Minneapolis Fed and UMN Economics Partner to Create Exciting New Undergraduate Course for Spring

The new course, titled, “Economics at Work: The Wealth of African Nations,” will apply tools and methods from economics to provide insights and answer big questions about the past, present, and future wealth of African countries. The only prerequisite is one semester of introductory microeconomics (Econ 1101 or equivalent). The course, ECON 3960, will meet Mondays and Wednesdays 2:30-3:45pm, and will be taught jointly by economists at the Minneapolis Fed and UMN Economics.

The new course is part of the new Broadening Excellence in Economics (BEE) initiative of the Research Division of the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis, which strives to increase the pipeline of individuals into the economics profession. As a sequel to this new course, BEE will be running a two-week research training program (May 19-May 30,2025) at the Minneapolis Fed.  All students taking the Wealth of African Nations course are eligible to apply to the summer program and applications will open in January at the beginning of classes. This program will combine instruction and collaborative research under the guidance of economists in the Research Division, building on the tools and methods developed in the spring-semester class. The program seeks to foster meaningful continuing mentorship relationships between students and economists.

Dr. Alessandra Fogli, monetary advisor and assistant director at the Minneapolis Fed, is leading the BEE initiative and is one of the instructors of the new course. “I am beyond excited about the BEE initiative and the partnership with the U to expand opportunities for all students," Dr. Fogli said. "See you in the classroom and, possibly, on the research floor of the Fed!”

Professor Thomas Holmes, chair of the economics department, will also be an instructor of the course. He said, “I will be teaching the material related to international trade, but I would love to take the rest of class as a student!  There are so many important and interesting economic questions related to countries in Africa. We have put together a fantastic team to teach the course. Check out the team below, including the links to websites and bios.”