About Us
"Economics is everywhere, and understanding economics can help you make better decisions and lead a happier life."
— Tyler Cowen
What is the
International Economics Olympiad?
The International Economics Olympiad is the platform for students to apply economic thinking to the world’s most complex challenges; from wartime sanctions and tariff trade wars, to the effects of AI and social media on the stock market.
The regional round is an essay competition. Good essays are rooted in economic theory and are backed by evidence and research. Essays are judged on their:
Originality
Clarity
Depth of research
Feasibility of solutions
(Essays are limited to 1000 words, see our Guidelines and Rules for more details).
Top students from each region advance to the international round for an online debate. In this round, students take on the roles of economic advisors, heads-of-state, and economists by responding and debating the questions economists ask every day.
Debates will be judged on:
How well the argument is formulated
The knowledge presented on the topic
Accurate historical precedent
Clarity of the argument
Throughout the Olympiad, prompts can and will include economic topics such as:
Housing market
Government regulation of monopolies
Inequality and redistribution
Globalization and trade
Recession policy
Sustainability and growth
Innovation and productivity
Digital currencies and regulation
See our Guidelines and Rules page for more information.
The Olympiad is entirely online and is an individual competition.
"Olympiads give students opportunities to show depth in their academic interest outside of the classroom and help admissions officers recognize the applicant’s passion for their area of study."
Ria Jagasia, Former Johns Hopkins Admissions Officer
Judges Panel
We are proud to introduce the judging panel for the International Economics Olympiad. Our team includes economists and economics professors from the most prestigious institutions in the world.
Their expertise spans every facet of economics from micro- and macroeconomics to international, behavioral, and political economics.
Dr. Ceyhun Elgin
PhD, Economics – University of Minnesota
PhD Minor, Mathematics – University of Minnesota
MA, Economics – University of Minnesota
BA, Economics – Boğaziçi University, Turkey
BA, Law – Istanbul Şehir University, Turkey
BA, Public Administration – Anadolu University, Turkey
Dr. Ceyhun Elgin is a professor of economics whose research bridges macroeconomic theory with real-world policy, specializing in the informal sector, economic development, and public finance. He has held academic appointments at IMF, World Bank, Boston University, the American University in Bulgaria, and currently serves as Jean Monnet Chair at Boğaziçi University and lecturer at Columbia University. Dr. Elgin has authored over 70 peer-reviewed publications and led numerous international research projects on fiscal policy.
Raphael Gregorian
Queen Mary’s, MA, University of London MSc EconomicsUniversity of London, BA, Economics and History School of Oriental and African Studies
Raphael Gregorian is a senior economist with extensive experience advising UK central government departments, regulators, and think tanks on trade, industrial strategy, regional growth, and the economics of emerging technologies. He has led high-profile teams delivering strategic economic assessments that secured billions in R&D and capital funding, authored key sections of the UK’s Levelling Up White Paper, and represented the UK at the OECD on issues such as generative AI and local economic development. His expertise spans econometric analysis, technology policy, and spatial economics, with research interests in the economic transition driven by AI. Mr. Gregoryan currently serves as a Fellow at Convergence Analysis focusing on the economics of transformative AI.