open future essay competition

This year you are asked to include TWO digital photographs that you have copied from any of this year's posted topic Reources or similarr resources that has influenced your Proposal. One of the photographs should help support the argument you make in your Proposal as to an issue you believe needs to addressed in providing housing for the disadvantaged. The other photograph should help support the argument you make for the proposed response. A brief caption - 50 words maximum - should accompany the photograph telling us what the photo represents and the source of the photograph.  Please post the photograph at a minimum 500 pixels wide, and in .jpg format. No more than two photographs will be accepted.

NOTE: The Readers are instructed not to add or detract points from their evaluation because of the quality of the photograph itself, nor whether it is the students' work or an archival photograph. The Readers, however, will evaluate how the photographs help support the argument you have made in your Proposal.

Judging for the essay competition is on a numeric system. The members of the BERKELEY PRIZE Committee are asked to evaluate each essay in terms of the following criteria:

Each criterion is given a score of 1 to 5 (5 being the highest). The approximately 25-28 top-scoring Proposals become Semifinalists, who will be offered the opportunity to write a 2500-word Essay based on the Proposal..

There is a total prize of 35,000USD, minimum 8,500USD first prize.  The remaining purse is to be allocated at the discretion of the Jury.

By submitting your essay, you give the Berkeley Prize the nonexclusive, perpetual right to reproduce the essay or any part of the essay, in any and all media at the Berkeley Prize’s discretion.  A “nonexclusive” right means you are not restricted from publishing your paper elsewhere if you use the following attribution that must appear in that new placement: “First submitted to and/or published by the international Berkeley Undergraduate Prize for Architectural Design Excellence ( www.BerkeleyPrize.org ) in competition year 20(--) (and if applicable) and winner of that year’s (First, Second, Third…) Essay prize.” Finally, you warrant the essay does not violate any intellectual property rights of others and indemnify the BERKELEY PRIZE against any costs, loss, or expense arising out of a violation of this warranty.

Registration and Submission

You (and your teammate if you have one) will be asked to complete a short registration form which will not be seen by members of the Berkeley Prize Committee or Jury.

REGISTER HERE.

Additional Help and Information

10 Break-Out Sessions

• Time: 3:30 pm - 4:30 pm

India is undergoing its economic, technological and demographic transition simultaneously. An old country is becoming youthful and adventurous with the passage of time. Young Indians like OYO founder Ritesh Agarwal are quietly taking charge of Indian ethos by becoming icons of audacious aspirations and tangible proofs of its potential, spawning startups that are becoming most valuable and famous than many legacy companies. How can young revolutionaries find ways to carry the older generation of investors, regulators, workers and consumers with them and what can other economies and founders learn from India’s momentous transition?

For over 50 years teams of student have volunteered to organise the St. Gallen Symposium. They have written countless invitations, met thousands of partners, and welcomed some of the most important personalities of their time on stage. Together with former members of the ISC we will reflect on the St. Gallen Symposium experience of cross-generational dialogue and collaboration, the lessons they have learned for their lives and on how the symposium has evolved. This session is organised together with ISC Alumni.

As the need for innovation is growing, the routinisation of well-structured creative processes within organizations is key for concurrent value creation. Prof. Susan Goldsworthy of IMD, this year's St. Gallen Symposium artist Javiera Estrada and Light Artist Gerry Hofstetter will discuss the role of collaboration in the creative process. Together, and in conversation with the audience, they’ll explore the way collaboration can drive creativity in various organisational contexts, and, on the other hand, the role of introversion and lone contemplation in creating something new.

Many employee volunteering and giving programs are presented as an employee perk, similar to casual Fridays or a team-building event. But treating workplace giving and volunteering this way fails to fully capitalise on the great potential of such programs: to foster employee personal growth, and address key societal challenges. The panel will particularly explore the potential of skills-based volunteering, its benefits, and the unique challenges that arise when moving from merely transactional volunteering to something far more transformative.

The investment landscape over the next twenty years will be radically different from previous generations. While there appears to be greater access to capital, there also appears to be much more volatility and debt with no clear dominant financing mechanism. Entrepreneurs, VC, Private Equity, and banks will have to find new ways to work together to create growth and stimulate innovation. How can investors and entrepreneurs better collaborate and find mutually beneficial agreements that balance risk and return?

The fashion industry accounts for 10% of humanity’s annual carbon emissions – more than all international flights and maritime shipping combined. For long, the fashion and luxury watchmaking industry drove, together with the fashion media industry, unsustainable dynamics in the sector: generating more and more demand through an artificial cycle of new collections and seasonal trends. Businesses’ marketing, media as well as influencers thereby create a constant longing and demand for their products. How can designers, fashion houses and publishers exit this vicious cycle and, collaboratively, drive the transition towards more sustainable and ethical fashion and luxury watchmaking?

Media diversity, freedom of the press and freedom of expression in Europe are currently under threat. Journalists and independent media companies are increasingly joining forces across borders to respond to such challenges as well as to be able to continue to offer independent quality journalism in the future. This session will identify learnings from new media partnerships such as the Leading European Newspaper Alliance (LENA) and the Organised Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP) to identify how media can most effectively work together.

Technology, innovation, and entrepreneurship are key drivers of the modern economy and social mobility. Given their importance, we should strive to improve accessibility to tech, education and entrepreneurship across all backgrounds. Creating open and inclusive communities, especially with tech is important to accomplishing this goal, but it is easier said that done. Simultaneously, a third iteration of the internet – Web3 – has the potential to radically transform the internet of things and reduce barriers to access. How can these forces be effectively harnessed and directed for the benefit of all people and move the world forward?

Over the past decades, the tech sector, especially the internet of things, has become a central component of modern economies. Trying to catch up with the exponential pace of technological development, the US, China, and Europe are crafting rules of the game on digital markets. What are the emerging characteristic differences between regulatory regimes of digital markets, in the US, Europe and beyond, and how do they balance innovation and regulation? In light of strategic competition over tech dominance between the US and China, what are the opportunities and challenges for Europe in particular?

The Covid-19 pandemic has changed the world of work forever. The fast and widespread adoption of remote work and an ever-increasing concern of employees with purpose and meaning on their job have intensified the war for talents. Reaching out to and concurrently engaging employees is key for businesses across sectors and regions. What learnings can be drawn from the pandemic as regards our approach to work? Has the world of work changed for the better? And what role does leadership culture and a new approach to hiring play going forward?

• A Demographic Revolution: Young India Takes Charge (with All India Management Association) 9:00 am - 10:00 am
• Collaborative Advantage Across Generations: Reflecting on the SGS Experience (ISC Alumni) 9:00 am - 10:00 am
• Collective Genius? Cultivating Creativity in the Arts and Beyond 9:00 am - 10:00 am
• Connecting Business with Purpose: The Potential of Skills-Based Volunteering 9:00 am - 10:00 am
• Financing the Next Generation of Entrepreneurs 10:00 am - 11:00 am
• Hacking the Fashion & Luxury Watchmaking Industry towards more Sustainability (with Condé Nast College) 10:00 am - 11:00 am
• M100 Sanssouci Colloquium@St. Gallen: Media’s New Power: More Impact Through Collaborative Journalism 10:00 am - 11:00 am
• Democratizing Access to the next Generation of Technology and Innovation: Communities and Radical Transformation 10:00 am - 11:00 am
• Varieties of Tech Capitalism: Europe's Approach to Innovation and Regulation in a Global Context 11:00 am - 12:00 pm
• Changed for Good? Engaging with the New World of Work 11:00 am - 12:00 pm

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Global Essay Competition

Compete in our Global Essay Competition and qualify for participation as a Leader of Tomorrow in the world’s premier opportunity for cross-generational debates: The St. Gallen Symposium.

Meet 300 of society’s brightest young minds. Present and debate your ideas with 600 senior leaders. Be inspired by some of the world’s most impressive speakers. Gain a unique and new perspective on this year’s topic. Become a member of a unique global community. Participate in the symposium with us. Win prize money of CHF 20,000 split amongst the three winners.

Topic Question

Striving for more or thriving with less – what pressing scarcity do you see, and how do you suggest to tackle it.

Scarcity generally refers to a situation where human needs exceed available resources . This year’s Global Essay Competition invites young leaders worldwide to focus on a specific contemporary or future challenge related to scarcity and propose an innovative way to address it.

Be creative in thinking about proposed solutions: do we need to strive for more and find ways to boost the availability of the resource in question? Or does it focus on ways to thrive with less and thus rethink our needs and demand?

Be free in choosing which scarce resource you focus on: examples include – but are NOT limited to – human labour, capital, natural resources, or intangibles like time, creativity, or care. Be bold and precise in describing a contemporary or future challenge of scarcity and the specific kind of resources you focus on, and offer a concrete and actionable idea of how we should confront it.

Registration window for the GEC for the 53rd St. Gallen Symposium is closed.

If problems occur during registration, please clear your cached images and files in your browsing history or consider using the browser Google Chrome. If you still cannot apply, use the following  link. For any unanswered questions please contact us via e-mail at  [email protected]

Prerequisites

Qualify with an excellent essay.

We expect a professional, creative and thought-provoking essay. Be bold, unconventional, and distinctive on the competition question.

For your contribution to be valid, the following criteria must be met

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 1994 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 2024 (download sample document  here )
• Your contribution file with no indication of your name in the file name, the file metadata or the file itself

Meet us and ask your questions!

Meet our student representatives to learn how you can qualify for a participation in the 53 rd St. Gallen Symposium. We will have physical presentations at your university again as well as regular webinars to answer your questions!

Accompanying a Leader of Tomorrow

General questions, who can compete for a participation as a leader of tomorrow at the st. gallen symposium.

Students enrolled at a regular university, who are matriculated in a graduate or postgraduate programme.

What is the St. Gallen Global Essay Competition?

The St. Gallen Global Essay Competition is a global student essay competition, offering students who study at graduate or postgraduate level around the world the opportunity to apply for participation at the St. Gallen Symposium.

What is the Knowledge Pool?

The Knowledge Pool is a group of Leaders of Tomorrow with a strong affiliation to topics of relevance to the St. Gallen Symposium. They show outstanding track records in the particular fields they work or study. They are hand-selected by the International Students’ Committee. It is not possible to apply for membership in the Knowledge Pool.

How much does it cost to participate? 

The participation in the symposium is free for all Leaders of Tomorrow. Moreover, expenses for travel, board and lodging are covered by the ISC. However, we recommend bringing a small amount of pocket money for your convenience.

Essay Competition

Who is eligible for the 54 th  st. gallen symposium.

