Participate in the Global Essay Competition by St. Gallen Symposium. Submit your entry by February 1, 2025, for a chance to win big!
About the 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. By engaging participants from around the world, this competition fosters intellectual growth, creativity, and the development of solutions to some of the most pressing challenges facing humanity.
Contest Guidelines
| Form | Essay (max. 2,100 words, excl. abstract, bibliography, and footnotes) |
| Language | English |
| Deadline | 1 February 2025, 11:59 p.m. last time zone (UTC-12) |
| Anonymity | Your name, e-mail address, university, or any identifying details must not be mentioned anywhere in the contribution file. |
| Individuality | Individual work expected, no group work allowed. The essay must be written exclusively for this contest. The idea must be the author’s own. |
| Citation | All sources must be cited and referred to the respective part in the essay. All contributions will be tested for plagiarism. Any auxiliary aids (AI, proofreading, translation service, layout/graphics services, writing and translation programs, etc.) are to be listed in an auxiliary aids directory. |
| Template | Download Template for the Global Essay Competition |
What Makes This Competition Stand Out?
The Global Essay Competition is not just a writing contest—it’s an invitation to contribute to the discourse on global development. Participants are encouraged to explore thought-provoking topics related to economics, politics, culture, and society, with the aim of generating innovative ideas that could shape the future. Symposium offers the opportunity for young voices to shine on a global stage, with winning essays gaining recognition from esteemed academics, industry leaders, and policymakers.
Eligibility
- Enrolled in a graduate or postgraduate programme (master level or higher) in any field of study at a regular university
- Born in 1995 or later
Required 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 2025 (download sample document here)
- Your contribution file with no indication of your name in the file name, the file metadata or the file itself
Impact and Recognition
Winners of the Global Essay Competition are invited to present their work at prestigious international events hosted by Symposium, giving them a chance to network with global thought leaders. Beyond the competition, Symposium offers participants a platform to collaborate and engage in meaningful discussions with peers from diverse backgrounds.
This is an exceptional opportunity for young leaders to contribute to real-world conversations, making an impact through their ideas and solutions.
Why Participate?
Compete in the 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.
Awards
Win prize money of Rs. 19L+ / CHF 20,000 split amongst the three winners.
How to Register?
Interested participants can register through this link.
Deadline
The deadline for submission is February 1, 2025.
Contact
For any unanswered questions please contact via e-mail at leadersoftomorrow[at]symposium[dot]org.
Click here to view the official notification of the Global Essay Competition by St. Gallen Symposium.
