Economics is the foundation of our civilisation. Economists are in demand on all continents and in all sectors of the economy.

Modern economics education is available at many renowned universities in China, South Korea, Turkey, Europe and the USA. All the subjects studied reflect the real needs of business.  These include

• Business Administration and Management
• European Economic Studies (EES)
• International Business and Management
• Middle Eastern Economics and Business Education
• Business and Information Education
• Finance and Accounting
• Business and Information Systems
• Business Management
• Business Mathematics
• Economics and Public Policy
• Global Business Management
• Law and Business Studies
• Economics and Industrial Engineering
• Insurance and Risk Management
• Management and Economics
• Economics and Law

Earning a Bachelor's degree.  A Bachelor's degree takes three to four years to complete. The first three years are devoted to general studies, while the fourth year is devoted to specialisation. Students can choose to specialise in one of the following areas of future professional activity

• Management - study of the fundamentals of business management, its organisation and structure, business legislation, accounting, principles of social responsibility;
• Marketing - in-depth study of the principles of market organisation and various marketing strategies;
• Finance - study of the principles of financial flows, financial markets, risk management, international trade;
• Mass Media and Communication Processes - training qualified specialists in public relations, including in the virtual sphere.

During their studies, students gain unique knowledge about the management of various business sectors and undergo internships, where they consolidate their knowledge in practice. Students are required to study one foreign language in addition to English. A specially appointed coordinator helps students define their career goals and choose the right area of specialisation. Throughout the course, students will master the art of developing business strategy and tactics, as well as developing solutions in crisis situations.

On completion of the bachelor's degree, students receive an internationally recognised diploma. It is possible to go on to become a business manager or to obtain an MBA.

Depending on whether the university is public or private, education is either paid or free. At the same time, there are government programmes and private sponsorship funds that allow talented and motivated students to receive scholarships.

Prospects for a certified bachelor's degree. An international degree opens up a wide range of opportunities for bachelor graduates. Quality education is valued around the world and an international degree is recognised in all countries. As a result, a Bachelor's graduate will always have an advantage when looking for an interesting, challenging and well-paid job. Furthermore, a bachelor can continue his/her education and obtain an MBA diploma if he/she wishes.

Educational institutions. The list of famous higher education institutions that produce economics students is quite extensive, but we will only focus on Turkish universities as an example:

In Turkey, modern business programmes are taught in Turkish and English. Let's tell you about the leading business universities in Turkey: what programmes are in demand and what the study conditions are like.

There are around 200 universities in Turkey, located in megacities and small towns. Most campuses have a modern infrastructure. Cities such as Istanbul, Ankara and Izmir are the most popular for foreigners. 

Studying economics in Turkey requires familiarity with a wide range of related subjects, and many students choose to study a second foreign language. The structure of the programme includes lectures, practical seminars, master classes by guest specialists, practical training and internships. The programmes are designed to be harmonious: attention is paid to both theory and practice. Teachers place particular emphasis on developing skills in critical analysis, argumentation, finding effective ways of influencing business processes and negotiation.

Bachelor's and Master's programmes last from one to five years.

Popular economics courses. Economics is the study of how financial resources are used for personal, government and business purposes. The field has received a major boost in the 21st century. Due to the scarcity of resources, the efficiency of resource management has become increasingly important. The discipline of economics covers more and more areas and issues, with narrow specialisms emerging at the intersection of the sciences.

Economics is primarily the study of finance, but students also study the social nature of monetary situations. Therefore, a degree in economics provides flexible skills that can be applied in different fields. Leading universities in Turkey are well-funded and have modern facilities and well-developed research centres. Some universities accept foreigners without entrance exams on the basis of their diplomas.

Universities in Turkey offer bachelor's, master's and doctoral degrees in the main fields of economics. List of top economics, business and finance programmes in Turkey:

• Economics
• Risk Management
• Information Systems
• Taxation
• Auditing
• Forensic Accounting Expertise
• Professional Ethics
• Quantitative Analysis
• Cost Accounting
• Reporting procedures
• Insurance Specialists
• Financial Accounting
• Business Strategies
• Macroeconomics
• Managerial Accounting
• Corporate Reporting
• Analysed data
• Information technologies in business
• Strategic Management.

Turkey's Top 5 Universities.

