2022 has been a year of connection, allowing us to re-experience the joys of face-to-face learning and overseas adventures. The writers of ESSA have continued to pursue their interest in economics and keenly observe significant local and global events throughout this year – and there have been many. From Russia’s invasion of Ukraine to the overturning of Roe v Wade, from soaring consumer prices to Elon Musk’s purchase of Twitter, our writers have explored topics on historical economic thinking, contemporary issues, and offered their predictions on the future.

This year’s Equilibrium asked the question, ‘For better or for worse?’. It centres on the social, technological, and political change we are currently living through. With such a broad theme, we hoped to encourage our writers to think critically about a topic of interest and consider its implications for the future.

Like previous years, EQ 2022 has truly been a cross-campus effort with students from the University of Melbourne and Monash University investing their time and effort into creating this magnificent publication. We would like to thank all those who have contributed including our sponsors, writers, editors and graphic designers.

Happy reading!

Ivy Chen (ESSA Melbourne)

Publications Director 2022