55th St. Gallen Symposium Global Essay Competition
The St. Gallen Global Essay Competition is an international academic writing contest hosted by the St. Gallen Symposium, a longstanding forum for cross-generational dialogue on global issues. It invites graduate and postgraduate students from around the world to respond to a central thematic question each year with a professional, original essay written in English and formatted according to competition guidelines. Submissions are evaluated anonymously and judged on depth of analysis, creativity, and relevance to the symposium’s annual theme, which spans areas such as technology, politics, demography, and global governance.
Successful entrants are recognised both through monetary awards and strategic engagement opportunities. The top three essays share a prize pool of CHF 20,000, and approximately the 100 best submissions qualify their authors to attend the St. Gallen Symposium in Switzerland as part of the “Leaders of Tomorrow” cohort. As Leaders of Tomorrow, winners join a select global community, participate in structured debates with senior leaders from business, government, and civil society, and engage with thought leaders on future-focused issues. This format offers participants direct exposure to high-level discourse, networking with global peers and influencers, and a platform to share their ideas within an influential international setting.
The competition is designed to elevate emerging scholarly voices, deepen participants’ analytical skills, and integrate student-led perspectives into broader inter-generational conversations shaping policy, innovation, and leadership.
-
Application deadline
Applications close on 1 February 2026 at 11:59 p.m. (UTC-12).
Evaluation period
Essays are reviewed during February–March 2026.
Winners are typically announced in April 2026.
Symposium participation dates
The St. Gallen Symposium, at which top entrants may participate as Leaders of Tomorrow, runs 6–7 May 2026 (two-day event).
Repetition
The Global Essay Competition is an annual, recurring programme tied to each year’s St. Gallen Symposium.
-
Applicant status
Open to currently enrolled students.
Applicants must be studying at graduate or postgraduate level (e.g. Master’s or PhD) at the time of submission.
Location or citizenship
Open globally.
Applicants may be from any country or nationality.
Field or background
Open to students from all academic disciplines.
No specific field of study is required.
Applicants should demonstrate the ability to engage critically with the annual global theme through analytical writing.
Academic status
Applicants must be formally enrolled in a graduate or postgraduate programme at a recognised higher education institution at the submission deadline.
Proof of enrolment may be required if shortlisted.
Language requirements
Essays must be submitted in English.
Applicants must have sufficient English proficiency to produce a clear, coherent, and academically rigorous essay.
Other conditions
Submissions must be original, unpublished, and written solely by the applicant.
Essays must comply with the competition’s word limit and formatting requirements.
Previous winners may be subject to restrictions, depending on the year’s competition rules.
Use of AI-generated content is restricted in line with the organisation’s academic integrity requirements.