Bhavya Gupta
Nationality:
India
Faculty and Department:
Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy
Year of Study:
3
Undergraduate University:
University of Delhi, India
Why did you choose to do a PhD?
I have always been inclined towards research and contributing in the generation of new knowledge. After my Masters, I worked for a while in different places but soon realised that I missed the academic autonomy that comes with being an independent researcher, as well as the thrill of studying and researching something that you truly love and believe in. This led me to apply for a PhD.
Why did you choose to do graduate education at NUS? If you received offers from other universities, why did you pick NUS?
I chose NUS for two main reasons. First, I wanted to focus on emerging economies and Asia in particular for my thesis area. Singapore is the economic and financial epicentre of the APAC region and NUS is ranked #1 in the region, which led me to think that the research areas pursued by the faculty in NUS would be strongly aligned with my academic predispositions. Secondly, I really wanted to pursue my PhD in a subject which is not super theoretical, but transcends the boundary between academia and practitioners. Public policy was the perfect fit for this.
Briefly share about your research or thesis (i.e. dissertation topic for Masters by Coursework students).
My thesis topic is still evolving, but broadly I consider it to be at the intersection of three academic fields – macroeconomics, international political economy, and public policy. In particular, I want to focus on the evolving nature of central banks, the new challenges faced by them in a post-COVID disrupted society, and the implications of COVID-19 for regional financing and regionalism in Asia. In this endeavour, I focus on particular cutting-edge and emerging issue areas such as green finance and fintech.
What impact do you hope to have with your research?
I hope that my research can contribute to the evolving field of green finance, fintech, and regulatory challenges posed by these disruptions on policymakers. I also hope that some of the policy recommendations proposed in my thesis can be taken up by governments in crafting regulatory responses to super-wicked problems.
If you have won any academic prize/competition or been invited to speak at an international conference—share what it is, its significance, and how you worked towards achieving it.
I consider myself fortunate enough to have received several opportunities for academic growth during my time till now at LKY, for which I am immensely grateful to my supervisor. Along with my supervisor, I have published four articles in leading Singapore newspapers and one in an Indian daily – all of which are related to my research area. I also got a chance to virtually present two of my papers this summer at the International Conference of Public Policy held in Barcelona, which was a wonderful learning experience giving me much-needed exposure.
Share something about campus life at NUS that new students would be interested to hear about.
Campus life in NUS is vibrant and diverse. There is something for everyone – whether you are interested in sports, dance, music, fitness, or food! Staying on campus has been a very fulfilling experience for me, especially because it makes me feel like being a part of a bigger community. Everything is also automatically super convenient if you stay on campus and participate (even occasionally) in campus activities.