Students enrolled at a regular university, who are matriculated in a graduate or postgraduate programme as of 1 February 2025, from any field of study, born in 1995 or later.

What is a “regular university”?

In the context of the Global Essay Competition, a regular university is defined as an institution of higher education that also conducts research and offers at least one PhD programme. Exceptions are possible and are granted on a case-by-case basis.

Can Bachelor students participate?

Unfortunately, students on bachelor level do not fulfil the eligibility criteria and therefore cannot enter the competition. There is no other way to apply for participation and we, therefore, encourage all students to join the competition once they pursue with their studies at a graduate level. You may, however, be eligible if the level of study in your current year is equivalent to international graduate level which must be confirmed in writing by your university.

Can teams participate?

Only individual submissions are allowed as we can only grant participation to one contender per contribution.

How long should the contribution be? 

The maximum amount of words is 2,100 (excluding bibliography or graph descriptions and the like). There is no minimum word count. Please make sure to state the exact word count in your document. Also keep in mind that you must not state your name in the contribution.

Do I have to quote my sources?

All sources must be quoted and all essays are scanned for plagiarism. You must refer each source to the respective text passage. Please note that plagiarism is a serious offense and that we reserve the right to take further steps in case of deliberate fraud. Self-plagiarism will also result in disqualification, as the work has to be written exclusively for the Global Essay Competition of the St. Gallen Symposium.

Can I have a look at previous Winner Essays?

Yes, you can find winner essays as well as other publications from the Global Essay Competition here .

What file formats are accepted?

Please make sure to hand in your essay in either a doc, docx or pdf format. The document must allow to copy the text easily (no document protections).

What documents do I need to submit?

In addition to your contribution, make sure to upload

• a copy of your passport (or any other official government ID but no driver’s license) to verify your age
• a confirmation of matriculation from your university confirming your graduate or postgraduate student status as of February 2023
• a short abstract (200–300 words) which can be entered in the registration form directly

in the applicable field of the registration form.

What happens after I submitted my application?

The ISC will verify your eligibility and check all submitted documents for completeness and readability. Due to the large amount of essays we receive, our response may take some time, so thank you for your patience. If the jury selects your essay in the top 100 , you qualify as a Leader of Tomorrow for an expenses-paid participation in the 52 nd St. Gallen Symposium (4-5 May 2023). The results will be announced via e-mail by mid-March 2023. The jury selects the three awardees based on the quality of the idea on paper. The award is endowed with a total prize money of CHF 20,000. In addition, there will be a chance for the very best competitors (including the awardees) to present their ideas on the big stage at the symposium. For this, the students will be asked to pitch their idea on video beforehand.

Who’s in the jury?

The Award Jury consists of leading executives, journalists and professors from all around the world. The Academic Jury is composed of young top academics from the University of St. Gallen and the ETH Zurich.

When will the results be announced?

The jury’s decision will be announced by mid-March at the latest.

Participation

How do the travel arrangements work.

The organizing committee will get in touch with you prior to the symposium to discuss your itinerary and to book your travel.

Can the organising committee help me get a visa?

All Leaders of Tomorrow are self-responsible to get a visa. However, we will inform the applicable Swiss embassy about the invitation and will provide you with the necessary documents. Should a problem arise anyway, we are happy to help. Expenses for visa application are borne by the Leaders of Tomorrow themselves.

Where am I accommodated during the symposium?

All Leaders of Tomorrow are accommodated at private student flats across the city. Please give us an early notice should you have any special requirements (e.g. female flatmates only).

What transport is provided?

We book flights or train tickets and provide shuttle service from and to the airport. Furthermore, all Leaders of Tomorrow receive a free ticket for the public transport in St. Gallen during the week of the symposium.

How much money do I need? 

We recommend bringing some pocket money (CHF 100–200) for your convenience. Please note that depending on your time of arrival and departure, some meals might not be covered.

Can disabled people participate as well? 

Yes, of course. Most of the symposium sites are wheelchair-accessible and we are more than happy to help where we can. Although our ability to provide personal assistance is very limited, we do our best to provide the necessary services.

Is there any touristic programme and do I have time for sightseeing?

During the symposium there will be no time for sightseeing. However, we may offer selected touristic programmes a day before or after the symposium. These days can, of course, also be used for individual sightseeing. Nearby sites include the old town of St. Gallen, the lake Constance and the mountain Säntis.

Can I extend my stay in Switzerland?

Yes, upon request we can move your return flight to a date of your choice. If the new flight is more expensive, we may ask you to cover the price difference. Please note that we are unable to provide any services such as accommodation or transportation after the end of the symposium week.

Can I bring a spouse?

Unfortunately, we cannot provide any services such as travel, room, board or symposium access to any additional person.

Past Winners & Essay Reviews

Out of approx. 1,000 annual contributions submitted by graduate and post-graduate students from all around the globe, the jury selects three winner essays every year. Meet our competition’s past winners and read their contributions.

2023 – A New Generational Contract

Elliot gunn, gaurav kamath, megan murphy, essay question:.

The best or worst legacy from previous generations: How to preserve or replace it?

A great deal of our lives is influenced by when we were born. As those currently alive, we have inherited the world which previous and older generations have built. We owe a great deal to the efforts of our forebears, but we also inherit problematic legacies.

2022 – Collaborative Advantage

Sophie lara neuber, anton meier, bryan kwang shing tan.

Collaborative Advantage: what should be written into a new intergenerational contract?

 The idea of a “generational contract” embodies the principles that younger and older generations rely on each other to provide mutual support across different stages of their lives. Inclusive education systems, sustainable welfare states and meaningful environmental action are some of many challenges requiring a cross-generational collaborative effort. Yet, with the climate crisis, rapid technological change and societal aging in many countries, the generational contract and notions of intergenerational fairness have been challenged. Members of the younger generation are raising their voices as they reflect on how their futures are being compromised by current decision-makers.

 What’s your specific and actionable idea that should be written into a new generational contract? Choose an area where you see evidence that intergenerational fairness is – or, going forward, will be – challenged and where the generational contract needs to be rewritten. Potential areas include, but are not limited to, business strategy and the economy, inclusive governance and education, the welfare state and health care, environmental sustainability, or the world of work. Describe your problem and offer concrete and practical proposals how inter-generational fairness can be restored or reinvented. Explain your idea’s impact for the future.

2021 – Trust Matters

Janz irvin chiang.

1st place – Peking University

Joan  Nyangena

2nd place – York University

Karl Michael Braun

3rd place – Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg

A Matter of Trust: How Can Trust be Repaired When It’s Lost?

In recent years, we have seen many reports about “trust crises” in the realms of politics, health, business, technology, science, and media. Political and corporate scandals, mass protests, and deteriorating trust indicators in global perception surveys support this diagnosis. As a result, senior leaders in many of these sectors publicly aspire to “rebuild trust” in their decisions, products, or institutions. What would be your advice to them?

Choose an area in one of the above-mentioned sectors where you see evidence that citizens’, consumers’, regulators’, employees’ or other stakeholders’ trust has been lost. Describe your example of an apparent loss of trust; offer concrete and practical proposals on repairing damaged trust. Describe your idea’s impact for the future.

2020 – Freedom Revisited

Symposium  postponed.

As a consequence of the COVID-19 pandemic, the final review and communication of the results of the contributions to the Global Essay Competition was stopped prematurely.

Freedom Revisited: Which aspects of freedom need to be defended, or recalibrated, to meet the challenges of our time?

Domestically and on the international stage, values of individual, economic, and political freedom are subject to critical inquiry or outright attack. Diverse phenomena such as populism, global power shifts, climate change, the digital revolution, and global migration call for a reflection on the value of freedom for the way we live, do business, and organize politically in the years ahead. While some call for a defence of established freedoms, others call for recalibration of our concept of freedom, or the balance we strike between freedom and other values, such as equality, sustainability, and security. Where do you stand in this debate? Choose one of the following positions as you develop your essay:

In defence of freedom: Choose an area in the realm of business, economics, politics, or civil society where current concepts of freedom are under pressure and where they need to be defended. Describe the problem and offer a concrete and practical proposition of how established concepts of freedom should – and can be – defended. Describe its impact for the future.

In defence of recalibrating freedom: Choose an area in the realms of business, economics, politics or civil society where current concepts of freedom are unsuitable for the challenges we face and where they need to be recalibrated. Describe the problem and offer a concrete and practical proposition of how established concepts of freedom should and can be recalibrated. Describe its impact for the future.

2019 – Capital for Purpose

Reuben muhindi wambui (ke).

1st place – The Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies

Natalie Hei Tung Lau (HK)

2nd place – University of Pennsylvania

Toan Do (VN)

3rd place – Yale University

Is it as good as it gets? – What approach would you suggest to change the current purpose of capital?

Political volatility, environmental issues, precarious labour markets, technological monopolies, managerial and investment short-termism are only a few challenges we face. The time has come to counter excessive short-termism and start doing business as unusual. Think about the status quo and its implications. What would be an idea to change it? Develop projects or actions you would trust in to bring new and expanded purposes to capital and aim for a long-term positive impact. In your essay you should consider how the use of capital (financial, human, social,…) can solve complex challenges and address substantial changes, be it by individuals, civil society, businesses or governments. Your idea must inspire leaders worldwide to take on responsibility and put it into practice. Be bold and develop a truly impactful concept to win our prestigious award.

2009 – 2018

2018  – beyond the end of work, nat ware (au).

1st place – University of Oxford

Janis Goldschmidt (DE)

João abreu (br).

3rd place – Harvard University

Robots are coming for your job. How do you augment yourself to stay economically relevant?

Author Yuval Noah Harari claims that the rapid progress of artificial intelligence technology will render the human species economically useless within decades. Imagine a world in which humans fight back, harnessing AI and other technologies to stay economically indispensable – and, ultimately, competitive against the computers. Describe the job you aspire to in the future, how it will potentially be influenced by AI, and how you would augment yourself technologically if necessary to prevail in your chosen career.

2017  – The dilemma of disruption

1st Place – University of Oxford

Benjamin Hofmann (DE)

2nd Place – University of St. Gallen

Sigin Ojulu (SS)

3rd Place – University of Southern California

Breaking the status quo – What’s YOUR disruptive idea?

The notion of disruption captures today’s innovation zeitgeist. Nowadays, it seems everyone claims to be a disruptor – particularly young people with an entrepreneurial mindset. Let’s think beyond disruptive innovation in management and look at disruption more generally as something that breaks the status quo – be it in business, politics, science, or society. Pick the one of these four fields you are most passionate about, identify a problem of greater magnitude and come up with a disruptive idea to solve it. Your idea must aspire to inspire top-notch leaders worldwide. Do not free ride on the buzzword “disruption” but rather be bold and develop a truly novel and radical concept to win our prestigious award.

