CORE Project: Transforming Economics Education for the Next Generation

The CORE initiative, launched in 2009 in response to the global financial crisis, is supported by the Institute for New Economic Thinking (INET) at the University of Oxford, with co-funding from Sciences Po and the Azim Premji University in Bangalore, India. Backed by prominent figures such as Joseph Stiglitz and George Soros, CORE aims to renew economics education in high schools by offering an open-access, interactive eBook that introduces students to foundational economic concepts through real-world questions to make economics education more engaging, relevant, and empirically grounded for both students and teachers. 

The project focuses on teaching essential economic concepts—such as the origins of financial crises, the causes of unemployment, and the disparities in wealth between nations—through an empirical, data-driven methodology. Students learn models inspired by historical events, experiments, and data, while exploring diverse perspectives from across disciplines, geographies, and methodologies. By emphasizing empirical evidence, pluralistic perspectives, and cutting-edge advancements in economics and social sciences, CORE transcends traditional divides and equips students with the tools to better understand the complexities of the modern economy. 

Led by Yann Algan, Professor of Economics at Sciences Po and Dean of the School of Public Affairs, the French adaptation of CORE has already transformed introductory economics courses at institutions like Sciences Po and the Toulouse School of Economics (TSE). Since 2017, this groundbreaking approach is being supported by a dedicated platform providing free access to interactive, translated content tailored to the needs of secondary education.  

With the support of the AXA Research Fund, the CORE Project represents a transformative step toward making economics education more accessible, inclusive, and impactful for the next generation.