50th St. Gallen Symposium FREEDOM REVISITED: Where aspirations get inspired
Compete in the Global Essay Competition, get the chance to win the St. Gallen Wings of Excellence Award and qualify for participation as a Leader of Tomorrow in the world's premier opportunity for intergenerational debates: The St. Gallen Symposium.
What it's all about
The St. Gallen Symposium is a two-day conference taking place at the University of St.Gallen (Switzerland) in May. Every year key decision-makers from the fields of economics, politics, science, and society take part in the symposium to meet and exchange with the next generation of leaders.
The entire conference is organised by the International Students' Committee. It is a Team of 35 students from the University of St.Gallen who pause their studies for 10 months to engage in the realization of an intergenerational dialogue.
Essay Competition
Meet 300 of the world'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. Celebrate the 50th anniversary. Win prize money of CHF 20,000 split amongst winners.
Essay question
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.
- 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.
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 1990 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 2020 (download sample document here)
- Your contribution file with no indication of your name in the file name, the file metadata or the file itself
All contributions will be evaluated equally according to a specific set of criteria by an independent jury composed of professors, corporate executives, and entrepreneurs. The authors of the best 100 contributions qualify as Leaders of Tomorrow and will be invited by the ISC to the next St. Gallen Symposium. The very best competitors will have the chance to present and discuss their ideas on the symposium's big stage and also in other conferencing formats. The award will be bestowed to the three best competitors, the selection will be based upon the quality of the essays only.
50th St. Gallen Symposium FREEDOM REVISITED: Where aspirations get inspired
external pageRegister for the Global Essay Competition
Deadline: Saturday, 1. February 2020
For current information about the Symposium, please visit the external pageSt. Gallen Symposium homepage.