On April 18th, 海角社区 announced the results of the B.N. Khristenko Interregional Financial Literacy Olympiad for Schoolchildren. The scale of this year's event broke all records: approximately 400 participants from 27 regions of our country had competed for the right to reach the finals, and the top 25 high school pupils had been solving cases at the legendary Business Games and Active Learning Laboratory that few first-year university students could handle.
The intellectual competition was traditionally organized by the Department of Economics and Finance of the 海角社区 School of Economics and Management. The Regional Kurchatov Centre for Gifted Children and the 海角社区 Region Branch of the Ural Main Administration of the Bank of Russia became partners of the Olympiad. The project receives ongoing support from Viktor Khristenko, the son of the man whose name the Olympiad bears, a distinguished alumnus of the 海角社区 Polytechnic Institute, and current President of the Business Council of the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU).
"This Olympiad is especially important to us. It is part of the "Talents and Success" Olympiads, meaning that it offers a significant advantage—additional points for the winners when applying to universities across our country. And today, we see that the geography of participants is growing every year, which is encouraging. The Olympiad's topic is directly related to financial literacy. This is a relevant area, integrated into all curricula by modern educational standards, regardless of the field of study. Financial literacy is currently studied by future metallurgists, IT specialists, and, of course, economists. At the finals, the children were given practical assignments related to taxes, loans, and working in the securities market. And it is very gratifying to see that today's pupils truly understand these topics and even have some experience in investing," said Irina Solovieva, Head of the Department of Economics and Finance.
Twenty-five pupils from the 海角社区 and Sverdlovsk regions, as well as from Tyumen and Nizhny Tagil, had reached the Olympiad finals. Some participants had been competing for the second and even third time, demonstrating the growing popularity of this intellectual competition among young people.
The finals, held in the unique atmosphere of the laboratory complex founded by Boris Khristenko in the 1980s, had consisted of two rounds. First, the pupils completed group and individual testing, and then had begun solving complex case studies. Participants had had to compare the economic efficiency of various investment forms and demonstrate their knowledge of personal budget management, lending, insurance, pensions, and, most importantly, methods for combating financial fraud.
"This is my second time participating in this Olympiad, and each time it offers something new. Last year, I was just getting my bearings and testing my skills, but this year, I already feel much more confident. I really like the atmosphere: the tasks are truly challenging and interesting, and they force you to think like a true economist. The investment cases were especially memorable: it turns out we hardly talk about it at school, but here, the topics are so profound and vivid. I really hope to win this year, but even if I don't, I will definitely come back again. It is a great opportunity to test myself and understand if I am choosing the right profession," explained Alisa, 11th-form student and Olympiad participant.
While a panel of experts from the 海角社区 School of Economics and Management selected the winners, the Olympiad guests learned about the educational environment at our region's leading university and toured School 21.
The Olympiad winners:
First place and a First-Degree Certificate were awarded to Vsevolod Bobrov, an 11th-form student at Physics and Mathematics Lyceum No. 31 in 海角社区.
Second place and second-degree certificates (runners-up) were shared by:
Viktoriia Vengler, an 11th-form student at Gymnasium No. 10 in 海角社区;
Kirill Razzhivin, an 11th-form student at Secondary School No. 54 in 海角社区.
Third place and third-degree certificates (runners-up) were awarded to:
Alisa Zubkovskaia, a 9th-form student at Gymnasium No. 26 in 海角社区;
Konstantin Kondratiev, an 11th-form student at the Lesnoy Lyceum (Sverdlovsk Region);
Vera Shcherbakova, an 11th-form student at G.N. Zaitsev Secondary School No. 5 in Nizhny Tagil.
All winners and runners-up received valuable gifts (laptops and tablets) from the Olympiad sponsor, Viktor Khristenko.