University of Aberdeen students have launched an economics, politics and business newsletter. King Street Journal (KSJ) published their first edition in October, with plans for a fortnightly release online.
It is run and edited by Daniel Mladenov, a third year economics and finance student, and Jadyn Pitt, a second year law student.
Their debut issue features analyses of monetary policy in America and New Zealand, effects of Trump’s tariffs, Japan’s rise in tourism, as well as the silicon chip and rare earth element markets.
Daniel Mladenov founded the journal after realising his peers were eager to gain experience related to finance. He shared:
“Over summer we noticed students were willing to be involved in a finance-related project that can utilise their knowledge and creativity. King Street Journal aims to inspire individuals’ curiosity towards the finance industry through analysis and commentary on market trends and economic shifts.”
KSJ falls under Elphinstone Research Group, registered as a Scottish charity on 19 June.
Jadyn Pitt, who manages legalities, spoke on the journal’s charitable purpose to advance education:
“We want to help people gain an economic education and learn more about career paths and the world. Hopefully readers also find entertainment out of the journal, because the articles are very interesting.”
Asked for his favourite article in this edition, Jadyn pointed to the essay on Japan’s tourism bloom sharing, “I knew nothing about the topic, so when I was editing it I really learned a lot.”
Daniel was particularly proud of the perusal of matters facing the US federal reserve due to the matter’s global significance, but wanted to thank all writers for their work and efforts.
The publication’s writers Apurbo Zunaid, Klaudia Wawrzyniak, Shane Silveira, Maya Mistry, Michelle Mangwiro, Shaeden Fernandes, Jessica McGregor, Freya Ferguson, and Aayush Kulkarn are second and third year students in the School of Business.
Generative artificial intelligence is used to enhance human writing in the KSJ. Daniel shared:
“We are aware of the growing role of AI in journalism and finance research […]. AI is slowly becoming a greater part of our day-to-day tasks, and as a student research group, we intend to stay on top of modern-day technological advancements […]. We may occasionally use AI-assisted tools for proofreading or formatting, but all editorial and analytical content is written and reviewed by our team. In a sense, we treat AI like a digital proof assistant.”
KSJ follows other career awareness projects that Daniel Mladenov and Jadyn Pitt are involved with, like the Aberdeen Legacy Association (ALA).
ALA’s founder Vadym Kapliuk has interviewed over 80 Aberdeen graduates since the society’s founding in 2023, earning him the University’s alumni engagement award in 2025. In May, Vadym appeared on Gettin’ Rowdy with The Gaudie to discuss lessons he’s learned from the wide variety of professionals who graduated from University of Aberdeen.
In line with his goal to “bridge the gap between students and alumni,” Vadym shared advice with students, recommending that his peers find internships in fields relating to their desired career. He suggested that students might find success using creative approaches like cold-emailing smaller firms over traditional approaches like applying to formal roles at larger companies. He also discussed one of his proudest moments in the role:
“A highlight of mine is my interview with Alex Barr who I met in-person at his magnificent London office overlooking St Paul Cathedral. He worked in finance before establishing his own investment company which was then acquired by a bigger corporation, and he is also a City of London Alderman. He was a cool guy.”
Following ALA’s popularity, its committee members founded Elphinstone Capital Management, a student financial research group which Daniel describes as a “furnace for innovation”. Now, King Street Journal is their latest project. Vadym said he was positively surprised by the reception to the newsletter launch, and looks forward to seeing it grow alongside other projects.
Jadyn invited The Gaudie readers to check out the KSJ, saying “I have made an effort to keep things concise and easily digestible. We are not speaking to anybody specifically; it’s for anybody who has an interest in the world or political affairs.”
The newsletter looks to find funding for prints in the future, but for now aims to stick to an online only release of its publication every two or two and a half weeks.
Students wishing to contribute can message ecmaberdeen@gmail.com although recruitment is “on hold for the moment,” say editors.
You can find the King Street Journal here:
www.elphinstoneresearchgroup.com/king-street-journal