2016  – Growth – the good, the bad, and the ugly

Schima labitsch (at).

1st place – Fordham University

Alexandra Ettlin (CH)

2nd place – University of St.Gallen

Colin Miller (US)

3rd place – New York University

What are alternatives to economic growth?

2015  – Proudly Small

Laya maheshwari (in).

1st place – London School of Economic

Leon Schreiber (ZA)

2nd place – Freie Universität Berlin

Katharina Schramm (DE)

3rd place – University of St.Gallen

Essay Questions:

• What is the next small BIG thing?

Think about unconventional ideas, undiscovered trends or peripheral signals that may turn into ground-breaking changes for societies. Present one idea which is not on the radar of current leaders yet but will change the game in business, politics or civil society – the best ones will be put to the test by the global audience of the St. Gallen Symposium.

• Collaborative Small State Initiative

Although small states lead the global rankings in international benchmark studies on competitiveness, innovation and wealth, they are often politically marginalised. Explore a common agenda for small and prosperous countries and identify one joint project that would increase the relevance of small states on the global stage. Go beyond politics and diplomacy by also including economic and civil players.

• Elites: small but superior groups rule the world – at what price?

Human history shows that the world has been ruled by tiny but superior groups of people. It is the elites who have been controlling societies and the allocation of resources. Given the rise of inequality, a devastating level of famine that still exists, ubiquitous corrupt systems of government, limited access to education for the underprivileged, to name just a few of the world’s greatest problems, elites are challenged to redefine their roles and agenda settings. Share your thoughts on how elites are supposed to emerge and transform in the 21st century.

2014  – The Clash of Generations

Ashwinikumar singh (in).

1st place – University of Mumbai

Martin Seneviratne (AU)

2nd place – University of Sydney

Set Ying Ting (MY)

3rd place – National University of Singapore

• Balancing Generational Claims

The presumption of an altruistic relation between generations and its positive effect on the economic well-being of societies is illusionary. Welfare states have widened fiscal gaps to an irreparable extent for the next generations. When aspiring to a sustainable welfare system, how should intergenerational claims balance without having to rely on selflessness?

• A Double-Edged Legacy

Let’s be frank: The generational contract has failed everywhere – but for different reasons. Exuberant public debts, zooming healthcare costs, unequal distribution of wealth, loss of ethical and moral anchors, loss of trust in existing institutions: each state is facing a unique set of problems. Briefly describe the situation in your country and propose a generational contract defining mutual responsibilities on an economic and social level.

• A Prospect for the Young

Highly educated and ambitious, yet unemployed. A whole generation of young is entering the labour market with little prospect of success. The implications go way beyond individual tragedies as economies with lasting high levels of youth unemployment risk social instability. Present new solutions on how we can overcome this crisis.

• Business between Generations

Slogans like “rent is the new own” or Botsmann and Rogers’s “what’s mine is yours” (HarperBusiness, 2010) mark the trend of shared economy. Although not a new economic phenomenon per se, particularly the Millennials are embracing this attitude towards doing business where they value access over ownership. The trend is gaining global mainstream acceptance which is resulting in a lasting impact on economic performance. Discuss the future of shared economy, its overall implications and the dynamics between supply and demand.

2013 – Rewarding Courage

Kilian semmelmann (de).

1st place – Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München

Dragov Radoslav (BG)

2nd place – Rotterdam School of Management

Bree Romuld (AU)

3rd place – University of St.Gallen (HSG)

The competitors must choose from one of four competition questions, which refer to the four topic clusters “Putting incentives right”, “Coping with institutions”, “Against the current – courageous people” and “Management of excellence”

• Putting incentives right

How come that both in the corporate world and in politics, responsible courage (e.g. whistleblowing, courage to disagree with current paradigms, etc.) is hardly ever rewarded? Where the big decisions for the future are taken, anxiety, conformity and despondence prevail. How can this be changed?

• Coping with institutions

Institutions of all kinds shape our behaviour – be it economic, political or social behaviour. How should institutions be designed in order to foster a sustainable economic and social development?

• Against the current – courageous people

Observers lament that younger generations, as individualistic as they are, tend to settle for a highly streamlined social and economic world that does not ask for big decisions or unconventional thinking. Please share your opinion on this observation and explain why you agree or disagree. Please use examples that support your arguments.

• Management of excellence

New insights can only flourish within a culture of dialogue in different opinions. No assumptions should be taken for granted nor should there be any unquestioned truth. However, most people (decision makers, managers, students, etc.) often fail to deal constructively with conflicting opinions. How can companies encourage their employees to build a healthy attitude towards unconventional thinking and acting?

2012 – Facing Risk

Rodrigues caren (in).

1st place – St. Joseph’s Institute of Management

Jennifer Miksch (DE)

2nd place – Geneva Graduate Institute

Jelena Petrovic (SR)

3rd place – King’s College London

Detecting Risks

• The methodological tools that allow early detection of what will shape future trends are pivotal. While risks are emerging faster, these tools still need fostered advancement. What is the role of scenario planning and forecasting methods and who is or should be responsible for these aspects in the organisation? How should the detection of risks be addressed in an increasingly complex and interconnected global landscape?

Risk Aversion

• In wealthy societies, most people tend to suppress risk taking. Given this increasing trend of risk aversion in saturated societies, what are the long term consequences for economy and society? What are the long term consequences of a high level of risk aversion?

Emerging Risks

• There are tremendous risks facing the global community and many people have not yet become aware of their potential consequences (e.g. public debt burden). What are the societal, economic and/or political risks your generation of decision makers will be facing in the future? How could you convert these risks into opportunities?

Managing Risk

• There is often a disconnect between taking risks and bearing the burden of the consequences of doing so (e.g. risk taking in investment banking). Who should bear the consequences of negligent risk taking and why? How can healthy risk taking be fostered in wealthy societies?

2011 – Just Power

Marcelo ber (ar).

1st place – New York University

Dhru Kanan Amal (IN)

2nd place – London School of Economics

Maria de los Angeles Lasa (AR)

3rd place – Università di Camerino

• Justice and Power
• Rethinking Leadership
• Public Goods and Values

We asked you to contribute visions and ideas to the theme “Just Power” – Power in the sense of its use in various areas of politics and economics. We expected a professional work which could be an essay, a scenario, a project report or proposal, a multi- media presentation or an entrepreneurial concept. It should be constructive, provocative or instructive, inspiring thoughts and actions as well as introucing new approaches and unconventional ideas. Within the framework of the theme you may choose between three subtopics for your contribution.

2010 – Entrepreneurs – Agents of Change

Ainur begim (kz).

1st place – University of Oslo

James Clear (USA)

Christoph birkholz (de).

• What makes an entrepreneur an “agent of change”?
• Changing of the guard: Who are the new entrepreneurs?
• Corporate entrepreneurship within large companies: a concept for the future or a mere pie in the sky?
• Entrepreneurship between environmental risks and opportunities: What does it take to succeed?

2009 – Revival of Political and Economic Boundaries

Shofwan al-banna choiruzzad (id), jason george (us), aris trantidis (gr), 1999 – 2008, 2008  – global capitalism – local values, guillaume darier (ch), jacobus cilliers (za), feerasta aniqa (nz), christoph matthias paret (de), 2007  – the power of natural resources, benjamin block (us), gustav borgefalk (se), kevin chua (ph), 2006  – inspiring europe, maximilian freier (de), chen yesh (sg), elidor mëhilli (al), william english (us), 2005  – liberty, trust and responsibility, christian h. harding (de), luana badiu (ro), norbert jungmichel (de), fabien curto millet (es /fr), 2004  – the challenges to growth and prosperity, ravi rauniyar (np), peter g. kirchschläger (at / ch), xin dong (cn), 2003 – seeking responses in times of uncertainty, stefanie klein (de), rosita shivacheva (bg), 2002 – pushing limits – questioning goals, constantine (dino) asproloupos (ca / gr), manita jitngarmkusol (th), 2001 – new balance of power, marion mühlberger (at), uwe seibel (de), moses ekra (ci / ca), gerald tan (my), 2000 – time, martin von brocke (de), pei-fu hsieh (tw), tzvetelina tzvetkova (bg), 1999 – new markets, new technologies, new skills, peter doralt (fr), valérie feldmann (de), rajen makhijani (in).

“Partaking in the competition was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. Not only was I able to come to St. Gallen and meet incredible young entrepreneurs and leaders who I’m still in contact with, but it provided me the opportunity to develop and share ideas with key decision-makers. The main idea I submitted was for a new way to finance retraining and healthcare at no cost to individuals or governments. Given the COVID- 19 pandemic, this idea is needed now more than ever, so I’m currently implementing the idea through a new organization I’ve established called FORTE ( Financing Of Return To Employment ).” NAT WARE , Founder & CEO of FORTE, Leader of Tomorrow at the 47th and 48th St. Gallen Symposium

Competitions

FQxI’s Competitions started in 2009 with the question, What is the nature of time?

The rules of the competition have changed over the years, including the addition of anonymous submissions this year, but the goals have stayed close to the original:

• Encourage and support rigorous, innovative, and influential thinking.
• Identify and reward top thinkers in foundational questions.
• Provide an arena for discussion and exchange of ideas regarding foundational questions.

Current Competition, open through May 3, 2023 :

How could science be different.

In this Competition, we invite creative and thought-provoking essays addressing science itself by considering the questions: To what degree is the science we have today  necessarily  the way it is versus contingent on the particular history and human societies in which it originated? What could a science free of prejudice and bigotry have looked like? What can it look like in the future? And how could the process of science be  better ?

Accepting essays via Submittable.com through May 3, 2023, at 10 AM EDT.

2023 Competition Timeline

• January 18, 2023, Contest Announced
• February 15, 2023, Open to Submissions
• May 3, 2023, Submissions Close at 10 AM EDT
• May 24, 2023, Competition Rating Period Close at 10 AM EDT
• May 25, 2023 to July 11, 2023, Competition Judges Evaluation Period
• By July 12, 2023, Finalists Announced; Names Revealed

2023 Competition Details

Introduction to “How could science be different?”

Rules for the Competition

FAQs for the Competition

A listing of FQxI’s previous competitions and 1st Place Prize Winners:

Essay Competitions

Undecidability, uncomputability, and unpredictability (2019-2020).

