Translation. Region: Russian Federal
Source: Novosibirsk State University –
An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.
On July 10, Novosibirsk State University hosted a fascinating economic quest, “Knowledge — Money,” in which 65 high school students from different schools in Novosibirsk took part. It was not just an intellectual challenge, but also a real immersion into the world of economics, where knowledge, logic, and teamwork become the key to success.
The quest was organized by the public organization “Laboratory of Economics and Business” with the support of Faculty of Economics, NSU, the “First” movement and the low-rise eco-quarter “Spectrum”.
—The Laboratory of Economics and Business was created three years ago. Our mission is to develop schoolchildren’s interest in economics and to form a culture of systems thinking. The first event we held last year was a course of lectures and interactive seminars “Basics of Economics and Business for Schoolchildren”. Instead of the planned 20 people, more than 60 took part in it. We realized that schoolchildren have a huge interest in economics and new educational formats. This is how the idea of a quest was born, which we decided to hold in the summer, — said Dmitry Markov, a lecturer in the Department of Management of the Faculty of Economics of NSU, head of the laboratory.
The participants united into 14 teams, each of which went through 13 stations in four thematic “economic laboratories” in three hours. At each station, the teams passed tests on knowledge, logic and ingenuity, solved problems of varying difficulty levels and earned points. The maximum for each station was 100 points, and at the end the strongest team was determined.
1. Systems Analysis Laboratory
The children were given tasks that clearly demonstrated the importance of a systematic approach to solving problems. A crossword, a fillword, and a Japanese puzzle called “Bridges” — all of this forced the participants to think logically, find patterns and relationships. And most importantly, it helped them better understand how economic processes are structured in reality.
2. Laboratory of Economic Intuition
Here, participants encountered economic puzzles, asset turnover tasks, and cases that required filling in missing terms. These tasks helped participants not only remember the terms, but also understand how they work in the context of business and finance.
3. Business Analytics Lab
It turned out to be the most difficult — and, perhaps, the most educational. The kids had to understand the financial statements of the Magnit retail chain, pass tests on formal logic, and solve numerical problems that are used when hiring in large financial companies. This gave the schoolchildren the opportunity to “try on” the role of a business analyst and understand how interesting and in-demand this profession is.
4. Bipolar Laboratory
This lab turned out to be the most creative and memorable. Participants had to not only think, but also act:
Assemble a product according to the technical specifications from a construction set. Assemble a puzzle from the logos of famous brands and compare them with the companies’ missions. Restore the system by analogy with the game “Tetris”. Assemble slides with company analytics to create a complete picture.
These tasks developed not only logic and economic thinking, but also teamwork skills, attentiveness and creativity.
Each laboratory had its own curators, who were students from the Faculty of Economics of NSU.
Artem Bezrukov commanded the business analytics laboratory.
— Three stations: calculation tasks, a logic storm and a hellish quiz on financial reporting. I thought that my stations would be the hardest for the participants, but the guys turned out to be great! We were especially impressed with the financial reporting of Magnit. We compared profitability, revenue, turnover — like analysts with real cases! Honestly, I thought that out of 100 points our maximum would be 50, but I was pleasantly surprised by other results!) I admit, the logic test turned out to be the most tricky. Only two teams were able to solve it 100 out of 100! Apparently, numbers are closer to them than puzzles.) Even my fifth-graders learned to calculate profitability! — said Artem.
Kira Kurmasheva was responsible for the bipolar laboratory.
—We had a great time and enjoyed it as much as the quest participants. Our lab had the most stations — four. All the tasks in my lab were interactive, the kids were asked to assemble a flower from a construction set, restore economic slides, assemble puzzles with logos of famous companies, and solve a riddle. All the tasks were quite easy, but very interesting. Our lab had the highest average score for the quest.
I am very glad that our event attracted so many children from all over the region. During the game, I received a lot of positive feedback about the quest. I hope that I will participate in many more similar projects from the laboratory of economics and business! – Kira shared.
As a result, all teams completed all stations, showed good results and acquired valuable skills. The winner of the quest was the team “EkoMi”, which scored the highest number of points.
All participants were awarded raffle tickets and delicious pizza, which was a pleasant end to a busy but exciting day.
Here’s what the event participants thought about the quest.
Taisiya Gershun, 8th grade, OC “Gornostay”:
— Although I was never particularly interested in economics, the quest even made me think about enrolling in the economics department! An interesting format that helps to apply knowledge from economics in practice. During the quest, you learn to work together and make decisions quickly. It was especially interesting to solve economic puzzles and solve different problems. At the end, there was an announcement of the winners and pizza!!
Vladimir Rimmer, 9th grade, Lyceum No. 130:
— My mother signed me up for the quest, for which I am very grateful to her. I got a lot of new emotions, made new acquaintances. I really liked the idea itself, the organization and, of course, the surprise in the form of pizza after the end. If I were to rate the quest on a ten-point scale, it would definitely be 10 out of 10!
Daria Rakova, 9th grade, OC “Gornostay”:
— Overall, the event was interesting and useful. The tasks were varied, you had to think and act. I especially liked two things: bridges and a crossword puzzle. These logic tasks are just super, and everything was exciting with the team. Overall, I spent my time usefully, learned something new and laughed.
The Laboratory of Economics and Business is already drawing up a plan for future events, where schoolchildren not only gain new knowledge, but also come into contact with university life.
— The guys spent the whole day at NSU, got to know the university, its teachers and students better. We are sure that many of them will choose NSU as the place of their admission and further education, — Dmitry Markov emphasized.
Please note: This information is raw content obtained directly from the source of the information. It is an accurate report of what the source claims and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.
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