Qualify with an excellent essay
We expect a professional, creative, and thought-provoking essay. Be bold, unconventional, and distinctive in addressing the competition question. While the use of AI tools is permitted (when cited correctly), the judging will focus on originality and the strength of your own unique ideas. For this reason, heavy reliance on generic outputs from systems such as ChatGPT is strongly discouraged: We want to hear your authentic voice and perspective.
For your contribution to be valid, the following criteria must be met
| Form | Essay (max. 2,100 words, excl. abstract, bibliography, and footnotes) |
| Language | English |
| Deadline | 1 February 2026, 11:59 p.m. last time zone (UTC-12) |
| Anonymity | Your name, e-mail address, university, or any identifying details must not be mentioned anywhere in the contribution file. |
| Individuality | Individual work expected, no group work allowed. The essay must be written exclusively for this contest. The idea must be the author’s own. |
| Citation | All sources must be cited and referred to the respective part in the essay. All contributions will be tested for plagiarism. Any auxiliary aids (AI, proofreading, translation service, layout/graphics services, writing and translation programs, etc.) are to be listed in an auxiliary aids directory. All auxiliary aids and resources used must be fully and correctly cited. Failure to acknowledge or reference any aid—whether digital, printed, or otherwise—will result in disqualification. Transparency and academic integrity are mandatory. |
| Template | Download Template for the Global Essay Competition |
Check your eligibility and prepare documents
To be eligible, you must fulfill all of the following criteria:
- Enrolled in a graduate or postgraduate programme (master level or higher) in any field of study at a regular university
- Born in 1996 or later
Make sure you can provide the following documents:
- Copy of passport or other identification (in English for non-Roman languages)
- Confirmation of matriculation/enrolment from your university which proves your enrollment in a graduate/postgraduate level programme as of 1 February 2026 (download sample document here)
- Your contribution file with no indication of your name in the file name, the file metadata or the file itself