For a brief time in history, it was possible to imagine that a sufficiently advanced intellect could, given sufficient time and resources, in principle, understand how to mathematically prove everything that was true. They could discern what math corresponds to physical laws and use those laws to predict anything that happens before it happens. That time has passed. Gödel’s undecidability results (the incompleteness theorems), Turing’s proof of non-computable values, the formulation of quantum theory, chaos, and other developments over the past century have shown that there are rigorous arguments limiting what we can prove, compute, and predict. While some connections between these results have come to light, many remain obscure, and the implications are unclear. Are there, for example, real consequences for physics — including quantum mechanics — of undecidability and non-computability? Are there implications for our understanding of the relations between agency, intelligence, mind, and the physical world?

1st Prize Winner: Klaas Landsman, “Undecidability and indeterminism”

Landsman is a professor of mathematical physics at Radboud University. He mainly works in mathematical physics, mathematics (notably non-commutative geometry), and foundations of physics.

Read the prize-winning essays.

Read all the essays.

This contest was possible due to support from Fetzer Franklin Fund  and  The Peter and Patricia Gruber Foundation .

What Is “Fundamental”? (2017-2018)

We have many different ways to talk about the things in the physical universe. Some of those ways we think of as more fundamental, and some as “emergent” or “effective”. But what does it mean to be more or less “fundamental”? Are fundamental things smaller, simpler, more elegant, more economical? Are less-fundamental things always made from more-fundamental? How do less-fundamental descriptions relate to more-fundamental ones?

1st Prize Winner: Emily Adlam, “Fundamental?”

Adlam is a postdoctoral associate at The Rotman Institute of Philosophy, Western University. Adlam’s research interests are in the foundations of quantum mechanics and the philosophy of physics.

Wandering Towards a Goal (2016-2017)

How can mindless mathematical laws give rise to aims and intentions?

One way to think of physics is as a set of mathematical laws of dynamics. These laws provide predictions by carrying conditions at one moment of time inexorably into the future. But many phenomena admit another description – sometimes a vastly more useful one – in terms of long-term, large-scale goals, aims, and intentions.

The motion of the most basic particle can be described by the action of forces moment by moment or as the attempt to extremize an action integral, calculated over the particle’s entire path throughout time. Many-body systems can seem hopelessly complex when looked at in terms of their constituents’ detailed dynamic motions, but neatly elegant when viewed as attempting to minimize energy or maximize entropy. Living systems efficiently organize their simplest components with the intricate aims of survival, reproduction, and other biological ends; and intelligent systems can employ a panoply of physical effects to accomplish many flexibly chosen goals.

How does this work? How do goal-oriented systems arise, and how do they exist and function in a world that we can describe in terms of goal-free mathematical evolution?

1st Prize Winner (three-way tie): Larissa Albantakis, “A Tale of Two Animats: What does it take to have goals?”

Larissa Albantakis is a scientist at the Wisconsin Institute for Sleep and Consciousness, at the University of Wisconsin, Madison. She has been there since 2012, working together with Giulio Tononi on Integrated Information Theory.

1st Prize Winner (three-way tie): Carlo Rovelli, “Meaning and Intentionality = Information + Evolution”

Carlo Rovelli is a theoretical physicist working at the University of Aix-Marseille in France. His main interest is in quantum gravity.

1st Prize Winner (three-way tie): Jochen Szangolies, “Von Neumann Minds: A Toy Model of Meaning in a Natural World”

Szangolies studied physics in Siegen and Düsseldorf. He has worked on the phenomena of quantum contextuality, the detection of quantum correlations, and their application in quantum information tasks.

This contest was possible due to support from  The Peter and Patricia Gruber Foundation .

Trick or Truth (2014-2015)

The Mysterious Connection Between Physics and Mathematics

Why does math seem so “unreasonably” effective in fundamental physics, especially compared to math’s impact on other scientific disciplines? Or does it? How deeply does mathematics inform physics and physics mathematics? What are the tensions between them — the subtleties, ambiguities, hidden assumptions, or even contradictions and paradoxes at the intersection of formal mathematics and the physics of the real world?

1st Prize Winner: Sylvia Wenmackers, “Children of the Cosmos”

Wenmackers is a professor in the philosophy of science at KU Leuven (Belgium). She studied theoretical physics and obtained a Ph.D. in Physics (2008) as well as in Philosophy (2011). In her current project, she explores the foundations of physics, with a special interest in infinitesimals and probabilities.

This contest was possible due to support from The Peter and Patricia Gruber Foundation , Nanotronics Imaging , and John Templeton Foundation , with media partner Scientific American .

How Should Humanity Steer the Future? (2014)

Dystopic visions of the future are common in literature and film, while optimistic ones are rare. This contest encourages us to avoid potentially self-fulfilling prophecies of gloom and doom and to think hard about how to make the world better while avoiding potential catastrophes. 

Our ever-deepening understanding of physics has enabled technologies and ways of thinking about our place in the world that have dramatically transformed humanity over the past several hundred years. Many of these changes have been difficult to predict or control—but not all. 

In this contest, we ask how humanity should attempt to steer its own course in light of the radically different modes of thought and fundamentally new technologies that are becoming relevant in the coming decades. 

1st Prize Winner: Sabine Hossenfelder, “How to save the world”

Hossenfelder is an assistant professor for high energy physics at Nordita in Stockholm, Sweden. She works on quantum gravity and physics beyond the standard model and blogs at backreaction.blogspot.com .

This contest was possible due to support from The Peter and Patricia Gruber Foundation , Future of Life and Jaan Tallinn, and John Templeton Foundation , with media partner Scientific American .

It From Bit or Bit From It (2013)

The past century in fundamental physics has shown a steady progression away from thinking about physics, at its deepest level, as a description of material objects and their interactions and towards physics as a description of the evolution of information about and in the physical world. Moreover, recent years have shown an explosion of interest at the nexus of physics and information, driven by the “information age” in which we live and, more importantly, by developments in quantum information theory and computer science.

We must ask the question, though, is information truly fundamental or not? Can we realize John Wheeler’s dream, or is it unattainable? 

1st Prize Winner: Matthew Leifer, “‘It From Bit’ and the Quantum Probability Rule”

Leifer is currently an independent scientist living in London, UK. He has held postdoctoral positions at the Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics, the University of Cambridge, the University of Waterloo, and University College London. His research interests encompass the foundations of quantum theory, quantum information, and the intersection of the two.

This contest was possible due to support from The Peter and Patricia Gruber Foundation and John Templeton Foundation , with media partner Scientific American .

Questioning the Foundations (2012)

What assumptions are ripe for rethinking? Looking back over the history of physics we can identify a number of places where thinkers were “stuck” and had to let go of some cherished assumptions to make progress. Often this was forced by experiment, an internal inconsistency in accepted physics, or simply a particular philosophical intuition. What are the tacit or explicit assumptions we are making now that are ripe for re-thinking?

1st Prize Winner: Robert Spekkens, “The paradigm of kinematics and dynamics must yield to causal structure”

Robert Spekkens is a faculty member at the Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics in Waterloo, Canada. His area of research is the foundations of quantum theory.

This contest was possible due to support from The Peter and Patricia Gruber Foundation and Submeta , with media partner Scientific American .

Is Reality Digital or Analog? (2011-2012)

While classical physics – as well as the mathematics of calculus at its foundation – is based on real numbers with a continuous set of values, quantum mechanics indicates that certain physical quantities can take only a countable set of discrete values. Consequently, many current approaches to foundational questions in physics and cosmology advocate novel discrete or “digital” pictures of nature. This essay contest asks, then: is Nature fundamentally continuous or discrete, and how can these two different but very useful conceptions be fully reconciled?

1st Prize Winner: Jarmo Makela “Is Reality Digital or Analog?”

Makela did a post-doc in the Department of Applied Mathematics and Theoretical Physics of the University of Cambridge. Since the year 2000, Makela has worked as a Senior Lecturer of mathematics and physics at the Vaasa University of Applied Sciences located in Vaasa, Finland.

This contest was possible due to support from The Peter and Patricia Gruber Foundation , with media partner Scientific American .

What’s Ultimately Possible in Physics? (2009)

More specifically, to quote, “Essays in this competition will explore the limits of physics and the physics of limits. Appropriate topics are those such as, but not limited to: What are the limits of physics’ explanatory and predictive power? What does this tell us about the world? What technologies are fundamentally forbidden, or may ultimately be allowed, by physics? What role do ‘impossibility’ principles or other limits (e.g., sub-lightspeed signaling, Heisenberg uncertainty, cosmic censorship, the second law of thermodynamics, the holographic principle, computational limits, etc.) play in foundational physics and cosmology?” 

1st Prize Winner: Louis Crane, “Stardrives and Spinoza”

Crane did a postdoc at the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton and was an Assistant Professor at Yale University. He then joined the Mathematics department at Kansas State University, where he has remained to this day, except for visits to Nottingham University, Universite de Paris VII (Diderot), The University of Western Ontario, and Instituto Superior Tecnico in Lisboa, Portugal. His research is on quantum gravity.

This contest was possible due to support from Astrid and Bruce McWilliams.

The Nature of Time (2008-2009)

Time is central to human experience, but when closely examined raises a set of subtle and baffling questions that have perplexed philosophers, scientists, theologians, and other thinkers throughout history.  What is the “present” moment, and why does it “move”?  Is the future free or already determined as the past appears to be?  Why is the future different from the past? Does time even exist, or is it merely a construct of our world description?

As a central feature of the natural world, time also lies at the nexus of many foundational questions in physics and cosmology.  Did the universe have a beginning (of time) and an end? And what precisely do those questions mean?  In what ways is the world deterministic, and in what ways is it not?  How does the ‘arrow of time’ arise from time-symmetric fundamental physical laws?  Is understanding time the primary obstacle to understanding how to reconcile general relativity and quantum mechanics?  

1st Prize Winner: Julian Barbour, “The Nature of Time”

After completing a Ph.D. in theoretical physics, Barbour became an independent researcher. He wished to study fundamental issues and avoid the publish-or-perish syndrome. For forty years, he has worked on the nature of time and motion and has published numerous papers . He is a Visiting Professor in Physics at the University of Oxford.

Video Competition

Show me the physics (2014).

One of our goals at FQxI is to get people talking and wondering about the fascinating and confusing foundational physics research we support. We also want to be a point of connection between the researchers and teachers and everyone else who has an interest in physics. This competition aims to get people around the world excited about studying physics, with the hope that some of them go on to make their own physics discoveries.

1st Prize Winner (three-way tie): Dagomir Kaszlikowski, “Seeing without Looking”

Kaszlikowski is a quantum physicist who spends his spare time making short movies.

1st Prize Winner (three-way tie): Marc Séguin, “One Physics To Rule Them All (This Is Physics, part 1)”

Séguin has a master’s degree in Astronomy and another in History of Science from Harvard University. He teaches Astrophysics and Physics at Collège de Maisonneuve in Montréal and is the author of several textbooks.

