A Gap Year Intern at the Adam Smith Institute is a title both piercingly thrilling and intimidating. When I found out I’d secured the place, I was glad to know I would escape the usual gap yah pressures of lavish drinking and virtue signalling, instead enjoying witty office banter and an obligatory Google Scholar addiction. I cannot wait to get started.

Having observed the ASI’s work whilst at school and won their essay competition, I decided to go from merely intellectualising on ideas of freedom to being an active participant in bringing such policies about. I feel the best way to achieve such a pursuit is, of course, through copious amounts of tweeting, witty memes and coffee. I am certain the upcoming year will provide all three.

Speaking of which, I am keen to spill the beans on future technological and innovative trends through my blogs. I am particularly interested in ways to ensure technological developments in the near future, such as in vitro meat and driverless cars, are allowed to flourish. I am intrigued by the (arguably ambitious) idea of private currencies and how property rights can be used to improve trading relations. Furthermore, as a recovering teenager I would find it hard to resist covering topical issues from feminism to fisheries, and I look forward to engaging with like-minded (and unlike-minded) people who are keen to exchange views. My more niche interests involve Viking economics (or as I prefer, Vikonomics!) which I have found fascinating paralleled with contemporary economic philosophy.

Finally, through far too much time spent on JSTOR and the ASI’s plethora of research papers, I look forward to not only witnessing the economic past of the U.K. but the economic future as well!