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At Economics, we are proud of our students' achievements

We like to recognise their achievements and award prizes to Economics students who demonstrate excellence in their work.

Find out more about the prizes we offer and the Department's Honour Roll. Meet past and present prize winners from the Department of Economics:

Sophie Kate Elliott Memorial Prize

Sophie Elliott completed a First Class Honours degree in Economics in 2007 and was due to start her career at the New Zealand Treasury in Wellington in January 2008. Sophie shone academically, but she was about more than outstanding grades. She was truly engaged with learning for its own sake. She wanted to understand more deeply and was keen to debate the big issues.

Tragically, Sophie died on 9 January 2008 after an attack at her family home.

In memory of Sophie, the University has established The Sophie Kate Elliott Memorial Prize, which offers an annual prize for achievement in fourth-year Economics Honours.


Prize winners

2023: Joel E Hjelte
2022: Josh B Martel
2021: Rachael Grant
2020: India A E Power
2019: Evan B Hinds
2018: Andrew R W Kennedy
2017: Finn T Robinson
2016: Christopher J Purdie
2015: Kate L Preston
2014: Victoria Larsen
2013: Anna E Robinson
2012: Benjamin C Krieble
2011: Stefan J Fairbrother and Scott R Taylor (shared)
2010: Ross A Wilson
2009: Hugh A McDonald
2008: Tom Graham

Erkin Bairam Memorial Prize

In memory of Erkin's life and his many contributions to the Department of Economics and the University of Otago, a fund has been established from the donations of his former students, friends and colleagues. The money is held in trust by the University.

From 2003, the Erkin Bairam Memorial Prize is to be awarded annually by the University Council on the recommendation of the Assistant Vice-Chancellor of Commerce to the student with the highest aggregate mark across the core third-year honours Economics papers in the same year (if there is more than one winner the Prize will be split between them).

All students, including non-Honours students, taking these courses in any single year will be eligible for the Prize:

Contact Paul Hansen for more information about the Erkin Bairam Memorial Prize.


Prize winners

2023: Samuel H Blackwood
2022: Isaac A M Heron and Madison K S Y Wong (shared)
2021: Zixuan Zeng and Kelson Sadlier (shared)
2020: Jack S J Gordon and Ellena M-E Khoo (shared)
2019: Nicholas L V  James
2018: Evan B Hinds and Nur Hafizah Binti Johari (shared)
2017: Andrew R W Kennedy and Han Sun (shared)
2016: Aleisha J Lord and Finn T Robinson (shared)
2015: Christopher J Purdie and Vivienne E Rijnberd (shared)
2014: Edmund Lou and Shanae Sheriff (shared)
2013: Victoria Larsen and Campbell J Will (shared)
2012: William M Cheyne and Anna E Robinson (shared)
2011: Benjamin C Krieble
2010: Auren A Clarke and Dannielle A Thian (shared)
2009: Samuel W Struthers
2008: Hugh A McDonald
2007: Tom Graham
2006: Christopher C McDonald
2005: Ashley J Dunstan
2004: Madeline S Penny
2003: Aaron Carson

"Top of Class" Awards

The Department warmly congratulates all of our prize-winners for their outstanding achievements over the academic year.  In addition to the winners of the Erkin Bairam and Sophie Elliott Memorial Prizes.

The top students in each of our undergraduate papers are honoured at our department prize-giving ceremony, held in May each year.

Find out more about all prize winners and award recipients for the following years:

Honour Roll

Established in 2013, the Economics Department's Honour Roll annually recognises and celebrates excellence in academic performance by its students.

Membership of the Honour Roll is restricted to full-time undergraduate students enrolled for a major, minor or endorsement in Economics (or Philosophy, Politics and Economics) who achieve a GPA of 7.5 or higher across all the papers and across all the Economics papers (of which there should be at least two) they have taken during the year in question.  (The GPA is calculated using a nine-point scale in which A+ = 9, A = 8, A− = 7, etc.)

Admission to the Honour Roll is not restricted to students taking papers at a particular level, nor is it restricted by undergraduate programme.

The requirement to have taken two Economics papers during the calendar year is waived for students enrolled in ECON112 who were granted direct entry into the paper.  In such cases a grade of A− or higher on ECON112 would be required.

Papers for which an Aegrotat Pass has been awarded are normally disregarded for the purposes of determining admission to the Honour Roll.

View the Honour Roll for the following years:

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