1st Prize Winner (three-way tie): Xiangjun Shi, “Why Do I Study Physics?”

Shixie is an independent motion graphics designer based in New York City. Being an immigrant since a tender age, and having lived in China, the UK, Singapore, and now the US, Shixie is determined to break down the communication barriers between people through her works, across cultures or academic fields. Shixie is versatile with a variety of animation techniques, ranging from classical hand drawn to 3D, and has done work for clients including Google, Daptone Record, Adult Swim, PBS, CNBC, and Sundance.

Watch the prize-winning videos.

Watch all the videos.

This contest was possible due to support from The Peter and Patricia Gruber Foundation and John Templeton Foundation .

Please note all prize winner bios shared here and on the winners’ pages are taken from the year they won the contest.

competitions in numbers

US$470,000 AWARDED in prizes

11 Competitions

2100 eligible Entries posted

190 Competition Winners

School of Environmental and Forest Sciences

• College of the Environment
• University of Washington

Climate Change Essay Contest offered by The Economist

In lieu of our annual Open Future Festival, The Economist has established an essay contest for 16-25 year olds about climate change. The essay topic is: what fundamental economic and political change, if any, is needed for an effective response to climate change?

Essays should answer the question by taking a stance and making a case based on arguments and facts. We will select the best essays based on the quality of their arguments, not the extent to which they align with our views. Though good writing is important, judges will make allowances for those for whom English is not their first language.

Essayists should email their submissions by  July 31st 2019 , with the subject “Open Future essay contest” to:  [email protected] . Please send only one, final submission, and place the text in the body of the email; we cannot accept attachments.

Essays should be no longer than 1,000 words and the deadline for submissions is July 31st 2019. The winning essay will be published on The Economist’s website and the winner will be invited to attend one of the three Open Future Festival events, to be held simultaneously in Hong Kong, Manchester and Chicago on October 5th 2019.

More info on entering the contest:  https://www.economist.com/open-future/2019/06/19/our-essay-competition-for-young-people

Summer 2024 Admissions for 1-on-1 Research Mentorship is OPEN.  Watch information session recording here (featuring former and current Admission Officers at Havard and UPenn).

Discourse, debate, and analysis

Cambridge re:think essay competition 2024.

Competition Opens: 15th January, 2024

Essay Submission Deadline: 10th May, 2024 Result Announcement: 20th June, 2024 Award Ceremony and Dinner at the University of Cambridge: 30th July, 2024

We welcome talented high school students from diverse educational settings worldwide to contribute their unique perspectives to the competition.

Entry to the competition is free.

About the Competition

The spirit of the Re:think essay competition is to encourage critical thinking and exploration of a wide range of thought-provoking and often controversial topics. The competition covers a diverse array of subjects, from historical and present issues to speculative future scenarios. Participants are invited to engage deeply with these topics, critically analysing their various facets and implications. It promotes intellectual exploration and encourages participants to challenge established norms and beliefs, presenting opportunities to envision alternative futures, consider the consequences of new technologies, and reevaluate longstanding traditions. 

Ultimately, our aim is to create a platform for students and scholars to share their perspectives on pressing issues of the past and future, with the hope of broadening our collective understanding and generating innovative solutions to contemporary challenges. This year’s competition aims to underscore the importance of discourse, debate, and critical analysis in addressing complex societal issues in nine areas, including:

Religion and Politics

Political science and law, linguistics, environment, sociology and philosophy, business and investment, public health and sustainability, biotechonology.

Artificial Intelligence 

Neuroengineering

2024 essay prompts.

This year, the essay prompts are contributed by distinguished professors from Harvard, Brown, UC Berkeley, Cambridge, Oxford, and MIT.

Essay Guidelines and Judging Criteria

Review general guidelines, format guidelines, eligibility, judging criteria.

Awards and Award Ceremony

Award winners will be invited to attend the Award Ceremony and Dinner hosted at the King’s College, University of Cambridge. The Dinner is free of charge for select award recipients.

Registration and Submission

Register a participant account today and submit your essay before the deadline.

Advisory Committee and Judging Panel

The Cambridge Re:think Essay Competition is guided by an esteemed Advisory Committee comprising distinguished academics and experts from elite universities worldwide. These committee members, drawn from prestigious institutions, such as Harvard, Cambridge, Oxford, and MIT, bring diverse expertise in various disciplines.

They play a pivotal role in shaping the competition, contributing their insights to curate the themes and framework. Their collective knowledge and scholarly guidance ensure the competition’s relevance, academic rigour, and intellectual depth, setting the stage for aspiring minds to engage with thought-provoking topics and ideas.

We are honoured to invite the following distinguished professors to contribute to this year’s competition.

The judging panel of the competition comprises leading researchers and professors from Harvard, MIT, Stanford, Cambridge, and Oxford, engaging in a strictly double blind review process.

Keynote Speeches by 10 Nobel Laureates

We are beyond excited to announce that multiple Nobel laureates have confirmed to attend and speak at this year’s ceremony on 30th July, 2024 .

They will each be delivering a keynote speech to the attendees. Some of them distinguished speakers will speak virtually, while others will attend and present in person and attend the Reception at Cambridge.

Why has religion remained a force in a secular world? 

Professor Commentary:

Arguably, the developed world has become more secular in the last century or so. The influence of Christianity, e.g. has diminished and people’s life worlds are less shaped by faith and allegiance to Churches. Conversely, arguments have persisted that hold that we live in a post-secular world. After all, religion – be it in terms of faith, transcendence, or meaning – may be seen as an alternative to a disenchanted world ruled by entirely profane criteria such as economic rationality, progressivism, or science. Is the revival of religion a pale reminder of a by-gone past or does it provide sources of hope for the future?

‘Religion in the Public Sphere’ by Jürgen Habermas (European Journal of Philosophy, 2006)

In this paper, philosopher Jürgen Habermas discusses the limits of church-state separation, emphasizing the significant contribution of religion to public discourse when translated into publicly accessible reasons.

‘Public Religions in the Modern World’ by José Casanova (University Of Chicago Press, 1994)

Sociologist José Casanova explores the global emergence of public religion, analyzing case studies from Catholicism and Protestantism in Spain, Poland, Brazil, and the USA, challenging traditional theories of secularization.

‘The Power of Religion in the Public Sphere’ by Judith Butler, Jürgen Habermas, Charles Taylor, and Cornel West (Edited by Eduardo Mendieta and Jonathan VanAntwerpen, Columbia University Press, 2011)

This collection features dialogues by prominent intellectuals on the role of religion in the public sphere, examining various approaches and their impacts on cultural, social, and political debates.

‘Rethinking Secularism’ by Craig Calhoun, Mark Juergensmeyer, and Jonathan VanAntwerpen (Oxford University Press, 2011)

An interdisciplinary examination of secularism, this book challenges traditional views, highlighting the complex relationship between religion and secularism in contemporary global politics.

‘God is Back: How the Global Rise of Faith is Changing the World’ by John Micklethwait and Adrian Wooldridge (Penguin, 2010)

Micklethwait and Wooldridge argue for the coexistence of religion and modernity, suggesting that religious beliefs can contribute to a more open, tolerant, and peaceful modern world.

‘Multiculturalism’ by Tariq Modood (Polity Press, 2013)

Sociologist Tariq Modood emphasizes the importance of multiculturalism in integrating diverse identities, particularly in post-immigration contexts, and its role in shaping democratic citizenship.

‘God’s Agents: Biblical Publicity in Contemporary England’ by Matthew Engelke (University of California Press, 2013)

In this ethnographic study, Matthew Engelke explores how a group in England seeks to expand the role of religion in the public sphere, challenging perceptions of religion in post-secular England.

Gene therapy is a medical approach that treats or prevents disease by correcting the underlying genetic problem. Is gene therapy better than traditional medicines? What are the pros and cons of using gene therapy as a medicine? Is gene therapy justifiable?

Especially after Covid-19 mRNA vaccines, gene therapy is getting more and more interesting approach to cure. That’s why that could be interesting to think about. I believe that students will enjoy and learn a lot while they are investigating this topic.

The Hall at King’s College, Cambridge

The Hall was designed by William Wilkins in the 1820s and is considered one of the most magnificent halls of its era. The first High Table dinner in the Hall was held in February 1828, and ever since then, the splendid Hall has been where members of the college eat and where formal dinners have been held for centuries.

The Award Ceremony and Dinner will be held in the Hall in the evening of  30th July, 2024.

Stretching out down to the River Cam, the Back Lawn has one of the most iconic backdrop of King’s College Chapel. 

The early evening reception will be hosted on the Back Lawn with the iconic Chapel in the background (weather permitting). 

King’s College Chapel

With construction started in 1446 by Henry VI and took over a century to build, King’s College Chapel is one of the most iconic buildings in the world, and is a splendid example of late Gothic architecture. 

Attendees are also granted complimentary access to the King’s College Chapel before and during the event. 

Confirmed Nobel Laureates

Dr Thomas R. Cech

The nobel prize in chemistry 1989 , for the discovery of catalytic properties of rna.

Thomas Robert Cech is an American chemist who shared the 1989 Nobel Prize in Chemistry with Sidney Altman, for their discovery of the catalytic properties of RNA. Cech discovered that RNA could itself cut strands of RNA, suggesting that life might have started as RNA. He found that RNA can not only transmit instructions, but also that it can speed up the necessary reactions.

He also studied telomeres, and his lab discovered an enzyme, TERT (telomerase reverse transcriptase), which is part of the process of restoring telomeres after they are shortened during cell division.

As president of Howard Hughes Medical Institute, he promoted science education, and he teaches an undergraduate chemistry course at the University of Colorado

Sir Richard J. Roberts

The nobel prize in medicine 1993 .

F or the discovery of split genes

During 1969–1972, Sir Richard J. Roberts did postdoctoral research at Harvard University before moving to Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, where he was hired by James Dewey Watson, a co-discoverer of the structure of DNA and a fellow Nobel laureate. In this period he also visited the MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology for the first time, working alongside Fred Sanger. In 1977, he published his discovery of RNA splicing. In 1992, he moved to New England Biolabs. The following year, he shared a Nobel Prize with his former colleague at Cold Spring Harbor Phillip Allen Sharp.

His discovery of the alternative splicing of genes, in particular, has had a profound impact on the study and applications of molecular biology. The realisation that individual genes could exist as separate, disconnected segments within longer strands of DNA first arose in his 1977 study of adenovirus, one of the viruses responsible for causing the common cold. Robert’s research in this field resulted in a fundamental shift in our understanding of genetics, and has led to the discovery of split genes in higher organisms, including human beings.

