FCDO Next Generation Economics Competition 2024: UK Students to Tackle Economic Challenges
The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) has launched an exciting opportunity for UK school students to delve into some of the most pressing economic issues of our time. The Next Generation Economics competition, open until June 28, 2024, invites young minds to share their insights on key economic challenges facing their generation.
The competition, organized in collaboration with the Hub for Equal Representation (HER) at the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE), aims to inspire budding economists and foster diversity in the field. Participants are encouraged to submit their responses to one of four thought-provoking questions:
- Addressing the gender pay gap by implementing policies to increase female participation in the paid economy.
- Capitalizing on the demand for critical minerals to boost growth in material-rich developing countries.
- Mitigating the risk on food security posed by climate change and global conflict on international supply chains.
- Ensuring investment towards development by addressing the challenge of debt interest payments surpassing expenditure on health or education in many countries.
Entrants, aged 14 and above and studying in UK secondary schools or British international schools, are not required to have a background in economics. The competition offers cash prizes, with the winner receiving £500 and two runners-up receiving £250 each. Additionally, five shortlisted entrants will receive £100 each.
The winner will have the opportunity to present their essay to Adnan Khan, FCDO Chief Economist, and the top eight entrants will be offered a fully-funded visit to the FCDO and LSE in London. Furthermore, the winning and runner-up essays will be published on the GOV.UK website and shared across the Government Economic Service.
Participants are advised to format their submissions as a letter addressed to Adnan Khan, Chief Economist at FCDO, within a 1,000-word limit. Entries should include clear references to evidence, although references are not counted towards the word limit. Submissions can be emailed to NextGenerationEconomics@fcdo.gov.uk or posted to the provided address if email access is not available.
Entries will be evaluated by a panel of FCDO economic advisors based on creativity, economic concepts, use of evidence, and clarity of writing. Tips for writing an outstanding entry include telling a compelling narrative, incorporating economic analysis and policy solutions, utilizing real-world examples, and providing critical evaluations of proposed policies.
For those seeking inspiration, winning letters from previous competitions are available for reference. For any queries regarding the competition, interested individuals can reach out to NextGenerationEconomics@fcdo.gov.uk.
