AN INTERVIEW WITH DR. OKILA ELBOEVA

Interview by Jiaqi (Joyce) Sun

Dr. Okila Elboeva is, in my opinion, one of the best economic professors at King’s. However, her journey into the world of economics and finance was not part of her initial aspirations. Coming from a family of physicians, she had always thought of herself as a future doctor, too.

However, the economy changed in her country, and the financial sector became the best career path at that time. She completed her undergraduate degree in finance from the Tashkent Institute of Finance in her home country of Uzbekistan, and later earned her economics Ph.D. in the United States. Although pursuing a career in economics was not her childhood dream, she found that she had a passion for it, and it became a part of her life.

Teaching is an essential part of academia. Dr. E began her career as a professor at Lincoln Memorial University in 2016, where she encountered students with different expectations and diverse backgrounds. For her, teaching comes with a great responsibility, especially when it comes to first-year students. Dr. E says, “My role is to teach [students] how to study, how to reach their goals and not necessarily to make them economists. I want to give them the experience they need to pursue their goals and become successful in life. Many students may not become economists, but the skills they learn in my class or in college will help them to achieve their goals and become successful in their chosen careers.”

However, teaching is not always easy. During her first year of teaching, it was challenging for Dr. E to explain the course topics in a way that connected with the students’ expectations. Fortunately, she had a convenient schedule that allowed her to teach twice a week and devote the remainder of her time to lesson preparation. Over time, she gained valuable insight into effective teaching practices and how to connect with students. She realized that possessing knowledge on the subject matter alone was inadequate; she had to be able to explain it in a way that students could understand.

Despite the challenges, teaching also brings rewards to Dr. E. With time and effort, she has been able to establish good connections with her students, and she says that their feedback at the end of the course is the most rewarding thing. One student had written that he had been inspired to become an economist because of her, which was a deeply satisfying reward for Dr. E.

As an academic, Dr. Elboeva believes that the most important thing is to learn continuously and improve her skills. She always tries to improve her teaching skills and research methods to provide the best education to her students and contribute to the academic community.