Dr Aaron Ciechanover

The nobel prize in chemistry 2004 .

F or the discovery of ubiquitin-mediated protein degradation

Aaron Ciechanover is one of Israel’s first Nobel Laureates in science, earning his Nobel Prize in 2004 for his work in ubiquitination. He is honored for playing a central role in the history of Israel and in the history of the Technion – Israel Institute of Technology.

Dr Ciechanover is currently a Technion Distinguished Research Professor in the Ruth and Bruce Rappaport Faculty of Medicine and Research Institute at the Technion. He is a member of the Israel Academy of Sciences and Humanities, the Pontifical Academy of Sciences, the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, the Russian Academy of Sciences and is a foreign associate of the United States National Academy of Sciences. In 2008, he was a visiting Distinguished Chair Professor at NCKU, Taiwan. As part of Shenzhen’s 13th Five-Year Plan funding research in emerging technologies and opening “Nobel laureate research labs”, in 2018 he opened the Ciechanover Institute of Precision and Regenerative Medicine at the Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen campus.

Dr Robert Lefkowitz

The nobel prize in chemistry 2012 .

F or the discovery of G protein-coupled receptors

Robert Joseph Lefkowitz is an American physician (internist and cardiologist) and biochemist. He is best known for his discoveries that reveal the inner workings of an important family G protein-coupled receptors, for which he was awarded the 2012 Nobel Prize for Chemistry with Brian Kobilka. He is currently an Investigator with the Howard Hughes Medical Institute as well as a James B. Duke Professor of Medicine and Professor of Biochemistry and Chemistry at Duke University.

Dr Lefkowitz made a remarkable contribution in the mid-1980s when he and his colleagues cloned the gene first for the β-adrenergic receptor, and then rapidly thereafter, for a total of 8 adrenergic receptors (receptors for adrenaline and noradrenaline). This led to the seminal discovery that all GPCRs (which include the β-adrenergic receptor) have a very similar molecular structure. The structure is defined by an amino acid sequence which weaves its way back and forth across the plasma membrane seven times. Today we know that about 1,000 receptors in the human body belong to this same family. The importance of this is that all of these receptors use the same basic mechanisms so that pharmaceutical researchers now understand how to effectively target the largest receptor family in the human body. Today, as many as 30 to 50 percent of all prescription drugs are designed to “fit” like keys into the similarly structured locks of Dr Lefkowitz’ receptors—everything from anti-histamines to ulcer drugs to beta blockers that help relieve hypertension, angina and coronary disease.

Dr Lefkowitz is among the most highly cited researchers in the fields of biology, biochemistry, pharmacology, toxicology, and clinical medicine according to Thomson-ISI.

Dr Joachim Frank

The nobel prize in chemistry 2017 .

F or developing cryo-electron microscopy

Joachim Frank is a German-American biophysicist at Columbia University and a Nobel laureate. He is regarded as the founder of single-particle cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM), for which he shared the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 2017 with Jacques Dubochet and Richard Henderson. He also made significant contributions to structure and function of the ribosome from bacteria and eukaryotes.

In 1975, Dr Frank was offered a position of senior research scientist in the Division of Laboratories and Research (now Wadsworth Center), New York State Department of Health,where he started working on single-particle approaches in electron microscopy. In 1985 he was appointed associate and then (1986) full professor at the newly formed Department of Biomedical Sciences of the University at Albany, State University of New York. In 1987 and 1994, he went on sabbaticals in Europe, one to work with Richard Henderson, Laboratory of Molecular Biology Medical Research Council in Cambridge and the other as a Humboldt Research Award winner with Kenneth C. Holmes, Max Planck Institute for Medical Research in Heidelberg. In 1998, Dr Frank was appointed investigator of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI). Since 2003 he was also lecturer at Columbia University, and he joined Columbia University in 2008 as professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics and of biological sciences.

Dr Barry C. Barish

The nobel prize in physics 2017 .

For the decisive contributions to the detection of gravitational waves

Dr Barry Clark Barish is an American experimental physicist and Nobel Laureate. He is a Linde Professor of Physics, emeritus at California Institute of Technology and a leading expert on gravitational waves.

In 2017, Barish was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics along with Rainer Weiss and Kip Thorne “for decisive contributions to the LIGO detector and the observation of gravitational waves”. He said, “I didn’t know if I would succeed. I was afraid I would fail, but because I tried, I had a breakthrough.”

In 2018, he joined the faculty at University of California, Riverside, becoming the university’s second Nobel Prize winner on the faculty.

In the fall of 2023, he joined Stony Brook University as the inaugural President’s Distinguished Endowed Chair in Physics.

In 2023, Dr Barish was awarded the National Medal of Science by President Biden in a White House ceremony.

Dr Harvey J. Alter

The nobel prize in medicine 2020 .

For the discovery of Hepatitis C virus

Dr Harvey J. Alter is an American medical researcher, virologist, physician and Nobel Prize laureate, who is best known for his work that led to the discovery of the hepatitis C virus. Alter is the former chief of the infectious disease section and the associate director for research of the Department of Transfusion Medicine at the Warren Grant Magnuson Clinical Center in the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in Bethesda, Maryland. In the mid-1970s, Alter and his research team demonstrated that most post-transfusion hepatitis cases were not due to hepatitis A or hepatitis B viruses. Working independently, Alter and Edward Tabor, a scientist at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, proved through transmission studies in chimpanzees that a new form of hepatitis, initially called “non-A, non-B hepatitis” caused the infections, and that the causative agent was probably a virus. This work eventually led to the discovery of the hepatitis C virus in 1988, for which he shared the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 2020 along with Michael Houghton and Charles M. Rice.

Dr Alter has received recognition for the research leading to the discovery of the virus that causes hepatitis C. He was awarded the Distinguished Service Medal, the highest award conferred to civilians in United States government public health service, and the 2000 Albert Lasker Award for Clinical Medical Research.

Dr Ardem Patapoutian

The nobel prize in medicine 2021 .

For discovering how pressure is translated into nerve impulses

Dr Ardem Patapoutian is an Lebanese-American molecular biologist, neuroscientist, and Nobel Prize laureate of Armenian descent. He is known for his work in characterising the PIEZO1, PIEZO2, and TRPM8 receptors that detect pressure, menthol, and temperature. Dr Patapoutian is a neuroscience professor and Howard Hughes Medical Institute investigator at Scripps Research in La Jolla, California. In 2021, he won the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine jointly with David Julius.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why should I participate in the Re:think essay competition? 

The Re:think Essay competition is meant to serve as fertile ground for honing writing skills, fostering critical thinking, and refining communication abilities. Winning or participating in reputable contests can lead to recognition, awards, scholarships, or even publication opportunities, elevating your academic profile for college applications and future endeavours. Moreover, these competitions facilitate intellectual growth by encouraging exploration of diverse topics, while also providing networking opportunities and exposure to peers, educators, and professionals. Beyond accolades, they instil confidence, prepare for higher education demands, and often allow you to contribute meaningfully to societal conversations or causes, making an impact with your ideas.

Who is eligible to enter the Re:think essay competition?  

As long as you’re currently attending high school, regardless of your location or background, you’re eligible to participate. We welcome students from diverse educational settings worldwide to contribute their unique perspectives to the competition.

Is there any entry fee for the competition? 

There is no entry fee for the competition. Waiving the entry fee for our essay competition demonstrates CCIR’s dedication to equity. CCIR believes everyone should have an equal chance to participate and showcase their talents, regardless of financial circumstances. Removing this barrier ensures a diverse pool of participants and emphasises merit and creativity over economic capacity, fostering a fair and inclusive environment for all contributors.

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THE 14TH ANNUAL SHORTY AWARDS

By campaign, by industry, by platform, original content, partnerships, special project, strategy & engagement.

Open Future

Finalist in news & media.

For 175 years The Economist has not only reported news, it has also championed ideas. We started in 1843 by arguing against Britain's Corn Laws, and have advocated free markets and open societies ever since. Over the years we have made the case for many controversial causes, from privatisation to drug legalisation and same-sex marriage. In doing so, we have always been guided by the classical liberal values we were founded on: a belief in human progress, distrust of powerful interests and respect for individual freedom.

Although the world has changed dramatically since 1843, we believe that the values that guide The Economist are as relevant as ever. Yet, in a period of rising populism and, in many parts of the world, of growing authoritarianism, they face greater resistance today than they have for many years. Amid anger over inequality, immigration and cultural change, basic elements of liberal thought, from globalisation to free speech, are being challenged from all sides.

So, in April 2018 we launched Open Future, a six-month initiative to remake the case for classically liberal values and policies in the 21st century. The initiative aimed to involve our critics as well as our supporters, but crucially we also wanted to engage new readers.

At The Economist we believe that it is through debate, discussion and hearing alternative views that society moves forward. With Open Future we set out to provide a platform for people to develop ideas and share them in a community.

Strategy and Execution

The Open Future conversation was conducted across all of The Economist 's platforms and organised into five themes; Open Markets examined free trade and economics; Open Ideas looked at free speech and debate; Open Society discussed diversity and identity politics; Open Borders focused on migration and refugees; and Open Progress considered technology and innovation.

The ambitious, multi-channel program included:

The Open Future hub acted as the central asset for discussions. Brand new digital formats including 3-part 'open essays', author Q&As and 'themed viewpoint series' were created and housed on the hub. We hosted online debates, moderated by The Economist editors, on topics including free speech on campus, regulating the tech giants and immigration controls, with audience comments intended to spawn discussion. In a rare occurrence for The Economist , we also invited a series of essays from outside contributors, such as Angelina Jolie and Larry Summers.

To engage print readers we published a six­-part series on great liberal thinkers, asking for suggestions we received more than 200 responses. We also published an essay on the future of liberalism written by our editor-in-chief, Zanny Minton Beddoes.

Social Media

Our social­ media editors hosted polls, quizzes and Facebook Live events, alongside Open Future Snapchat special editions and newsletters.

Economist Radio weaved in experts on the themes of Open Future into its regular shows, whilst our technology podcast hosted a two-part series on algorithms, privacy, transparency and surveillance.

Economist Films launched a series of three­ minute talks, each laying out an issue and advocating a remedy. Topics included "Has identity politics gone too far?" and "Should we curb free speech?"

Essay and Video Competitions

Economist Films also launched a global video contest called, "A Minute to Change the World" in which participants aged 16-35 were invited to submit a video that answered how they would build a more open world. A selection of entries were published on the Open Future hub and the winners were invited to participate in the Open Future Festival. We also ran five essay competitions, one for each Open Future theme, with the same result.

