Master of Economics (2017)
Haidi Hong is a regulatory analyst with the Independent Competition and Regulatory Commission, an ACT price regulator that promotes the wellbeing of the ACT community through its regulatory and consumer protection activities and provides advice to the ACT Government on a wide range of matters. In this role, he develops pricing models for electricity, water and sewerage – drawing on knowledge and skills developed through his PhD research.
Haidi completed a Master of Economics in 2017 at ANU before undertaking his PhD studies in price-regulation and economic growth. During his PhD studies, he worked as a Research Assistant at the Research School of Economics (RSE), focusing macroeconomics, energy economics and regulatory economics.
2 August 2022
What is your PhD project and why did you choose to work on this?
My PhD project is on price regulation and macro-economic growth. I observed the goods shortage caused by inappropriate price regulation and decided to figure out what the effect of price regulation on gross product is.
How will you celebrate the achievement of this important milestone?
I plan to take one day off, revisit the ANU campus and say thank you to the CBE staff for their generous support during my PhD journey. I will celebrate with my supervisors and RSE fellows.
What are the top three things you wish you had known when you started your PhD journey?
Publication is important for an academic career; teaching is most important for long-tern career prospects at ANU; PhD degrees are a real value-add to your industry career.
What is your next adventure? If you have started a job, please tell us how you found the opportunity, and what the recruitment process involved.
I’m currently working at the Independent Competition and Regulatory Commission. The Commission’s goal is to protect consumers and businesses in the ACT and regulate market competition. My role involves developing the pricing model of electricity, water and sewerage, a job that relates closely to my PhD research.
When I was applying for industry jobs, I browsed the job vacancies on the ACT government’s website. My recruitment process was:
- submission
- candidates short-listed for interview
- the interview
- the notification of outcome.
In general, it takes two months or so to finalise the recruitment process.