OREANDA-NEWS. June 26, 2015. The International Monetary Fund (IMF), in collaboration with the government of Peru, has invited undergraduate and graduate students at Peruvian universities to participate in an essay contest on the theme “Shaping Peru’s National Agenda: A Youth Perspective.” The contest, which is open to university students in all fields of study, is an opportunity for youth to articulate their vision for Peru’s emerging national agenda, the challenges that must be overcome in order to realize that vision, and the methods necessary to achieve it. Candidates must structure their essays around one of the following six priority areas for Peru: macroeconomic stability and sustainability, productivity and innovation, education, gender, environment, and infrastructure.

“We are delighted to announce this essay contest for students in Peru, as it provides an important opportunity to encourage youth to engage with issues of importance to their country. Peru has experienced significant social and economic growth in recent decades. However, much remains to be done. It is thus essential for us to understand the perspective of youth on key challenges relating to social and economic policy,” stated Alejandro Werner, Director of the Western Hemisphere Department at the IMF.

The contest is being hosted as part of the “Road to Lima” campaign, a joint initiative between the IMF and the government of Peru leading up to the Annual Meetings of the World Bank and the IMF in Lima from October 9 to 11, 2015.

Contest rules:

No participation fee applies. Entries (which should not exceed 1,500 words) must be submitted by Sunday, August 2, 2015.

The selection committee will consist of officials from the IMF, the government of Peru, and the Economic and Social Research Consortium (CIES), a think tank that is one of the co-organizers of the contest. Judges will take into account the geographic origin, type of university (public or private), academic background, and gender of candidates in an effort to ensure even representation in their selections.

The finalists will be invited to participate in the Youth Dialogue seminar during the Annual Meetings in Lima in October 2015, and the first and second place winners will also be invited to participate in the Spring Meetings of the IMF and World Bank Group in Washington in April 2016.

Further information on the contest is available at: http://imf.org/external/spanish/np/seminars/2015/essay/