Live Events

The initiative culminated in a global event on September 15th - the Open Future Festival. The festival brought to life robust debate between dissonant voices with diverse ideas and opposing agendas, mediated by The Economist's editors and journalists. Speakers included former White House chief strategist Steve Bannon, Facebook's Chief Operating Officer Sheryl Sandberg, Britain's former prime minister Tony Blair, the poet Suli Breaks and many more. The festival was hosted simultaneously in London, New York and Hong Kong, and live-streamed online.

The Open Future initiative was amplified through PR, digital display, press, OOH, real-world experiences, beer and tactical partnerships. It brought together every part of The Economist Group in a completely new work of working, reimagining how our editorial and commercial teams collaborate to produce, publish and promote our journalism to a broader audience in a digital setting.

The initiative reached its climax this September and it's clear Open Future has been a success in reaching and engaging both our existing and new audiences through content, community and live experiences. Key metrics include:

- 2.6m unique visitors online and 1m first-ever visitors

- 3.1m page views on Open Future content

- 31% more traffic to Open Future content than a typical Economist.com article

- 7 years watch time, 141,000 engagements and a 75% completion rate on YouTube for all Open Future video content

- 6.6m engagements on social media

- 1500+ submissions into essay competition

- 250+ submissions into video competition

- Sold out Festivals in London, New York & Hong Kong

- 300+ news outlets in the UK and 240+ news outlets in the US covered the Festivals

- 2,000 new subscribers to The Economist.

Entrant Company / Organization Name

• https://www.economist.com/openfuture
• https://events.economist.com/events-conferences/emea/open-future-festival-london/

Entry Credits

• Mark Cripps Chief Marketing Officer at The Economist
• Kenneth Cukier Senior Editor at The Economist

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Essay contest for youth on the future they want

 Over a year ago, the World Health Organization declared COVID-19 as a pandemic. Since then, we have lived through lockdowns, curfews and a major disruption of our ‘normal’ lives. In India, a second wave proved to be far more challenging, also impacting the youth.  

Many researchers have found a two-fold increase in anxiety and depression amongst teenagers and youth during this time. The loss of jobs, uncertainty over the future and COVID-19 related triggers, like the fear of losing a loved one, present complicated challenges.   

As a platform for critical thinking and writing, Takhte and UNESCO are launching the third edition of the Pan India Online Essay Contest 2021,  called ‘ Year 2 AC - After Coronavirus: A Future Imagined by Youth ’. It focuses on children (aged 11–14 years) and youth (aged 15–24 years). The aim is for them to reflect on our current challenges and tell us how they envision a more resilient and better future for all.  

For this year’s edition, the contest will be  launched on 7 June 2021 and remain open for two months. As in the past, entries will be received on a rolling basis, and UNESCO and Takhte will each week select the best two entries from the different categories, which be published weekly on their websites and social media. Later in the year, the 100 winning essays will then be published as a book. 

 To learn more, to share your stories and to submit your essays, click here.  

So hurry up and send your submissions as soon as possible!

Be Creative! Stay Safe!  

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Harvard international economics essay competition, description.

The 2023 Harvard International Economics Essay Contest is sponsored by the Harvard Undergraduate Economics Association (HUEA) in conjunction with the Harvard College Economics Review (HCER). This essay competition is open to high school students of any year and is a fantastic opportunity to demonstrate an accomplished level of writing and understanding of economic theory. Through the contest, student competitors hone their academic and professional skills and exhibit their knowledge to future employers and academic programs.  Competitors must construct a convincing argument using economic theory and real-world examples.  Winning essays will be published in the Harvard Economics Review and will be available for the greater Harvard community to read. Essays should focus on argumentation supported with facts and references, although data-based support is also welcome.

UPDATE: Beyond GDP Essay Competition Publication now available!

On 19 February 2024, the SDG Lab together with Rethinking Economics International and the UN Trade and Development (UNCTAD) launched a joint call for essays aimed at young people, aged 30 and under, inviting them to share their perspective on the values that should be emphasized in a framework moving beyond GDP.

The question for the competition was as follows:

The Gross Domestic Product (GDP), a measure of the economic output of a country, has become one of the most powerful metrics of our time. It has, however, been used in unintended ways, including as a proxy for wealth creation, wellbeing, and development. Developing indicators to complement GDP could enhance decision-making in the best interest of people and the planet, and could fundamentally change our priorities and the future. What values and principles would you like to see in a Framework to Value What Counts beyond GDP and what are the challenges to be addressed as a priority?

A total of 630 essays were submitted from 50 different countries, offering insights and perspectives on the values and principles that young people would like to see in a framework moving beyond GDP. All essays were carefully reviewed by a committee composed of experts from the three organizing partners, and the values expressed were noted and integrated into a summary document ( forthcoming June 2024 ). For a glimpse of the values and principles highlighted, consult the Gallery.

On 17 April five of the essay winners, from Brazil, Denmark, Pakistan, the United Kingdom and Zimbabwe, joined us in Geneva. They shared their perspectives on moving beyond GDP with leaders and experts from the UN, Member States, academia, and civil society. The meeting titled “ What Counts in the Future? A Youth Perspective on Measuring What We Value ” was organized in collaboration with UNCTAD and Rethinking Economics.

Download the publication here .

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The Goi Peace Foundation

International Essay Contest for Young People

This annual essay contest is organized in an effort to harness the energy, creativity and initiative of the world's youth in promoting a culture of peace and sustainable development. It also aims to inspire society to learn from the young minds and to think about how each of us can make a difference in the world.

* This program is an activity within the framework of UNESCO’s Education for Sustainable Development: Towards achieving the SDGs ( ESD for 2030 ).

The Essay Contest online registration page is currently experiencing high traffic ("Error establishing database connection", "Not Found", etc. ). If you are having difficulty, please try again after a few hours, and you should be able to get through. In case you are unable to access the page before the deadline, we will still accept your essay.

Click here to send your essay online

Organized by

Under the auspices of.

The Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology of Japan Japanese National Commission for UNESCO, Japan Private High School Federation Tokyo Metropolitan Board of Education, Japan Broadcasting Corporation, Nikkei Inc

Supported by

SEIKO GROUP CORPORATION, PLUS CORPORATION

For further inquiries concerning the International Essay Contest for Young People, please contact [email protected]

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Essay Contest 2024 Flyer (PDF)

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If you still have a question, click below Inquiry Form

Past Winning Essays 2020 Winners' Gathering Report

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• Earth Kids Space Program
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• Cooperation with the United Nations
• The Fuji Declaration
• Institute of Peace Science
• Goi Peace Award

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Future Economists Essay Competition

​​​​about the competition.

The Future Economists Essay Competition was open to anyone aged 14 to 18 interested in economics. The 2024 competition is now closed, but it is expected to be re-run next year.

The judging panel will mark the submissions over March and April and announce the winner and runners up in May, along with next steps.

In you have any questions, you can get in touch by emailing [email protected]

The free competition aims to inspire Jersey's next generation of economists by inviting them to write about the big economic challenges Jersey is facing and the world economy.

You don't need to be studying economics to enter the competition, but  you must have the right to work in Jersey.

The Colin Powell Award​

The author of the winning essay will be the first recipient of The Colin Powell Award, which has been established in memory of Jersey's first Chief Economist, Colin Powell.

Colin Powell on Wikipedia The winning essay will also be published in the first annual publication of the Government of Jersey's economic report, and the essays of t wo runners-up will also be published.

Government internship

In addition to receiving the Colin Powell Award and having their essay published, the winner will be offered a six-week paid internship in the Government of Jersey’s Economics Unit, subject to age and employment eligibility, and child employment law​ .

This competition is separate from the  Government of Jersey Internship Programme  and you can apply for both.

Subjects for your essay and format

Your essay must be maximum 1,000 words and answer one of the following questions:

​The UK Dasgupta Review of Economics and Biodiversity states that ‘Our unsustain​able engagement with nature is endangering the prosperity of current and future generations’.

What economic policies could Jersey introduce to protect and restore the natural environment?

The Economics of Biodiversity: The Dasgupta Review on GOV.UK​ ​

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) estimated that global inflation increased to 8.8% in 2022, driven by rising food and energy prices.

What does economic theory tell us about what actions and initiatives the Government of Jersey might introduce to deal with the consequences of high inflation and cost of living?

Small businesses are a driver of innovation and economic growth. What does economic theory and evidence tell us about the role of small businesses in driving innovation and economic growth, and, the factors, relevant to Jersey, that would enable small businesses to grow and flourish?

Essay format

​Your essay must:

• ​clearly reference any evidence or data you include. Any reference style is accepted and references are not included in the word count
• not include any personally identifiable information. This should be in the covering email
• be your original work. Essays will be put through a plagiarism checker

You can include graphs and graphics but they are not essential.

You can ask an economics teacher for advice but they can't give feedback on your final essay.

Find advice on writing like an economist on GOV.UK .

The essay format follows similar competitions in the UK such as the  FCDO​ Next Generation Economics 2023 competition on GOV.UK .

Useful resource​s

Check out the following information to help you write your essay.

Retail prices index (inflation)

Statistics and performance

Judging panel and criteria

The judging panel is:

• Minister for Sustainable Economic Development, Deputy Kirsten Morel
• Chair of Jersey's Fiscal Policy Panel, Dame Kate Barker
• Government of Jersey Chief Economic Advisor, Thomas Holvey

The panel will look for:

• creativity. Think about these questions with an open mind and present your own ideas and solutions
• economic understanding. Make use of economic theory where relevant to support your arguments or ideas
• evidence. Use trusted evidence to support your arguments
• clear and concise writing. Structure your argument carefully to make every word count

​The winner and runners-​up will be notified by email. Their essays and names will be published on this page.​

We will collect:

• ​your name (to identify the authors of the essay. The winning author, and any others published, will be named, unless you choose to remain anonymous. Your name will not be stored or processed for any further purposes. By entering this competition, you are consenting to this data being collected and used in this way.)
• y our age at time of submission (to verify your age as per the eligibility criteria. Your data will not be used for any other purposes and will not be stored passed the date at which the winners are announced. By entering this competition, you are consenting to this data being collected and used in this way.) 
• your email address (which will be stored and used to communicate relevant information about the competition, for instance any helpful resources, the winning essays, how to stay in contact with us going forward. Your email will not be used for any other purposes. Your email will not be stored past the date at which the winners are announced unless you wish to be kept on a mailing list for future communications from the team.)

The information you provide will be processed in compliance with the Data Protection (Jersey) Law 2018. Find more information in the Department for the Economy Privacy Notice .

