The White Horseman

PATRIA MEMOR.
Photo by EmDee / CC BY-SA 3.0

One of the most liveable and respected cities in the world, Brussels has a lot to offer. Home to more than 100 museums, 20 theatres, and 9 palaces, the capital of Belgium is proud of the cultural heritage that is truly immense. A fully-fledged world city despite its small-town feel, Brussels is a melting pot of numerous cultures and ethnicities, not to mention its own enduring bilingual status. Enriched by the presence of many EU institutions, as well as the NATO headquarters, the Belgian capital has firmly entrenched its status of the de facto capital of Europe.

The architecture is captivating. Though never an imperial capital of the kind of London or Vienna, Brussels has more than enough to beguile a less sophisticated guest. The magnificent Arcade du Cinquantenaire inspires awe and respect. The royal palaces are well worth a visit. Numerous monuments and statues adorn its streets and alleys, including the city’s unofficial symbol, the famous Manneken Pis.

And yet it is another, unassuming monument, in the very heart of the city, which deserves a second, cautious look. Walking past a magnificent park and several palaces, on the way to the European Parliament, a busy tourist may spot an equestrian statue. The rider, tall and well built, has the appearance of a victor and conqueror. His large leonine beard stands out, but one can hardly recognise him. A brief glimpse on the name plaque, plain and modest as it is, will likely explain little more. And yet it is exactly this statue of a horseman which is a vivid memento of Belgium's much darker and dishonourable past.

* * *

Nuclear Close Calls: the War that Almost Happened

Finance and economics people are good at many different things, and we have never had a pleasure of listing modesty among our virtues. Sadly, predicting future has never been in the list either. As Paul Samuelson, a Nobel laureate (and the author of the best-selling economics textbook ever) famously joked in 1966, ‘Wall Street indexes predicted nine out of the last five recessions’, and our record has hardly improved since then.

10 Things I Learned at Oxford

Image: courtesy of Victoria Shi

When I first came to Oxford as a high school student six years ago, it looked a very different place from what it is now. Not that it has changed much since then (in fact, the city has not changed that much in 70 years), but it is interesting to notice how different the perception was at that time. A thing I remember the best from this first visit is, quite surprisingly, a typical postcard with a standard English joke. Not that it was original in any way, but it was one of the things to come to my mind as I was recollecting everything I learned during the nine months I spent here as an MFE student and pondering whether I still remember anything useful of it...

Nevertheless, even though a year at Oxford was a very short and intensive period, I would like to share some of my observations which I have not forgotten yet, and which might actually turn out to be true. 

Fractals: Where Art and Science Meet. Part 1.

Winter holidays have never been a particularly merry season in Oxford, but rather a quiet one. Most students have left, both undergraduate and graduate, and even last applicants coming here for interviews are packing their suitcases and going home, with hopes to return here next year. Many of my classmates went to their home countries, to return only in January, when our exams come. 

Tomo's Deep Problem: What Makes You Rich

More than a decade ago, in late 1990s, being an Internet investor was something more than just a rewarding hobby. For many of the 'fearless and greedy', it was a straight and sure path to fame and glory. The Internet (which in fact appeared much earlier) was on its onset, and numerous dot-com companies flourished. Late 1990s were by far not bad for 'tech' companies as well, which gained a lot too. In the years to come, one of them made it to the Guinness World Records, while another - to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary.