SOAS Year 12 & 13 Economics Masterclass: The £3.50 Coffee - Who Really Gets Your Money?
Date: Tuesday 3rd November 2026
Time: 10:00am – 1:00pm
Venue: SOAS Campus
In this interactive masterclass with staff from the SOAS Department of Economics, you will uncover the global story hidden inside an everyday cup of coffee.
A flat white might cost £3.50, but how much of that actually reaches the farmer who grew the coffee beans? By tracing coffee from farms in the Global South through exporters, roasters and cafés, you will explore how money, power and risk are distributed across the global economy.
During the masterclass, you will investigate questions such as:
-
Who really profits from a £3.50 cup of coffee?
-
Why do the people who grow coffee receive such a small share of its final price?
-
What environmental and social costs are missing from the price we pay?
-
How do history, gender and power shape global supply chains?
-
What can different economic perspectives tell us about whether the system is fair, and how it could change?
You will discover how economists can look at the same problem in very different ways, using neoclassical, global value-chain, ecological and feminist economics to debate what a cup of coffee really costs.
You will also take part in an interactive economics game, making decisions, negotiating with others and competing for your share of the value, experiencing first-hand how incentives, bargaining power and unequal outcomes can emerge in real-world markets.
By the end of the session, you may never look at your morning coffee or a price tag quite the same way again.
On Campus Masterclasses are subject based and are 3 hours long. They consist of a topic-based lecture and interactive activity, led by a SOAS academic. There is also a campus tour and a workshop on higher education led by student ambassadors.
In order to be considered for a place you will need to complete the whole form, including agreeing to our data protection statement. Please make sure you have all the information required for the form, and a parent/carer nearby to complete the form as this form includes:
- Student details
- Parent/Carer information
- School/Teacher information
Deadline for applications is Monday 12th October 2026, 9:00am.
This free SOAS event is a widening-participation activity designed to give Year 12 & 13 students a first-class experience of university-level studies. Please note it is only open to pupils attending state schools, academies and colleges.
Students who meet at least one of the following criteria will be prioritised:
- eligible or previously eligible for Free School Meals
- experience of local authority care
- from an area of low progression to higher education (as measured by TUNDRA data)
We will not be able to offer you a place until we have received confirmation from your school/college & parent/guardian that they give permission for you to participate. We will be in touch with them to request this.
Parent/guardian and teacher permission to participate does not guarantee a place as we receive a large number of applications for limited places. We will confirm if you have been allocated a place after applications close.
If you have any questions about this form please contact the AES team at apss@soas.ac.uk
After completing this form you should receive a confirmation email, if you do not please contact apss@soas.ac.uk