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Welcome to the International Capital Market Association

For over 50 years ICMA and its members have worked together to promote the development of the international capital and securities markets, pioneering the rules, principles and recommendations which have laid the foundations for their successful operation.

Mission statement

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ICMA has around 620 members located in 68 jurisdictions drawn from both the sell and buy-side of the market.

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Here are the key sections covering our work programmes, including contact details of ICMA staff responsible for each area.

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• ICMA Primary Market Handbook - Home
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Capital markets union, international capital market fragmentation, icma quarterly report, icma legal & regulatory helpdesk, icma serves as secretariat to the gbp, the sbp, the sbg and the slbp, providing support while advising on governance and other issues..

ICMA also leads numerous other initiatives in sustainable finance. ICMA is at the forefront of the financial industry’s contribution to the development of sustainable finance and in the dialogue with the regulatory and policy community.

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Enter the ICMA Future Leaders Essay Competition

Primary market committees, primary market topics, primary market products, icma’s rules and recommendations for the secondary market, secondary market practices committee (smpc) and related working groups, electronic trading, market transparency, market liquidity, secondary markets regulation, legal documentation, repo and collateral council and related groups, icma ercc publications, other resources, icma amic councils and committees, amic publications, regulatory issues, fintech advisory committee and related groups, icma fintech directories, fintech resources.

11 June 2024 Professionals with a maximum of 8 years experience in financial markets and who currently work for ICMA member firms are invited to take part in the ICMA Future Leaders (IFL) essay competition on the theme of ‘Navigating the future of finance: Transforming capital markets for new talent’.

In the post pandemic era, the allure of a career in traditional financial markets appears to be challenged. A survey by the Economic Times reports that in 2022, 65% of the moves by middle and senior level executives were to other industries, with departures more than double than those of new hires. This is further compounded by

• demographic challenges as the baby boomer generation gradually retires;
• the shift in values and changing social priorities among Gen Z - sustainability is now a top priority; and
• advancements in technology.

All of these factors today add fuel to the “war for talent”.

How to participate

Essays should address the theme of how the industry can better align with the values and expectations of the next generation considering the fast pace and demanding environment of capital markets; as well as look into the innovative strategies and culture shifts needed to redefine the capital market to continue its appeal as a career destination for young professionals.

• The essay should be in English between 2,500 and 4,000 words in length.
• One contribution per person is permitted.
• It should be submitted as a word document double line spaced, with your full details (name, email, telephone, job title, company name and up to date CV).
• The essay should be an original piece of work from the contributor, not previously submitted to other competitions. AI generated essays will be disqualified.
• The essay author must be working for an ICMA member firm at the time of the submission deadline and the date of the award event.

The deadline for submission is 31 October 2024 .

Essays should be submitted to: [email protected] .

Submissions will be shortlisted by members of the IFL committee and ICMA staff members, with the final selection being made by ICMA’s executive committee and the Chair of IFL.

The winning entry, to be announced in November, will receive:

• a €3,000 cash prize;
• a mentoring opportunity with the Chair of the ICMA Board;
• a complimentary place on an ICMA online training course of their choice; and
• the opportunity to have their essay published in select ICMA publications as well as present it at an ICMA Board meeting and at an IFL event.

There will also be two runners up, who will receive €1,000 cash prize each and a complimentary place on an ICMA online training course of their choice. For more information, contact: [email protected] .

Our thanks to the ICMA Future Leaders steering committee representatives who worked on this essay competition:

Content from IBM: The Future of AI is Open

A perspective on how open innovation promotes AI safety, fosters healthy competition in the market and protects security interests.

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Terms and Conditions for Young People’s Essay Contests

The economist’s open future youth essay competition.

Terms and Conditions of Participation

This competition (the “Competition”) is operated and promoted by The Economist Newspaper Limited (“The Economist”), a company registered in England at 1-11 John Adam Street, London WC2N 6HT, United Kingdom (registered number: 236383). By entering the Competition, you agree to these terms and conditions and confirm that you are telling us your real name.

The Competition • There is one essay contest, associated with an Open Future theme (ie, the environment). The contest has a specific question and description to be answered. Details of the contest will be published by The Economist on the Open Future online hub at www.economist.com/openfuture/essay-contest

• Essays should take a side, analyse the situation and build a case based on argument and facts. Elegant writing is important but the judges will make allowances for those for whom English is not their native language. The winner will be based on the subjective decision of the judging panel.

• There will be one winner.

• Entries should be no more than 1,000 words in length, and must be written in English.

• The winning entry will be published online by The Economist.

The Prizes • The prize for the winner will be an invitation to one of The Economist’s Open Future events to be held on October 5th 2019 and at venues in Hong Kong, Manchester and Chicago. This will include an economy-class flight for the winner, if required to get to the relevant event, and hotel accommodation for at least two nights. The Economist will determine in its sole discretion which Open Future event location to award to the winner.

• Please note that if you win and you are under 18 at the time of the relevant Open Future event, a person with parental responsibility or some other responsible adult must accompany you. The Economist will also provide an economy-class ticket and hotel accommodation for this person.

• The prizes do not include any items other than those expressly stated. They do not include, for example, insurance costs, the costs of transfers to and from airports, food and drink other than meals provided by The Economist, taxes or personal expenses. Any such costs, or other costs incidental to the fulfilment of the prize, are the responsibility of the winner.

• You will be responsible for ensuring that you are available to travel and hold valid passports, any necessary visas and other travel documents for the prize in question on the travel dates specified.

How to enter • All entries must be received by 11:59 pm (UK) on July 31st 2019, the closing date of the Competition. Only entries that are duly received by us by the closing date will be eligible for the Competition. We cannot accept responsibility for entries that are lost, delayed or damaged and proof of sending an online entry is not proof that we received it.

• Entries must be submitted as plaintext in the body of an email addressed to [email protected] , with the subject line: “Open Future essay competition”. Note: File attachments are not allowed and will not be opened.

• Entries cannot be returned so please remember to retain a copy.

• All entries must be the original work of the entrant and must not infringe the rights of any other party. The Economist accepts no responsibility if entrants ignore these terms and conditions and entrants agree to indemnify The Economist against any claim by any third party from any breach of these terms and conditions.

• Entries must not contain defamatory, obscene, offensive, or any other unsuitable material; The Economist reserves the right to disqualify entries containing such matter. Entries must be suitable to be published by The Economist for audiences of all ages.

Intellectual property • Each entrant retains the copyright in his or her entry but grants to The Economist a perpetual non-exclusive royalty-free licence to publish, broadcast (across all media) and post the entry online and on any other platforms yet to be envisaged, together with his or her name, age and country of residence. This licence will be deemed to include all the necessary rights and permissions to enable such use by The Economist, to fulfil the prizes and to complete the administration of this Competition.

• By submitting an entry, you agree that The Economist may at its sole discretion edit, adapt, abridge or translate the entry for the purposes listed in these terms and conditions (even if you don’t win we may, for example, publish your essay or excerpts from it as a runner-up in the Competition). You grant permission to The Economist, and to those acting under The Economist's authority, to use your name, picture, likeness, voice, biographical information and statements for promotional purposes without additional compensation, in all media now known or hereafter discovered, worldwide and on the Internet and World Wide Web, without notice, review or approval. You agree that The Economist may use your entry for the creation of derivative products and that The Economist shall own the copyright in such derivative products, shall accordingly be free to use them as it wishes and not be obliged to acknowledge you as a source or author of such products or of underlying elements thereof.

Eligibility • The Competition is open to persons between the ages of 16 and 25 inclusive , except for employees of The Economist or its affiliated companies and professional advisors, their immediate families, and anyone professionally connected with the Competition.

• If you are under the age of 18 or are classed as a minor wherever you reside, you must obtain written parental or guardian consent to enter and to claim your prize. The Economist may ask the winner to provide proof of age and/or parental consent.

• In entering the Competition, you confirm that you are eligible to do so and eligible to claim any prize you may win. The Economist may require you to provide proof that you are eligible to enter the competition.

• Only one entry per person is permitted. Entries via third parties and automated entries are not permitted.

• No purchase is necessary.

• Entries not submitted in accordance with these terms and all other rules and directions given by The Economist, or entries that are incomplete or illegible (as determined in our sole discretion) will not be eligible.

Prize and judging • A judging panel of at least five people will be established, comprising a number of Economist journalists as well as other persons. A subset of that panel will be responsible for shortlisting what it judges in its discretion to be the best entries, and the panel will then choose the winner from that shortlist.

• There is no alternative prize or cash alternative and prizes cannot be transferred to any other person. We may alter arrangements or prizes should this be deemed necessary by us. Prizes are not transferable.

• The decision of the judging panel is final, and at its sole discretion. No correspondence or discussion will be entered into by us in relation to that decision.

• Winners will be announced on or about September 15th, 2019.

• The winners will be notified (by email, post or phone, using contact details provided with the entry) within 45 days of the closing date.

• We will make all reasonable efforts to contact the winners. If any winner cannot be contacted or is not available, or has not claimed his or her prize within 10 days of the announcement date, The Economist reserves the right to offer the prize to the next eligible entrant selected from the correct entries that were received before the closing date.

• We may ask you to provide documentary proof or your identity and/or address before award of the prize. The use of a false name or address will disqualify you from receiving any prize.

Use of your information • We will use any personal information that you give us in accordance with the law and our privacy policy at: http://www.economistgroup.com/privacy , for the purposes of the Competition, in the ways described in these terms and conditions, and for any marketing or other purposes you may indicate your consent to. We may also share your details with our service providers and agents for the purposes of providing prizes on our behalf, and any sponsors or Competition partners involved in this Competition.

• We will disclose the names and countries of the winners on request from a third party. Their names, counties and countries will be available from The Economist at the address provided above on receipt of a stamped, addressed envelope for a period of three months after the date the winners are first announced.

• If you have any questions or concerns about the use of your personal information please contact us by email at [email protected] .

General • We are not liable for any damage, loss or disappointment suffered by you taking part or not being able to take part in this Competition, or from being unable to claim your prize or otherwise participate in the relevant Open Future event.

• Insofar as is permitted by law, The Economist, its agents or distributors will not in any circumstances be responsible or liable to compensate the winner or accept any liability for any loss, damage, personal injury or death occurring as a result of taking up a prize except where it is caused by the negligence of The Economist, its agents or distributors or that of their employees. Your statutory rights are not affected.

• In the event of unforeseen circumstances, we may alter, amend or foreclose the Competition without prior notice. We reserve the right to change these terms at any time. The Competition is void wherever prohibited by law.

• These terms are governed by English law you submit to the jurisdiction of the English courts.

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