Economics in action: From classrooms to communities

When Selinas Rukaiya Suhee (Alumna, ESS) was asked to name her undergraduate journey as a chapter in a book, she named it “Economics in Action”. Currently a recipient of the Commonwealth Masters Scholarship, Suhee is now pursuing an MSc in Global Development at SOAS University of London, focusing on gender and inequality. Her journey, however, was not built in lecture halls alone; much of it happened on the ground, where theory met reality.  

Coming from a family of predominantly engineers and doctors, Suhee was inspired by her elder brother to navigate a different route, finding herself more intrigued by nano-loans than stethoscopes and oscilloscopes. At BRACU, several decorated professors shaped her thinking approach, leading her to INGO, where she learned how to analyse real-world problems with economic theories and perspectives. Additionally, she worked at Swisscontact on the Sarathi project as a Coordinator, Monitoring and Results Measurement and Interventions. The project aimed to advance financial inclusion within the RMG sector, but getting stakeholders on board was hardly textbook economics. Convincing factory owners and the related associations required a demonstration of what was in it for them, which made Suhee’s experience more diverse.

While working, Suhee learned that development cannot always be measured by numbers. She recalls, “We always have guidelines regarding financial training and handling online wallets, but there was this incident where one woman, who, despite knowing everything, handed control of her account to her husband, who later disappeared with the money.” The experience showed her how deeply social barriers can shape financial inclusion.

Photo credit: Collected

After leaving Swisscontact in October 2024, she applied for the Commonwealth Master’s Scholarship the following month. Now at SOAS, she hopes to bring together economics, development studies and fieldwork, channelling these lessons into financial inclusion in Bangladesh. 

For Suhee, the journey is more than learning the global theories; it is about witnessing how the real world unfolds and turning knowledge into meaningful impact.