Q&A with Susie McKenzie (née Campbell), 2024 20Twenties Young Alumni Award recipient
Susie McKenzie.
It’s been a busy few years for Susie McKenzie, who completed her Bachelor of Science degree, majoring in Economics, in 2016 and in the same year was awarded the University of Otago Scholarship in Science, and the Student Leadership Award.
She followed this with her master’s (MEcon with Distinction, 2018), which provided new perspectives on the issue of understanding why some countries are so rich while others are so poor, which is one of the most important challenges facing social science, with significant implications for wellbeing and welfare.
The ideas presented in her work were developed into a research paper, which was published in the Economic Modelling journal and cited in a study published by Nature, the world’s leading multidisciplinary science journal, as well as in World Bank reports.
In this Q&A, we catch up with what Susie’s been doing since she left Otago.
Q: What was your reaction to receiving the 20Twenties award?
I was very surprised and honoured to hear that I had been selected for the award. It means a lot to be recognised by the University for my work.
Q: Where has your path taken you since graduation?
Since graduating, I have had several jobs in the area that I studied. I spent a year at the United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), in Santiago, Chile, working on technological growth, trade diversification and economic integration for Latin America.
After returning to New Zealand, I worked for several agencies in the New Zealand government, always focusing in on economic modelling and analysis.
This included working on New Zealand’s trade remedies regime and I also took up a significant role on NZ’s APEC host year, where I worked in the Economic Committee managing international relationships and progressing initiatives important to NZ on the world stage.
My studies have been what enabled me to take on these roles.
Right now, although employed by the Treasury as an economic modeller, I am actually at home with my three-month-old baby, working on passing on economic knowledge to the next generation!
Q: What inspires and motivates you to work in the areas you are involved with?
What inspires me is seeing advice in the New Zealand government being backed by hard numbers and evidence, and I hope to dedicate my career as an economist to this.
Q: Tell us about some of the highlights of your time at Otago, and has it helped you in your career and in following your interests?
One of the key highlights of my time at Otago was the opportunity to study in a supportive and intellectually stimulating environment, with lecturers who were always passionate and approachable.
I also enjoyed the diverse community and the strong sense of student life. Otago gave me a strong foundation in critical thinking and research skills, which have been invaluable in my career.
And many of the connections I made with other students have developed into valuable networks in my career, offering collaboration, advice, and shared opportunities over the years.