”

Fielding questions about support available to current and aspiring PhD students, Schroeder assured that the funding situation for researchers has “improved” since U of T narrowly avoided strikes at the start of 2024. He also advised interested students to check out the U of T Hub on Ten Thousand Coffees platform to get advice from alumni professionals.

The expo’s third and final panel comprised nine industry professionals from the public and private sectors. The panellists were experts in fields such as public administration, health start-ups, and venture capital, among others.

Moderated by UEC Externals Director Grace Ahadjie and Externals Associate Maisra Ali, each panellist answered questions about their academic journey and what it’s like to work in their field.

While some gave long-winded stories on how they entered the world of finance, like an Infrastructure Ontario (IO) employee who studied public administration and “slithered” his way into economics, others nearly winded themselves with witty and zippy breakdowns of their mindset for success, like one seasoned lawyer who gave a 90-second talk about how he aims to “maximise impact” in all his career decisions.

The whole panel was veritably approachable, engaging students with thoughtfulness and good humour. The audience got comfortable in turn, with one guest asking another speaker from IO, “When are you guys gonna finish the Gardiner?” The public servant laughed and replied that such questions are important to ask and difficult to answer.

The panel’s conclusion signalled the start of a complementary dinner. The remaining attendees promptly filed back into the Rotunda to spend the rest of the evening connecting over sandwiches, spring rolls, and smooth jazz.

Another happy landing

With panels completed, dozens of sliders devoured, five balloons popped, and countless LinkedIns exchanged, UEC execs concluded the event and started clearing out the venue. As the final guests made their leave, UEC Academics Director Isabella Contecha and Vice President Academics Ankush Koshal stepped aside for an interview with The Medium to discuss the rationale behind the Expo.

“This essentially started with us thinking: ‘What are all the options students have with an econ degree after they graduate?’” explained Koshal, who’s in his third year studying finance and economics. He came up with the idea to present the three main pathways for economics undergraduates—research, pursuing a master’s degree, and industry—as gates in an airport terminal, emphasizing that they can lead anywhere in the world.

“The main idea was to grab all econ students—first, second, third, and even fourth-year—and help settle the uncertainty that comes from an econ degree with all the possibilities you have,” added Contecha, who’s in her third year studying financial economics.

Speaking on how the UEC managed to secure so many panellists, Koshal revealed that it was a massive team effort. They reached out to professors, industry professionals, and graduate students through office hours, LinkedIn messages, and volleys of emails. “It was as much outreach as we could possibly do, the entire team working on it, just a big numbers game.”

Contecha commended her peers and partners in the UEC and academic departments, “a team of over 40 people,” for all their hard work to make the Expo a reality.

Koshal finished by vouching for the field of economics. “You can genuinely get anywhere, and this subject becomes what you want it to be. Our degree, from U of T and UTM, is super powerful, and you’re only limited by how big you can think.”

The UEC’s next event will be Breaking Point: Canada’s Productivity Problem, a case competition that will take place at UTM on November 8 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. For this event, the UEC promises guests from the Bank of Canada, Deloitte, and IO, as well as a top prize of C$1000.