Samuel Zhu participated in the 2022 Australian Economics Olympiad (AEO) and was part of the winning team of five students.
He’s currently studying a Bachelor of Commerce (Finance) and Laws at the University of Sydney.
We spoke to him about his experience in the AEO — his most memorable moments and any advice to students wishing to participate.
How did you get interested in economics?
I grew up in a family with a background in business and finance so naturally, I was drawn to choose economics as a school subject. However, I would say that it was my grade 10 economics teacher (shoutout to Mr Virly!) that really exposed me to the world of economics and developed my interest in the subject. Through class discussions and applying real-world examples, I learnt that economics was different to my preconceived notions of being only about money and that it’s a fascinating subject in its own right.
Samuel Zhu, part of the winning team in the 2022 AEO
How did you find the experience of participating in the Australian Economics Olympiad?
The AEO was an opportunity to challenge myself and explore economics outside of my classroom curriculum. I was really excited to also compete against other students around Australia and test out my own economics knowledge and capabilities. From the first round multiple choice and short response exam to the second round economic policy case competition, I thoroughly enjoyed the experience and would absolutely recommend it.
For me, the highlight of the Olympiad would have to be the policy case competition, in which I was in charge of analysing the implications of the early superannuation access policies during COVID.
What advice would you give someone who's thinking about participating in the AEO?
Give it a go! For current high school economics students, it’s definitely one of the few chances you’ll get to explore economics outside of the classroom. For those who don’t take economics, you might just discover your interest in the subject.
I was a part of the first cohort in my school to participate in the AEO so I had no idea what the experience would be like when entering the competition. But retrospectively, it’s safe to say that it was an amazing experience, from working with my case competition team to meeting Reserve Bank of Australia Governor Philip Lowe.