In the 13th edition of the prestigious National Bank of Slovakia competition for the Governor’s Award, our students Veronika Šidlová and Emma Ivanovová won first and third place respectively.
Every year, the Governor’s Award recognises the best student papers in monetary economics, macroeconomics, financial economics and financial stability, with original scientific contribution and research quality as the key criteria. The competition is open to university students in Slovakia as well as Slovak citizens studying abroad, which makes the success of two students from a single faculty an exceptional achievement.
First place: Who bears the brunt of economic crises?
This year’s winner is Veronika Šidlová with her paper The Employment and Earnings of Less Skilled Workers During the Business Cycle, supervised by Ing. Tomáš Oleš, PhD. from the Department of Economic Policy. Her research examines how business cycles and macroeconomic shocks affect the employment and earnings of less skilled workers in selected European countries. Her findings show that this group suffers the greatest losses during economic fluctuations, with men in manual occupations being particularly vulnerable. The paper demonstrates that the consequences of crises are not distributed equally among workers and highlights the role of labour market structure in the transmission of economic shocks. Her results can inform policies aimed at protecting the most vulnerable groups of the population.
Third place: Trust matters more than information when it comes to paying taxes
Third place went to Emma Ivanovová for her paper The Impact of Budget Transparency on Tax Morale, supervised by Ing. Matej Lorko, PhD. from the Department of Insurance. In her experimental research, she tested whether greater transparency of public finances or information about corruption influences people’s willingness to pay taxes voluntarily. Her results suggest that information campaigns alone have only a limited effect. What matters most is trust in institutions, the perceived legitimacy of public administration and individuals’ personal values. The paper thus offers valuable insights for policymakers and for the broader debate on the relationship between citizens and the state.
Both students received their awards from NBS Governor Peter Kažimír. The success of Veronika Šidlová and Emma Ivanovová confirms that students of the Faculty of National Economy are capable of producing high-quality, socially relevant research that can hold its own against the best young economists in Slovakia.
We warmly congratulate both award winners and wish them every success in their future academic and professional careers! Our thanks also go to their supervisors for their expert guidance and support.
