1. Who can participate in the Conference?
University students of all academic levels as well as graduates -with an interest in the issues of economic policy- can participate in the ECB Simulation Conference! Even if someone does not have an academic background in Economics, Law, or International Studies are encouraged to apply, as the extensive study material that is provided by Get Involved as well as the preparation period offer the necessary knowledge to participate efficiently in the workings of the Conference.
2. Does the Conference grant a Certification of Attendance?
With successful participation in 75% of the Conference workings, the participants are granted a Certification of Attendance. Since 2020, an optional Certificate of Knowledge (it can be uploaded to social media platforms such as LinkedIn) has been added, which proves that the participants gained specialized knowledge by participating in the procedures of the ECB Simulation Conference.
3. Can university students and graduates, who don’t have an economic background participate in the Conference?
The ECB Simulation Conference aims for an interdisciplinary approach to contemporary economic issues. The overall study materials and preparation calls have a noteworthy impact on any possible knowledge gap from participants that don’t have an economic background. All the university students and graduates that wish to participate are encouraged to apply!
4. What are the examined topics of the Conference?
Each year the topics of the ECB Simulation Conference change according to Euro Area economic developments. The objective of the Conference is to highlight and educate on the most important contemporary issues that ECB and the European economy face. Some indicative topics that have been examined are the monetary policy transitioning mechanism, the Non-Performing Loans, ESG challenges in the financial sector, Central Bank Digital Currencies, and Euro Area enlargement.
5. What are the benefits of participating in the Conference?
The goal of Get Involved is for the Conference to be a pleasurable and constructive experience for the participants while providing them with various benefits. The participant gains knowledge on contemporary economic issues of the Euro Area, can network with academics, market representatives, and active university students with similar interests, and has the chance to participate in the Training Day and communicate with distinguished institutional and market representatives and academics.
6. Are all applications approved?
The structure of the ECB Simulation Conference allows a specific number of participants, in order to maximize the overall experience. Specifically, in each Conference, there can be 108 participants in the role of Central Bankers and 16 as Staff members. For these reasons, the applications are evaluated according to the applicant’s CV and motivational letter (emphasis is given to the motivational letter).
It is important to stress that Get Involved encourages everyone to apply for the Conference, as the only certain way to be accepted in the Conference is to apply!!
7. Are there any age restrictions?
There are no age restrictions. The audience of the ECB Simulation Conference is targeted towards university students of all academic levels and graduates. If these criteria are covered, there is no other restriction for an applicant.
8. Is there any educational/preparatory material given for the better preparation of the participants?
Once the participant gets admitted to the Conference, extensive preparation material is provided, such as the Study Guide, the Economic Definitions Index of Get Involved, and the Country Guide. Regardless of the participants’ scientific background, the provided documents are important for the preparation of the examined topics of the Conference. For more information on this topic, please visit the “Preparation Procedure” page.