Deadline: April 14, 2025
Applications for the IMF Youth Challenge in Economics 2025 are now open. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) Youth Challenge in Economics is an exciting opportunity for post-graduate students in the field of economics to showcase their research on macroeconomic policy topics relevant to the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. This competition aims to encourage innovative thinking and provide a platform for young economists to contribute to the policy dialogue in the MENA region.
Benefits
Three winning students will be invited to participate in a research conference in Egypt in May 2025. More information on the conference will be shared soon. The IMF will provide:
- Invitation Letter: An invitation letter for visa purposes.
- Travel Reimbursement: Hotel accommodations, reimbursement for travel costs, and incidental expenses.
Eligibility
- Open to Postgraduate students: Defined as individuals who have completed an undergraduate degree and are currently enrolled in a master’s or doctoral program in economics or a related field.
- Participants must be citizens of one of MENA countries. The IMF’s MENA region includes the following countries and territories: Algeria, Bahrain, Djibouti, Egypt, Islamic Republic of Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Mauritania, Morocco, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Sudan, Syrian Arab Republic, Tunisia, the United Arab Emirates, West Bank and Gaza, and Yemen.
- Participants must be enrolled at an institution of higher education worldwide.
Evaluation Criteria
Submissions will be evaluated by a panel of IMF’s MENA department staff based on the following criteria:
- Relevance: The relevance of the research topic to the policy issues facing the MENA region.
- Innovation: The originality and creativity of the research.
- Clarity: The clarity and coherence of the summary.
- Impact: The potential impact of the research on policymaking in the MENA region.
Application
Submission requirements include:
- Research Summary: A 3-page single-spaced summary of a research project or thesis involving macroeconomic policy topics relevant to the MENA region.
- Certification: A letter from the student registrar’s office certifying the participant’s enrollment as a postgraduate student at their university.
- Recommendation Letter from the Professor on the University letterhead with contact name and e-mail address of the professor.
- Format: Submissions must be in PDF format and include the participant’s name, university, and contact information.
- Language of submissions: English
For more information, visit IMF.
