The Romanian journey to IEO started not with a government directive or institutional mandate, but with a single student.

Rather than turning it into a one-off experience, Alexandra saw a larger opportunity: to establish a legitimate, inclusive, and transparent selection process for Romanian students to compete internationally. Today, her initiative engages over 300 students from 47 schools, supported by a dynamic network of 26 economics teachers.

Structured and Transparent Selection

Alexandra designed a three-tiered national selection process:

1. Multiple Choice Stage: Administered at the school level.
2. Essay Evaluation: Organized regionally by trusted teacher networks to ensure integrity.
3. Boot Camp: A rigorous three-day training and final evaluation covering economics, business, and financial literacy.

Deep Institutional Collaborations

Partnerships have been essential. Key collaborators include:

• ASE Bucharest – provides academic support.
• Bucharest Stock Exchange – hosts workshops and financial literacy sessions.
• EY Romania – contributes tailored training materials.
• BCR Bank – supports the business case challenge and has sponsored the team’s participation.

Alexandra refers to her collaborators as “senior partners in education”, emphasizing their significant role in co-creating educational projects.

She emphasizes inclusivity, building trust through online meetings, collaborative calendars, and responsiveness to teachers’ feedback. The national teacher network now spans both urban and rural schools, public and private.

While some organizations chase funding, Dache has resisted monetizing the program:

This philosophy has earned her partners’ trust—and their ongoing support. It has also helped retain focus on equity and quality rather than financial growth.

Perhaps the most touching element of Dache’s work is the ongoing bond with alumni.

Plans are in motion to formalize alumni engagement through structured volunteering, mentoring, and potentially corporate sponsorships via former students now in professional roles.

Alexandra’s final advice for anyone trying to build a national competition from scratch is simple:

She also stresses the importance of authenticity, transparency, and consistency.

Alexandra Dache is currently working to integrate the competition into Romania’s national education calendar and deepen alumni involvement. Her long-term vision is to institutionalize excellence without compromising the values of passion, openness, and community.

Want to Get Involved?
Educators and organizers interested in observing or collaborating with the Romanian Excellence Centre in Economics are welcome to get in touch. There are opportunities to attend national selection finals, assist in training sessions, or even co-develop curriculum materials.