Preface

I am thrilled to share a few words to support the Barcelona Essential Skills Training for Economics PhD Students (BESTEPS), a brilliant initiative led by an outstanding team of PhD students.

BESTEPS aims to provide a comprehensive set of skills that are essential at various points of doctoral research in Economics. It covers a wide range of topics, from the early stages of the research process to the final production of innovative and relevant research papers. These skills are not typically included in master’s or PhD curricula, despite being crucial for a successful academic career and for enhancing the competitiveness of PhD students in the job market and beyond.

In terms of format, BESTEPS is unique in being tailored to the specific needs of Economics PhD students and being highly interactive. The program is structured as a course comprising several sessions, each focusing on a particular aspect of the process of creating, conducting, and publishing academic research. These sessions feature leading researchers sharing their experience. BESTEPS provides a solid foundation for PhD students to approach their research careers in a structured and effective way.

The stars aligned, and this proactive initiative coincided with a funding call launched by the UB Doctoral School to support training activities led by PhD students. The outcome was so successful that we feel compelled to share it. That is why we have put together this BESTEPS Guide. We are confident that PhD students from other programs, as well as other junior researchers, will benefit from these notes.

I want to take this opportunity to warmly thank the lecturers, Antonio Cabrales, Dirk Foremny, Albrecht Glitz, Libertad González, Joan Llull, Guillermo Marin, Diego Puga, and Jenifer Ruiz-Valenzuela. They have done a wonderful job sharing their experience in a helpful and enlightening way. They truly exceeded our already high expectations.

I would also like to express my deep gratitude and congratulations to the exceptional team of PhD students who designed the BESTEPS proposal and have meticulously organized every detail of the program with rigor, dedication, and vision. The team, led by Mengwei Lin, includes Daniel Favre, Marcella De Giovanni, Sergio Blanco, Anna Chesa, Ruixi Zhang, Sofía Balladares, Natalia Carralero, Elisa Muscarella, Thompson Ogajah Tawiah, and many more. Their proactive spirit, commitment to academic excellence, and ability to turn an idea into a high-impact initiative are truly commendable. My sincere thanks also go to Jordi Roca and Judit Farré, whose administrative support has been essential to this program.

Last, to all the young researchers reading this Guide: we hope you find it as inspiring and useful as we intended. The research journey can be challenging, but you are not alone; there is a community of scholars ready to support you, and resources like BESTEPS are here to help you grow. Stay curious, stay resilient, and don’t hesitate to reach out, ask questions, and seek connections. Your ideas matter, and your work has the potential to shape the future of economic research. Keep going—you’ve got this!