Our guest lecturer was Peter G. Szilagyi, associate professor of finance at the CEU Business School and the Judge Business School (University of Cambridge).

A very special and highly honoured guest accepted our invitation to speak as part of the Milestone Guest Lecture Series. Peter G. Szilagyi, associate professor of finance at the CEU Business School and the Judge Business School in Cambridge, presented a thought-provoking review of the research on the economic implications of migration. The presentation, which he also gave to the Hungarian Economic Forum, highlighted the influence of migration on national economies, in particular on the labour market, fiscal policies and long-term economic growth.

Based on observations going back 15 years, Professor Szilagyi drew a distinction between economic immigrants and refugees, arguing that refugees are more likely to find work and earn higher wages, as well as more likely to pay taxes than economic immigrants, while not having a negative influence on the employment situation.

The lecture was not only interesting to those planning a career in economics, as it contained many insights on politics, sociology and anthropology that appealed to a wide range of Milestone student interests.

The record number of student questions made for a great debate between Professor Szilagyi and Milestoners on the importance of economics versus politics, as well as on the question of Oxford versus Cambridge. We would therefore like to thank Professor Szilagyi for sharing his views on one of the most pressing issues facing the EU.