The PyEcon project aims to make a humble contribution to promoting the use of the Python programming language in the field of econometrics and to fostering a proficient style of programming in economics. Over the past decade, the role of quantitative methods has become even more important in the social sciences. A variety of different proprietary and (meanwhile) free tools are used, such as, for instance, MATLAB, R or Stata.
The dynamic programming language Python is very well suited for use in economics and, in particular, in econometrics, where typically matrix-based calculations are involved. The scientific packages for numerical programming (NumPy), data preparation (pandas) and symbolic programming (Sympy) with many other well-known extensions provide an ideal framework for working scientifically in the field of economics.
We want to show why working with Python is fun. We want to bring economists and other interested individuals together to discuss how to write better code. We would like students to be able to understand the partly abstract theory of econometric methods employing practical examples and to achieve an enhanced understanding. Ultimately, we would be delighted to see a further improvement in the quality and reproducibility of scholarly work and studies.