Young Economist of the Year 2024
sponsored by KPMG UK and FT Schools
The 2024 competition is now closed. Many thanks for your submission. Finalists will be selected over the summer period, and will be contacted in September 2024 - sign up to our newsletter here to keep up to date!
AIM
The Royal Economic Society Young Economist of the Year competition 2024 sponsored by KPMG UK and FT Schools aims at encouraging Year 10 – Year 13 students (in England and Wales, or equivalent in Scotland and Northern Ireland) to produce their own ideas in analysing contemporary economic problems facing the UK and the world.
Students can choose from a list of topics provided below. Students do not need to be studying economics to be able to enter this competition. The RES welcomes entries from any students who are interested in economic issues and would like to share original ideas or perspectives on these issues. The RES also welcomes a diverse range of contributions and insights on the competition topics.
The competition is now closed. Sign up to our newsletter here to find out next steps!
Entry format
Your entry must:
• answer only 1 of these 5 questions:
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Do you think the government should subsidise the purchase of electric cars?
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What is the economic impact of the growing gig economy?
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What are the economic arguments for and against a one off cost of living payment for all individuals?
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What long term changes to the labour market might be expected post pandemic?
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Should the government tax goods that are unhealthy?
• be in written or media format. Written would be in blog format no longer than 1,000 words. Media includes video, podcast or presentation slides. Videos and podcasts should be no longer than 5 minutes in length.
• be an individual or group entry. Groups to be 2-5 students.
• must not include any personally identifiable information. This needs to be entered on the competition website.
• must not use applications such as ChatGPT or other forms of artificial intelligence (AI)
• you must acknowledge the use of information/material from other sources. We do not require a detailed in-text referencing of your arguments, however a list of sources that you have consulted and have substantively influenced your arguments must be included at the end of your entry. If a written entry then this is not included in the word count. View the ‘How to reference’ video for more guidance.
Frequently asked questions
Take a look below at the recording of our webinar to find out the answers to some of your questions! If you still have anything you'd like to ask, please email discovereconcomms@res.org.uk .
Is there a time limit on podcasts/videos?
Yes - podcasts and videos should be no longer than five minutes long.
Are there limitations on PowerPoints?
If your PowerPoint is recorded, and spoken over, it should be no longer than five minutes. If it is submitted as a PowerPoint alone, it should be no longer than eight slides, and have a maximum total word count of 1,000.
Do I need a transcript for my podcast/video?
No, but think about how you will submit your references - will this be spoken, or as a word document?
Do quotes contribute to the word count?
Yes.
Your data
Any personal data which may be submitted in an entry will be processed by RES in accordance with any applicable data protection legislation, and RES Privacy Notice available at https://res.org.uk/resources-library/privacy-notice/
Partners
FT Schools
The Financial Times has created a hub for schools and colleges. Teachers in schools around the world with students aged 16-19 years old can get free access to the FT here and request individual FT accounts. Colleges in the UK can also sign up. You can check to see if your institution is already registered.
Schools Digest, a weekly newsletter from global education editor Andrew Jack, features student competitions, quizzes and the best of the Financial Times' expert analysis and coverage. All FT subscribers and those on the free schools programme can subscribe here to receive it every Monday at 7am.
Click here for more information.
Eligibility
To enter, you must be:
• in Years 10 to 13 in England or Wales, Years 11 to 14 in Northern Ireland, or S3 to S6 in Scotland (or equivalent)
• studying in the UK
The competition is free to enter.
You do not need to be studying economics, and you can work on your entry or with up to 4 other students.
For independent school entries we promote mixed group entries with local state schools.
What happens next?
Submit your entry here.
All entries must be submitted by 23.59 (BST) on 14 July 2024 (deadline now extended!).
A panel will read and mark your entry before agreeing a final shortlist of 5 entries.
The 5 shortlisted entries will be announced in September 2024 ahead of an in-person final event to be held at KPMG offices in October 2024.
The in-person final will involve the 5 entries giving a 10 minute presentation followed by 5 minutes of questions from an expert panel before a winner is announced.
The winning entry will be featured in the Financial Times.