Meet our Term One Lecturers: Paul Hansen

Associate Professor Paul Hansen

Classes have begun, students are settling into routines and they're undoubtedly enjoying Economics under the guidance of Paul Hansen.  Paul is a Kiwi, or more properly a Pakeha (i.e., New Zealander of European descent), who maintains an easygoing attitude about life and learning: often wearing jandals to class.  He maintains an active classroom, encourages discussion and takes personal interest in knowing each of his students.  Paul refers to his role as a lecturer in the MBA as a high-wire act: exhilarating.  

Paul's objective for the class is to help students learn to "think like an economist;" he eschews "the systematic building of theories and models, or their empirical estimation" (from Robert Solow, 1987 Nobel Laureate) as an end in itself.  His course covers a wide breadth of topics including Macro and Micro economics, Multi-Criteria Decision-Making, Conjoint Analysis, Economic Psychology and Game Theory. Students conduct a syndicate (group) level analysis of a real business problem using Multi-Criteria Decision-Making, including the use of the 1000minds software invented by Paul and his business partner, Franz Ombler.

When 1000minds won a Consensus Software Award (sponsored by IBM and Microsoft), the judges said:

“In removing complexity and uncertainty from decision-making processes, 1000Minds has blended an innovative algorithm with a simple user interface to produce a tool of great power and sheer elegance.”

Paul has taught in the Otago MBA for several years and consistently ranks as one of

our best lecturers.  Office hours: "Whenever I'm around (most of the time!)"

Thanks Paul