The NBU has summed up the results of the VII Student Championship Monetary Policy: NBU University Challenge 2025. It is a competition between teams from different universities of Ukraine the NBU has been holding annually since 2019 to inform theoretical education with practical experience useful for professional development.
NBU University Challenge gathered about 100 participants from 20 Ukrainian universities in 2025.
Each of the 20 teams prepared presentations with justified proposals for solutions regarding interest rates, the exchange rate, and currency restrictions.
The best projects were presented during the final round of the championship, which took place in the long-awaited offline format on 20 November 2025.
The finalists of the Championship were teams from Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv, the State University of Trade and Economics, and Kyiv School of Economics.
In his welcome address to the finalists, NBU First Deputy Governor Sergiy Nikolaychuk noted that ten years ago the NBU embarked on a path toward transparency, predictability, and professionalism in monetary policy by introducing the inflation-targeting regime. At the same time, the decision-making process itself has also changed. A team of analysts regularly assesses the state of the economy and formulates recommendations based on real data and modern models.
“For us, it is important to engage young professionals who have a fresh perspective and are ready to work with new approaches. This competition is a bridge between university education and real professional tasks. It is an opportunity to get closer to real professional activity, understand the logic of decision-making in a central bank, and experience how analytics works under real economic challenges,” emphasized Sergiy Nikolaychuk.
A team from Kyiv School of Economics won the Championship Monetary Policy: NBU University Challenge and the NBU Governor Cup. The team was composed of the first-year and second-year master’s students Oleksandra Myronenko (captain), Danylo Yaruchyk, Marko Koretskyi, Iryna Kotliar, and Yuliia Aleksandrova. Olesia Verchenko, Associate Professor, PhD in Economics, was the team’s mentor.
A II Degree Diploma was awarded to a team of students from Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv. The team consisted of fourth-year bachelor’s students Oleksandr Bezdudnyi (captain), Oleksii Semantso, Serhii Solomakha, and Illia Yavorskyi, as well as a first-year master’s student Valeriia Basych. The team mentor was Olena Krasota, Associate Professor, PhD in Economics.
A ІІІ Degree Diploma was awarded to a team fromthe State University of Trade and Economics. The team was composed of the first-year and second-year master’s students Nikita Syrytsia (captain), Anna Kirichuk, Bohdan Osipchuk, Oleh Symonenko, and Mariia Borodavkina. The team was mentored bySerhii Savluk, Associate Professor, Doctor of Economics.
All 15 students who were part of the finalist teams were offered an internship at the NBU.
During the championship, students had the opportunity to:
- look behind the scenes of the NBU's actions and learn about the work of the Monetary Policy Committee and the monetary function, learn from practitioners about the specifics of monetary policy during wartime, and find out how the central bank contributes to maintaining macrofinancial stability
- improve skills in modern macroeconomic analysis, analytical thinking, and economic and mathematical modeling
- broaden their skills in making informed macroeconomic decisions, improve teamwork, and public speaking.
The jury rated the teams according to the following criteria:
- knowledge and understanding of the goal and functions of the NBU, current status of the economy, main concepts of the macroeconomics and monetary policies
- quality of the economic situation analysis
- content, logic, and accessibility of the presentation
- complete answers to questions and coherent teamwork.
The jury for the finals of the VII Student Championship Monetary Policy: NBU University Challenge comprised:
- Volodymyr Lepushynskyi, Director, Monetary Policy and Economic Analysis Department
- Pervin Dadashova, Director, Financial Stability Department
- Taras Tokarchuk, Head of Office for Economic Analysis, Monetary Policy and Economic Analysis Department
- Artem Andriushchenkov, Head of Office for Macroeconomic Modelling and Forecasting, Monetary Policy and Economic Analysis Department
- Oleksandr Fаrynа, Head of the Research Division, Monetary Policy and Economic Analysis Department
- Alona Zakutniaia, Senior Economist at Strategy and Monetary Policy Development Division, Monetary Policy and Economic Analysis Department.
Traditionally, Elisabeth Curtis, PhD, Senior Lecturer in the Department of Economics at Dartmouth College (U.S.), mentor of the student team that is a multiple winner of College Fed Challenge, joined the event as an honorary independent jury member.
Winners’ presentations of the final round of the VI Student Championship Monetary Policy: NBU University Challenge are available at the dedicated lending page.
The NBU intends to continue the tradition of holding the NBU University Challenge in the future.
Over seven years, 162 teams from 51 higher educational institutions have participated in the NBU University Challenge. More than 400 students have seen the operation of the central bank from the inside, about 100 finalists have been offered internships at the NBU, and some participants have become NBU employees