Dr. Kam

Yu

Dr. Kam Yu is an expert on what is arguably the most complicated number in our economy.

Specializing in index number theory, Dr. Yu has spent a large chunk of his career analyzing the Consumer Price Index (CPI), the aggregate of all price changes and a general indicator of how expensive things are in Canada.

The derivation of CPI is understandably a very complicated procedure. But Dr. Yu has long been an expert on the subject and was even supervised by a global leader in index number theory as a PhD student. While pursuing his doctorate, he enjoyed employment as an economist for Statistics Canada where he was able to put his extensive knowledge into play. As there remain several practical and theoretical problems in the discipline, Dr. Yu hopes that his life's work will contribute towards their resolve.

Aside from index number theory, Dr. Yu has pursued many diverse projects. To name a few, he's analyzed the behaviours of blackjack players, examined prepackaged software prices, and explored a new approach to measure health output.

"There's a certain attraction to economics," reflects Dr. Yu. "It can be used quite effectively to explore and solve many human problems."

And this blend of mathematics and the humanities has proven to be quite employable as Lakehead graduates are scooped up by all levels of government and various industries including Statistics Canada, the Department of Finance, the Bank of Canada, the Ministry for Natural Resources, and human resource agencies.

Dr. Yu describes the economics graduate program as "high-quality and value-added", offering intensive training in a supportive community. In particular, the department plays a special role for many international students. "We train them well so they're able to familiarize themselves with Canada's system and go on to get good jobs."

He adds, "In the end, it's not about whether our department ranks first in Canada, it's the impact we have on our students."