Bank of Finland
Federation of Finnish Financial Service
The winner of the nation wide Economic Guru competition has been selected. The winner of the title Economic Guru 2009 is Eero Nurmi from Helsingin Suomalainen Yhteiskoulu school, Helsinki; coming in second is Eetu Jämsén from Jyväskylän Lyseo, Jyväskylä and third is Tapio Melgin from Sibelius-lukio, Helsinki.
The two-day final competition took place in Helsinki. The written challenge, held on Thursday 15 January, asked the competitors to consider the structure of Finland’s industrial and export sectors. The challenge on Friday 16 January was a test of their debating skills, where the contestants debated in pairs on both the theme of free public transport as well as on the benefits of a reduction in Value Added Tax on foodstuffs.
The Economic Guru challenge was organised for the 12th time. A total of 88 senior high school, and approximately 1,000 students enrolled in the preliminary nationwide competition on 2 December 2008. A jury, appointed by the Association of History and Civics Teachers, selected 10 finalists from among the schools’ strongest competitors.
The finalists, in alphabetical order:
1. Eetu Jämsén, Jyväskylän Lyseo, JYVÄSKYLÄ
2. Janne Karkkolainen, Espoo International Upper Secondary School (aka Etelä-Tapiolan lukio) ESPOO
3. Simon Lönnvik, Pedersöre gymnasium, PEDERSÖRE
4. Tapio Melgin, Sibelius-lukio, HELSINKI
5. Justus Mutanen, Lyseonpuiston lukio, ROVANIEMI
6. Eero Nurmi, Helsingin Suomalainen Yhteiskoulu school, HELSINKI
7. Sakari Rokkanen, Tikkurilan lukio, VANTAA
8. Valtteri Taube, Oulun Suomalaisen Yhteiskoulun lukio, OULU
9. Anssi Tossavainen, Kastellin lukio, OULU
10. Ville Virkkala, Vaasan lyseon lukio, VAASA
The Economic Guru competition is organised jointly by the Association of History and Civics Teachers (HYOL), the Bank of Finland and the Federation of Finnish Financial Services. Lending support to the competition is also the Financial Journalists’ Association. The aim of the competition is to encourage high school students to study economics in a pleasurable and challenging manner.
For further information:
Iina Lario, Communications Officer, Bank of Finland, tel + 358 10 831 2689 and
Kristiina Siikala, Communications Manager, Federation of Finnish Financial Services,
tel +358 20 793 4273.