Max Stiven, a final-year economics and finance student at the University of Otago, has been awarded the Sir Frank Holmes Prize for his outstanding academic achievements in economics.

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This year's prestigious Sir Frank Holmes Prize has been awarded to Max Stiven, a final-year economics and finance student from the University of Otago. Established by Motu Research, this annual award includes a cash prize of $5,000 intended for the top undergraduate student in Aotearoa New Zealand.

The prize aims to encourage excellence in quantitative economics, fostering the development of skilled researchers who can contribute significantly to the fields of economics and public policy in New Zealand. The ability to analyze economic data is crucial for effective public policy formulation, which aligns with Motu Research's founding vision to improve understanding and research capacity in Aotearoa.

This is not the first award for Max Stiven showcased his academic brilliance, achieving the William-Emery Scholarship in Commerce in 2024 and securing first place in his classes for Introductory Econometrics and Microeconomic Theory during 2025. These accomplishments highlight his commitment to mastering the field of economics.

In addition to receiving the award, Max is set to begin an internship at NERA Economic Consulting in Tāmaki Makaurau/Auckland this November. His future plans include pursuing a Master’s degree in Economics and Econometrics, with a focus on dissertation topics such as housing economics or energy policy. 

In an accompanying press release by the University of Otago, Stiven was quoted, upon news of the award, as saying:

“I was ecstatic. The prize has the potential to open a lot of doors and it’s a great motivation to keep working hard.

“I think for myself and a lot of students, going to university is as much about independence as study, and moving away from home was part of that. Otago also has an excellent Department of Economics, with lecturers who go well beyond their duties and are driven by seeing their students succeed. “Dr Murat Üngör in particular has given me incredible support.

Asked what initially drew him to the field of economics, Stiven replied that .

“People often think economics is about markets and prices, but I see it as a way of understanding the world – a science of how people make decisions, respond to incentives and weigh trade-offs. Its reach is surprisingly broad.

“Game theory helped shape how we think about nuclear deterrence, and development research has shown how closely falling birth rates are tied to educating women in developing countries.

“Ask people what a life is worth and many will say it’s invaluable, yet those same people drive every day, accepting a small risk to life for convenience. If we truly placed infinite value on life, we’d never get in a car. So, in a world where every decision has trade-offs, we need economics to navigate those hard decisions.

“Economics is to public policy what chemistry and biology are to medicine.”

Stiven's tutor, Murat Üngör, was understandably full of praise for his student:

“Max’s academic interests extend beyond achieving high grades; he is deeply motivated to understand economic mechanisms, formalise them rigorously, and apply them to real-world economic problems. We are very proud of him at Otago,”

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Read the press release here : motu.nz
Read the report on the Otago University website here: otago.ac.nz

Read more about Murat Üngör on his Otago Profile Page.
You can follow Max Stiven on his LinkedIn page.