When it comes to matters of the state, the students of Bangladesh are regarded as one of the most concerned and actively involved demographics of people. They have dynamic opinions and from them originate the most innovative ideas and policies. Therefore, organisations run by the students which address their own concerns, and provide them with the platform to voice their perspectives are imperative for the healthy development of ideals in our nation. North South University's Young Economists' Forum (YEF) is one such organisation, striving continuously to be a launch pad for the nation's youth.
Young Economists' Forum (YEF), founded in 1998, is the first academic club to be established in North South University. Since its inception the club has continued to be an embodiment of the creativity and the exuberant spirit of the youth. It provides a platform for burgeoning talents to exercise their creativity in unison and has also become an epitome of youth empowerment.
YEF has two cores for its member base, the academic core, and the creative core. The members of each core are further divided into logistics and marketing departments. The club operates on a hierarchical distributed-labour structure, with the Executive Body (EB) of the club being on top. These members are chosen, from the club, by the authorities of the university itself. The EB members then elect a sub-executive body, dubbed 'Team Leaders' to aid them with carrying out the functions of the sub-sectors under each core and department smoothly. The rest of the member base is divided into senior executive members and junior executive members, with respect to the duration of their involvement with YEF.
Although established under the category of an extra-curricular club, YEF takes pride in proclaiming itself as an academic club. That claim is supported by the two publications it releases every year. Primarily there is the Equilibrium, YEF's annual publication. The Equilibrium hosts a collection of research papers and interviews by experts in various fields, adjacent to articles by students. Alongside the Equilibrium, the club is also responsible for publishing the YEF Chronicle, a tri-annual periodical. Continual efforts such as these are congruent with the club's vision to empower the student body.
YEF's current events include: EconFest, an economics fair that helps the younger generation learn about the prospects of pursuing this discipline; the Skills Development Programme which is a one-day event consisting of sessions with professional experts to encourage students to acquire a range of practical work-related skills; and EconProdigy.
The most prominent event by YEF, EconProdigy, is an inter-university policy developing competition--the biggest of its kind in the nation. November 2017 witnessed the launch of EconProdigy 3.0, the third installment of this prestigious event. On November 20 the orientation for the competition was held along with a workshop for the participants. Round 1, termed 'Speakonomics', was a presentation round held on November 27. From the 40 participating teams, 10 were deemed worthy of moving on to the second round of the competition, which is to be a debate round. Round 2, dubbed 'Cross-talk', was held on December 04, with the 10 teams going head-to-head in five debates. The winning team from each debate will move on the third and final round of the competition, 'Policy Dialogue', to be held on December 10.
The title sponsors for this event is Mercantile Bank Limited. The event is powered by IPDC Finance Limited. Associate sponsor for the event are Wave Deodorant and Air Freshener. The Financial Express is the Youth Engagement Partner for the event. The Clothing Partner for the event is Fine Threads, and the Snacks Partner is Goldmark Biscuit.
The article has been released by the Public Relations wing of NSU YEF Club. They can be reached at nsuyef@yefonline.net