2025 IMF Youth Challenge in Economics: Win an All-Expenses-Paid Trip to Egypt for the IMF Conference!

Overview

The 2025 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.

Eligibility

• Post-graduate 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.
• Citizenship¹: 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.
• Enrollment: Participants must be enrolled at an institution of higher education worldwide.

Submission Requirements

• 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 post-graduate 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

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.

Prizes

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.

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Important Dates 

• Submission Deadline: April 14, 2025
• Winners Announcement: April 17, 2025
• Conference Name: MF-American University in Cairo MENA Research Conference “Steering Macroeconomic and Structural Policies in a Shifting Global Economic Landscape”
• Conference Date: May 18-19, 2025

Contact Information

For any inquiries, please contact IMF-FUNDCHALLENGE@imf.org.

¹Privacy Notice

The copy of your passport is collected and used for the purpose of verifying your country of citizenship, as the competition is open to citizens of MENA countries. Only the following information is needed: full name, issuing authority, and expiry date. Personal data such as your photo, serial number, nationality, and personal characteristics can be blacked out on the copy. Access to this information is strictly limited to authorized IMF personnel managing the registration for the Youth Challenge Project. The copy of your passport will be deleted once the citizenship verification process is completed. If you have any questions regarding the handling of your personal data, please contact IMF-FUNDCHALLENGE@imf.org