The 7th Nepal Economics Olympiad (NEO) 2026 officially concluded on Friday at Kathmandu College of Management in Lalitpur. The Olympiad brought together 70 of the nation’s most competent students for a three-day national competition held from February 18 to 20.

NEO aims to bridge the gap between high school and university-level education by elevating curricula in finance, business, and economics. It also promotes research-oriented tendencies among students through competitions, events, workshops, and sessions, providing mentorship for economics enthusiasts.

Selected from an initial pool of 2,000 participants representing 200 high schools across Nepal, 70 students underwent 1.5 months of rigorous training and mentorship, allowing them to explore economics, business, and personal finance, including financial literacy, decision-making, and saving.

The finale of the National Economics Olympiad consisted of three constructive phases: training in logical reasoning and critical analysis, tackling policy cases using economic theories and ideas, and final presentations.

The Olympiad tested the students’ analytical depth through complex finance MCQs and policy essays. “It is a competition of ideas,” said Arjun Sapkota, president of Nepal Economics Olympiad. “This encourages the participants to expand their horizons of critical and logical understanding,” he added.

“Being a topper is not everything. People have their own ways of learning and achieving excellence in their fields. This platform helped us unfold what we are capable of in our own individual ways,” said Aaditya Yadav, a participant.

Encountering like-minded peers, students were introduced to educational approaches beyond conventional classroom methods. Pawan Chaudhary, a student at New Horizon English Boarding School in Butwal, reflected on how the experience helped him understand privilege through moments shared with the cohort and the encouragement he received from friends and teachers.

“I came here with a laptop lent by a friend. Financial limitations did not become a barrier because of their support and encouragement,” he said.

Reshika Malla, a student at Motherland Secondary School in Pokhara, has envisioned a career in economics after participating in the Olympiad. “Initially, I turned down economics, given my declining marks and understanding of the subject’s intensity. However, the competition’s approaches to provide practical knowledge encouraged me to explore the subject more,” she said.

This year’s winners, along with the gold medalists—Aarya Sharma, Kanav Baid, Samriddha Bhattarai, Nischal Ghimire and Aaditya Rauniyar—will represent Nepal at the International Economics Olympiad in Australasian Economics Olympiad in Sydney, Australia (July 2 to 6) and Suzhou, China (July 12 to 20).

Beyond global exposure, participants compete for prestigious university scholarships and engage with distinguished leaders.