Wilfrid Laurier University crowned National Champion of The Governor’s Challenge

Wilfrid Laurier University has won the Bank of Canada’s fourth annual Governor’s Challenge, a national student competition in which teams simulate the role of advisor to the Bank’s Governing Council. The winners were announced following the final round in Ottawa on Saturday, February 16.

Governor Stephen S. Poloz, who awarded the championship trophy, congratulated Wilfrid Laurier University and encouraged all the participants to apply their skills and knowledge to the betterment of Canada. He told the finalists, “There is—and always will be—a place in the public service, and at the Bank of Canada, for smart, hard-working economists who aren’t afraid to take risks and go off the beaten path.”

The Governor’s Challenge invites the next generation of Canadian economists to develop a deeper understanding of the Canadian economy and the Bank’s role in it. Since the first competition, 28 participants have joined the Bank — proving the initiative’s value as an opportunity for young people to contribute to the economic well-being of Canadians.

Five teams competed in the final round, each one giving a presentation on the economic outlook for Canada and making a monetary policy recommendation to a panel of senior executives from the Bank and academia.

The judges for the final round were Stephen Murchison, Advisor to the Governor; Harriet Jackson, Deputy Managing Director of the Bank’s International Economic Analysis Department; and Martin Eichenbaum, Professor of Economics at Northwestern University and Co-Director of the Center for International Macroeconomics.

Notes for editors

• The team from Université de Sherbrooke finished in the first runner-up spot. The other finalists, in no particular order, were the teams from the University of Alberta, University of British Columbia and University of Toronto (St. George Campus).

• The faculty advisors for the winning and first runner-up teams were, respectively, Christos Shiamptanis and Ke Pang of Wilfrid Laurier University, and David Dupuis of Université de Sherbrooke.

• The competition began on November 21, 2018 with a first round of presentations by video conference; more than 100 students from 24 Canadian universities participated. On November 26, five teams were selected to compete in the final round.

• For more information about The Governor’s Challenge, and to learn about future competitions, visit the Bank’s website.