📈 Finshub Economic Research Intern Program
A self-paced program designed to prepare you for global macroeconomic research using 100% free resources.
🌟 Program Overview
Prepare for global macroeconomic research through five progressive modules, from beginner foundations to advanced modeling and a final capstone project.
Self-Paced
Beginner → Advanced
100% Free Resources
Each section includes goals, direct links to free resources, key topics, and a hands-on practice assignment to build your skills.
📚 Course Modules
Module 1: Beginner Foundations
1.1 Intro to Economics & Finance
- Goals: Learn supply & demand, opportunity cost.
- Resources:
- Practice: Define 10 key economics terms in a personal glossary.
1.2 Data Literacy & Excel Basics
- Goals: Master spreadsheets & simple charts.
- Resources:
- Practice: Enter sample GDP data; build a line chart.
Module 2: Core Macroeconomic Concepts
2.1 Global Macro Overview
- Goals: Understand Fed, ECB, BoE & key indicators.
- Resources:
- Practice: Summarize the latest U.S. CPI report (300 words).
2.2 Monetary vs. Fiscal Policy
- Goals: Compare interest-rate tools and government budgets.
- Resources:
- Practice: Compare the latest Fed & ECB policy statements (2 paragraphs).
2.3 Interpreting Central Bank Releases
- Goals: Read official minutes & forward guidance.
- Resources:
- Practice: Brief on Fed’s tone shift in the latest FOMC minutes.
Module 3: Market & Sector Analysis
3.1 Market Mechanics & Assets
- Goals: Explore equities, bonds, FX, commodities.
- Resources:
- Practice: Write a short summary: stocks vs. bonds.
3.2 Sector Research Framework
- Goals: Analyze sectors amid macro shifts.
- Resources:
- Practice: One-page on healthcare’s reaction to Fed tightening.
3.3 Weekly Market Briefs
- Goals: Summarize & chart multi-asset moves.
- Resources:
- Practice: Produce a 1-2 page brief on recent equity & FX trends.
Module 4: Advanced Research & Modeling
4.1 Time-Series Analysis
- Goals: Chart correlations & regressions.
- Resources:
- Practice: Correlate oil prices with currency index over 5 years.
4.2 Scenario Forecasting
- Goals: Build Excel forecasts & sensitivity tests.
- Resources:
- Practice: Forecast next quarter’s GDP in Excel.
4.3 Research Reports
- Goals: Compile multi-section analysis every 3 weeks.
- Resources:
- Practice: Submit a report on global inflation with charts and insights.
Module 5: Professional Communication & Capstone
5.1 Presentations & Infographics
- Goals: Design & present clean visuals.
- Resources:
- Practice: Create three infographics summarizing your last report.
5.2 Networking & Collaboration
- Goals: Lead discussions & build a network.
- Resources:
- Practice: Host a weekly virtual discussion on a global economic story.
5.3 Final Capstone Presentation
- Goals: Synthesize all skills in a 10-minute talk.
- Deliverable:
- Global macro overview
- Sector analysis summary
- Weekly market brief highlights
- Scenario forecast model
- Investor implications & recommendations
🛠Tools & Data Platforms
This course relies on powerful, free platforms for data and analysis. All links grant free access.
- FRED: https://fred.stlouisfed.org/
- Trading Economics: https://tradingeconomics.com/
- Quandl: https://www.quandl.com/
- Yahoo Finance: https://finance.yahoo.com/
- TradingView: https://www.tradingview.com/
- Google Sheets: https://www.google.com/sheets/about/
- Canva: https://www.canva.com/
- Python & Pandas (Optional): https://www.python.org/