• Abdullah Gül University. The leading university in Kayseri is a public university. Its main advantages are: 100% English teaching, foreign teachers, innovative and flexible curriculum. The Bachelor's programme in Economics lasts 4 years. Tuition fees are paid.
• Sabanci University. Located 40 kilometres from Istanbul, Sabanci University is a young, developing university. In 2015, it was ranked among the top 10 developing universities in the world. Founded in 1996, the university offers a two-year English-language master's programme. Tuition is paid.
• Istanbul Bilgi University. This private university in Istanbul is one of the top thirty in Turkey. The university's Faculty of Economics and Business offers education in sought-after fields: economics, business, management, international finance and many others.
• Kadir Has University. This higher education institution is located in Istanbul and offers English-language programmes at Bachelor's and Master's level. It is one of the top universities in Turkey. Tuition fees are paid.
• TED University. Another university with advanced English-language programmes emerged in Turkey in 2012. TED University has developed an economics programme that takes into account the needs of the industry, actively attracts practitioners and works closely with companies.

The professional and personal qualities of an economist.  An economist is a combination of several disciplines in one activity. To be a highly qualified specialist, one must have the following requirements

• knowledge of economic theory, mathematics and analysis, statistics;
• be able to calculate, operate and apply economic indicators;
• distinguish the specifics of economic activities in different sectors;
• have excellent computer skills, 1C, Excel and their analogues.

The list of accountants' competences consists of four groups of skills:

• Ability to learn. "Professional training is a must, but not enough. Accounting is a field where everything changes very quickly. The authorities are constantly updating legislation. Knowledge is constantly outdated. The most important sign of an accountant's professional suitability is the ability to keep up with changes. Up-to-date knowledge is much more important than a diploma," say experts.
• Scrupulousness and meticulousness. But not in the sense of filling in bank payments correctly. An accountant must know the tax code, laws and regulations. He must rely on the originals, not on articles for "dummies". An incompetent accountant will make mistakes and the owner will have to pay for them.
• It is not the length of service that is important, but specific professional experience. You can work in the same company for twenty years, scanning invoices. And you can spend five to seven years gaining extensive and varied practical experience in tax planning, budgeting, etc.
• Knowledge of PCs, cloud services, etc. - an absolute minimum. "It is worth being wary when an accountant says 'the software will do everything'. An accountant needs to understand double-entry accounting and analysis, and rely on their own knowledge rather than a programme".

Where to work. Economists are in demand in finance, industry and commerce, supply and production, government, services, education and culture.

When planning a career, graduates need to understand where they want to work in the future and in what positions. If career growth and the desire to work in large companies is a priority, then for a short period of time at the beginning, excellent experience can be gained in international auditing and consulting companies that apply the best practices in the market. Lines with such competences in the CV will be very important for later career development.

In addition, according to experts, working in a large international commercial company can be a valuable experience. However, there is a high risk of encountering difficulties due to narrow specialisation. For example, it will be difficult for an accountant who has worked with fixed assets to progress to the position of chief accountant.

Pros and cons of economic professions. A business education opens up many prospects. But there are also some difficult moments.

Positive aspects:

• financial literacy;
• demand - you can get a good job without experience;
• prestige and stability of the job;
• decent pay and professional development;
• opportunity to work in related fields, to do research or to start a business.

Negative aspects:

• the need for continuous training - professional development;
• high level of competition and responsibility;
• irregular working hours and stress;
• the need not only to understand the economy, but also to be able to apply knowledge in practice.

Prospects and careers. Prospects for economic professions such as financier, auditor, banker, etc. are always there, and modern realities are no exception. We live in the conditions of market relations, people will always build business and to do it successfully they need financial analysts.

According to experts, such professions as logistician, marketer, commodity expert, pharmacist will always be needed, because buying and selling goods will never lose its importance. And the pandemic has shown the potential of online trading. And all this huge system has to be built in such a way that the customer receives his goods on time and is satisfied with the service.

Experts note that automation and artificial intelligence are not only used to monitor the activities of entrepreneurs. Software is also being used to do a lot of routine work that accountants used to do manually.

In the future, there will be a demand for accountants who have additional skills in the areas of tax and management accounting, i.e. skills of a tax advisor, financial director. Specialists who can help the owner foresee the tax and financial consequences of certain steps, identify the risks associated with the business and work proactively will be valuable.