Bank of Finland
Federation of Finnish Financial Services
18 January 2008
The winner of the nationwide Economic Guru competition has been selected. Economic Guru 2008 is Eemeli Lehto from Etelä-Tapiolan lukio school, in the city of Espoo. Coming second is William Lindström from Ålands lyceum school, in the city of Maarianhamina, and third is Jukka-Matti Turtiainen from Joensuun lyseon lukio school, in the city of Joensuu.
The finals took place in Helsinki and lasted two days. In the Thursday's written examination, the competitors pondered over the US mortgage market and the international financial market crisis. On the agenda this morning were debates in pairs, which enabled assessment of the individual debating skills of the competitors.
The Economic Guru challenge was organised for the 11th time, after a year's interval. A total of 45 senior high schools and about a thousand students enrolled for the preliminary nationwide competition held on 10 December 2007. A jury, appointed by the Association of History and Civics Teachers, elected 10 finalists from among the schools' strongest competitors.
The finalists, in alphabetical order:
1. Eerika Enne, Sammon keskuslukio school, in the city of TAMPERE
2. Otto Hyötyniemi, Helsingin yliopiston Viikin normaalikoulu school, in the city of HELSINKI
3. Seppo Kangas, Hämeenlinnan Yhteiskoulun lukio school, in the city of HÄMEENLINNA
4. Ari-Pekka Koistinen, Kontiolahden lukio school, in the town of KONTIOLAHTI
5. Eemeli Lehto, Etelä-Tapiolan lukio school, in the city of ESPOO
6. William Lindström, Ålands lyceum school, in the city of MAARIANHAMINA
7. Otto Meri, Helsingin Suomalainen yhteiskoulu school, in the city of HELSINKI
8. Emma Orjala, Kokkolan yhteislyseon lukio school, in the city of KOKKOLA
9. Sanni Suominen, Someron lukio school, in the town of SOMERO
10. Jukka-Matti Turtiainen, Joensuun lyseon lukio school, in the city of JOENSUU
The Economic Guru competition is organised jointly by the Association of History and Civics Teachers, the Bank of Finland and the Federation of Finnish Financial Services. Lending support to the competition is also the Financial Journalists' Association. The aim is to encourage high school students to increase their knowledge of economic matters.
For further information:
Heli-Kirsti Airisniemi, Adviser, Bank of Finland, tel. +358 10 831 2680, and
Kristiina Siikala, Communications Manager, Federation of Finnish Financial Services,
tel. +358 20 793 4273.