Graduate student Boris Georgiev from the Department of Economics and Business at Aarhus University has been declared the winner of the International Atlantic Economic Society’s Best Undergraduate Paper Competition, which took place 12 October at a conference in Philadelphia, USA. He wins the competition ahead of three undergraduate students from UC Berkeley, Stanford University and University of California, San Diego.

Second year in a row as finalist

It is the second year in a row that Boris Georgiev competes in the final. This year Boris Georgiev’s paper dealt with financial economics, investment in particular, and contributes, among other things, by including an alternative return estimation methodology that departs from the classical mean-variance portfolio optimisation framework. But the panel, consisting of 21 judges from all around the world, also focus strongly on the participants’ ability to communicate their research.

“My paper was better than last year in terms of complexity of analysis and quality of writing, and I have focused more on the communicative aspects and its publishability,” says Boris Georgiev.

He is grateful to Professor Bent Jesper Christensen and the Department of Economics and Business for supporting his venture and agreeing to sponsor his trip to Philadelphia.

“And I am particularly proud on behalf of BSS and Aarhus University that the school is able to compete in this forum with the big lions of academia,” he says and stresses that his participation is a testament to AU’s high level of education, talent development and research.

Facts

• Boris Georgiev’s paper has been selected among 50 entries from eight different countries, and in the final he was competing against three students from the U.S.
• The papers have been selected – with names, university and country affiliations removed – by a blind panel of 16 judges. The final selection was judged by an additional 5 judges.
• The winning paper will be published in the 2014 March or June issue of the Atlantic Economic Journal.
• Boris Georgiev was able to enter the undergraduate competition as a graduate student because he is still in his fourth year of studies, and a Bachelor’s degree in the U.S. normally takes four years rather than three.

Photos from the ceremony.