Rui was the Overall Winner for Economics in 2015. She's now a PhD student in economics at Warwick University, where she researches economics and artificial intelligence.

In her spare time, she enjoys a variety of activities such as mediation, yoga and cooking, which helps her cope with some stressful periods of research.

What are you doing now and what has happened since the award?

I am working on adopting artificial intelligent techniques in economic modelling and I am also working as an academic visitor at the Bank of England on a project of similar topic.

Since the award, I continued my studies and was awarded a distinction for my MSc degree at Warwick University. I then took a year off from the academic route and worked at the UNESCO headquarters. I also spent around 6 months with my family and friends, that I had been away from for many years during my study.

Has receiving an award for your hard work helped?

I came across the award from a promotional email sent within Durham University. I was working on my dissertation at that time and thought I’d give it a go.

Receiving the award came as a pleasant surprise, and it showed that the hard work I put in during my undergraduate study paid off. It significantly boosted my confidence in research and academic writing considering English is not my native language. I also thoroughly enjoyed the Global Summit and shaking hands with the president of Ireland.

How was your experience as an undergraduate student?

It was a struggle not in terms of the academic content but mainly due to the language and cultural barrier. Luckily I was surrounded by some great friends and teachers who helped me learn and grow.

What are your plans for the future?

Well, I prefer living in the moment. So first step, enjoy and finish the PhD :) A big plus of a PhD life is taking control of your time since you are no longer bounded by the 9 to 5 work schedule.

I love this advice given by one of my supervisors. To paraphrase, life is like a random draw of events, and you never really know what’s in store for you, so all you can do is keep trying whatever your goal is.