Welcome to the ULMA Economic Olympiad!
The ULMA Economic Olympiad is an international competition in economics and related quantitative fields. The Olympiad is hosted by the Institute of Economics at Ulm University and brings together students from universities around the world. It is the first ULMA format and is designed to identify talented students, foster academic exchange, and strengthen connections to Ulm University.
Our goal is to motivate participants to refresh and apply their knowledge while fostering interest and enthusiasm for economics. Through the international orientation of the Olympiad, we also aim to strengthen intercultural understanding and the exchange between universities. We are confident that the Olympiad contributes to closer relations between students and teachers across institutions and offers a meaningful opportunity to exchange scientific and practical knowledge and experience.
The Olympiad covers topics such as microeconomics, macroeconomics, econometrics, and finance. It is designed to be challenging but accessible to motivated students with a quantitative background.
For international participants joining in presence in Ulm, the Olympiad is embedded in a broader academic and cultural program at Ulm University. In addition to the competition itself, participants may attend the ULMA Research Seminar, present their own Bachelor's, Master's, or PhD projects, exchange ideas with students and researchers, participate in networking and social activities, and gain first-hand experience of studying and conducting research in Ulm.
We look forward to your participation and wish you great success at the ULMA Economic Olympiad!
The ULMA Economic Olympiad is a knowledge competition in economics. The tasks cover topics such as:
The Olympiad is intended to motivate students to refresh and apply their knowledge while encouraging interest and enthusiasm for economics.
Through its international format, the Olympiad also promotes academic exchange across universities and countries.
Participation in the ULMA Economic Olympiad offers students the opportunity to:
The Olympiad is also a good opportunity for students to experience an international academic format in a focused and accessible way.
Students of Ulm University from economics-related degree programmes (e.g. Economics, Finance, Business Mathematics, Business Physics, Business Chemistry, Industrial Engineering, or related fields) may receive 3 ECTS credits by participating in the ASQ module 鈥淯LMA 鈥� Applied Economics, International Exchange and Reflection鈥�. The module combines the ULMA Economic Olympiad with international exchange activities, networking opportunities, and structured reflection on economic problem-solving in an international environment. The Olympiad itself is not graded and serves as a practical learning experience. Assessment is based on a reflection report and short presentation completed after the event.
For selected international participants, a limited number of ULMA Travel Grants may be available to support travel and accommodation costs.
Travel Grants are intended to make participation possible for strong students from partner universities and to strengthen international academic exchange.
Applications for Travel Grants require:
Depending on the available funding, the grant may cover travel and accommodation costs up to a fixed maximum amount. The exact scope, number, and amount of grants depend on the available funding. To ensure commitment and the efficient use of limited funding resources, recipients of a ULMA Travel Grant are expected to contribute a modest co-payment towards their travel costs. The exact amount depends on the participant's location and expected travel expenses.
Participants are encouraged to first explore potential funding opportunities available through their home institution, such as departmental funds, faculty support schemes, international offices, mobility programs, or national funding organizations (e.g. DAAD or comparable schemes in their respective countries). At the same time, we do not want financial circumstances to prevent outstanding students from participating. Students who would face financial difficulties in providing the required co-payment are encouraged to contact us. We will review individual cases and try to find a suitable solution whenever possible.
Selected recipients of a ULMA Travel Grant are invited to Ulm University for a three-day academic program surrounding the Olympiad.
The program may include:
The exact program may vary from year to year. Information will follow for accepted students.
To register for the ULMA Economic Olympiad, each participant must complete the application form on this website.
Required information typically includes:
If you would like to apply for a ULMA Travel Grant, please also upload the travel grant application form, letter of recommendation from your home institution, your CV, and transcript of records.
Date of birth and gender are required for creating a Moodle guest account at Ulm University. All data will be processed in accordance with the GDPR and deleted after the end of the Olympiad.
The ULMA Economic Olympiad is the first ULMA format and is part of the broader ULMA initiative at Ulm University. ULMA combines student competition, research-oriented teaching, empirical methods, and international academic collaboration in one growing framework.
The Olympiad serves as an entry point into a broader network of academic exchange, research-oriented learning, and international collaboration.
The official languages of the Olympiad are German and English. The winners are determined by the total number of points scored.
Participants are expected to follow the official rules and regulations of the competition.
During the Olympiad:
Further details can be found in the official regulations.
Students in Economics or comparable courses (B/M/PhD)
Every year in the Winter term
Application for ULMA Travel Grant until:
30.06.2026 | 23:59 (CET)
Registration for the Olympiad until:
26.10.2026 | 23:59 (CET)
Olympiad:
06.11.2026 | 12:00 - 14:00 (CET)
Location
Locally in Ulm in H22 and internationally online via Moodle
