Graphs, Hikes & Friendships: The Economic Bootcamp Experience

In gatherings from the scenic slopes of Gudauri, Georgia to the breathtaking Carpathian peaks of Ukraine, the finalists of the 2025 Economics Olympiad across 11 countries are spending their summer a little differently this year. While most of their peers are soaking up the sun, these future economists are engaging in debates and interpreting graphs at economics preparatory bootcamps, supported by EFI. It’s intense, but the students have a great time.
The camps are primarily immersive and intense training programs, which enable students to dive deep into micro- and macroeconomics, graph interpretation, and data analysis, as well as sharpening their critical thinking capabilities and improving skills in presentation, communication, problem-solving and teamwork. When the books close, adventure begins, with students hiking, swimming, exploring new places, and forging friendships that cross borders. This combination of academic challenge and camaraderie has proven to be a winning formula. It all started in 2023, with a first summer camp in the mountain resort of Gudauri, organized by our partners in Georgia with support from the Bank of Georgia, the Ministry of Education and Science, Business Media Georgia (BMG), Tbilisi Free University, and educational platform Orjer Ori. And this summer saw four major bootcamps: national-level camps in Georgia and Ukraine, a regional camp in Central Asia, and a large international training in Athens held just before the Olympiad’s International Final Round.Central Asian national champions from Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Uzbekistan kicked things off in late June with a joint camp hosted by our partners in Kazakhstan, Narxoz University. In July, Georgia’s top 10 finalists, prepped by Georgian Economic Literacy Initiative, spent a week in the mountain town of Gudauri for an intensive program. Meanwhile, in Ukraine, our partners Bendukidze Free Market Center, with support from the Kyiv School of Economics, brought the Ukrainian national team to the stunning scenery of the Carpathians for a six-day training. And it’s not over yet. This week, finalists from seven countries—including four from the Western Balkans, plus Armenia, Azerbaijan and Ukraine—are gathering in Athens for the 3-day intensive international preparatory bootcamp. Led by EFI President Randall Filer and Florida State University professors Joe Calhoun and Tawni Hunt Ferrarini, the program offers advanced economic training with a Mediterranean twist. Students will refine the knowledge they’ve built all summer, tackle complex economic problems, and bond with peers from different regions and cultures, all while taking in the immortal beauty of Athens.But bootcamps aren’t just about competition. They’re about learning to apply economic principles to real-world issues, developing critical thinking, building confidence, and mastering the art of communicating complex ideas clearly. The connections forged during these bootcamps last well beyond the summer. Many students stay in touch, mentor future participants of the competition, and return home as ambassadors for economic education, often inspiring change in their schools and communities.
All of this preparation leads up to the grand finale: the International Final Round of Economics Olympiad, which will take place once again in the birthplace of the Olympic Games, Ancient Olympia in Greece, from August 21–24. There, students from around 30 countries will put their skills to the ultimate test. Win or lose, they’ve already achieved something more enduring: a deeper understanding of economics, a powerful network of peers, and the confidence to use their knowledge to make a difference.
EFI’s bootcamps are proof that learning can be rigorous and exciting. By mixing academic depth with real-world relevance and cross-cultural exchange, they’re preparing students not just to succeed in a competition, but to lead in tomorrow’s world.