On May 6, 2023, the regional round of the Economics Olympiad took place with the participation of 27 high schools and 256 students from 8 cities in the country, who competed in five regional testing zones. This event is organized by the Liberal Alternative Institute (LAI), the Economic Fundamentals Initiative from the USA, and the Institute for Economic Education (INEV) from the Czech Republic, aiming to promote economic literacy among the youth of the country.
The Economics Olympiad consists of four rounds: school, regional, national, and international. The top-performing students from the current regional round will advance to the national level, which will be held on June 24 at the Southeast European University in Tetovo. The national round will be a one-day event featuring TEDx-style speeches between two phases of testing. All participating schools, university students, and the general public are invited to take part in this activity.
The five cities hosting the regional testing zones are Kumanovo, Skopje, Tetovo, Gostivar, and Struga, with partner universities including Tetovo University, Mother Teresa University in Skopje, and the International University of Struga. The partner for the national round is the Southeast European University in Tetovo.
In addition to the testing, each region organized an open workshop based on the book “Practical Thinking in Economics,” where speakers discussed various topics related to the economy. Students and participants had the opportunity to learn from field experts and gain knowledge about real-world economic issues.
“We wish all participating students and their teachers success and want to remind everyone that participating in this Olympiad is important. Even if they don’t advance to the next round, the knowledge gained from participation will be beneficial to them,” said regional competition coordinator Mr. Avni Arifi.
The Economics Olympiad promotes economic literacy, a vital skill for young people that will be useful throughout their lives. The support of donors, sponsors, and academic institutions provides further assurance that this initiative is on the right track.
The top three students with the highest scores in each region will receive gifts from our generous donors. The top 50 students from the regional competitions will advance to the national round, where the top five students will represent North Macedonia in the international competitions to be held in Bratislava in September 2023.
“As these competitions are planned to be organized every year, we especially encourage teachers to engage their students for a more massive participation in the Economics Olympiad, considering that such opportunities in the Albanian language are very rare. We expect more involvement from economic high schools, which, compared to other high schools, are not as active in their respective fields,” emphasized Mr. Orhan Ceka, the director of the Liberal Alternative Institute.
The Economics Olympiad is part of the Economic Literacy Program implemented by the Liberal Alternative Institute in partnership with the Economic Fundamentals Initiative
