‘The 4th International Economics Olympiad—My Journey’

© HSE University

Oghogho Joy Isibor came to HSE University after earning a scholarship from the Faculty of Economic Sciences for her performance in the International Economics Olympiad. She is one of several foreigners to apply via the same competition. Oghogho is currently studying on the HSE University Preparatory Year Programme before starting her Economics degree. Read on to find out about her experience of the Olympiad, adapting to life in Russia, and the challenges of learning Russian for her future studies.

Oghogho Joy Isibor

School Work and Competitions

My name is Oghogho Joy Isibor. I’m from Edo State, Nigeria, but grew up in Port Harcourt in Rivers State. I am currently enrolled in the Russian Language Programme at the HSE Preparatory School as a prelude to studying Economics, which is my main course of study in the coming years.

In the early years of my secondary school, I avoided participating in any competition or olympiad because I felt competitions distract you from your school work. In my secondary school, students that took part in competitions hardly attend normal school academic classes because the school management had special training for olympiad competitions (in economics, mathematics, science etc) and that training usually did not cover all school subjects.

So, in my school, partaking in competitions could make you exceptionally good in one subject, eg mathematics or science, and make you deficient in other school subjects

However, in 2021, I had a chance to participate in the Economics Olympiad at the state, national, and international levels. Initially, I didn’t take it seriously because I was preparing for my West African Senior Secondary School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) and National Examination Council (NECO) within the same time period. This was also during the global pandemic period—preparation for both examinations and the Olympiad was really very stressful.

Competing in the Olympiad

Interestingly, I passed the first round of the Economics Olympiad. I was happy and highly motivated and started taking the Olympiad more seriously, as Economics was of great interest to me as a course of study. I also passed the second and third rounds. Unfortunately, the final round of the Economics Olympiad clashed with my NECO examinations and I had to choose between participating in the Olympiad and taking the NECO examinations. This was a really tough decision for me. I had some discussions with my Economics teacher and other people in my school, and the key point I got from the discussion was that ‘This is an opportunity.’  I discussed it with my parents and they agreed that I should participate in the Olympiad finals.

I prepared really hard for the final round—the international round.  I had some late nights during the various sessions for the final round due to the time difference.

While preparing for the final round, I had to do a lot of studies, research and practice on past Olympiad questions relating to creating an economic model to solve real life economic problems

I also had to review various Microsoft PowerPoint presentations with my team members. Of course, the Olympiad examinations involved a lot of mathematics, ranging from easy to much more complex. There were challenges with internet connectivity during the final rounds of the Olympiad and this greatly affected my final scores. I came first in my country, Nigeria, and I was awarded a trophy and a gold medal. How I would have loved to clinch the gold medal at the international level! Nevertheless, I was really elated to have been awarded a scholarship grant by HSE University for participating up to the final round.

I am happy I participated in the 4^th International Economics Olympiad because of the experience and knowledge gained. The experience was really worth it, as it has exposed me to the world of economics—various economic case studies, economic solutions and financial literacy.

Coming to Moscow

In November 2022, I arrived in Moscow. A buddy picked me up at the airport, escorted me to the dormitory, and assisted with all the hostel formalities. Later that day, we also went to get some basic items I required. The weather in Moscow was not initially friendly for the first two months—it was exceptionally cold for me, coming from a tropical climate. I had mild frostbite on my hands (which hurt a lot) and seldom contemplated leaving the dormitory, but I gradually got used to the weather.

In the proceeding weeks, I had to do my registration, compulsory medical test and fingerprinting for foreigners, which was a very tedious process because I was underage. I was referred to various hospitals and agencies before I was able to complete my fingerprinting and other requirements. I am most thankful to Oxana Budjko and Elena Andrianova  for their help with the compulsory procedures I had to undergo.

I have a lot of classes in my Preparatory Year right now because I arrived late for the Language Preparatory School.

I am currently registered for five subjects: Russian as a foreign language, Mathematics, Scientific Language (a subject to teach you basic terms you need for other subjects, for example how to say mathematical equations in Russian), Social Studies and History 

It has not been easy learning the Russian language, but attending classes regularly and completing my assignments has helped me to understand the language better. The accommodation and social environment at HSE is very good. Sometimes I get a little discouraged by other people, because everyone says studying economics at HSE is tough and studying it in Russian makes it much tougher for foreign students. In spite of these, I strongly believe that with the right mindset, I will surely excel—nothing is impossible.