55th St. Gallen Symposium 2026 Global Essay Competition
Call for Entries for the 55th St. Gallen Symposium 2026 Essay Competition
Compete in 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. The topic question for global essay competition 2026 is Disruption in Tech + Politics + Demography: What happens when they collide?
Pick a case where at least two of these forces meet, and propose a bold idea to maximize the benefits while minimizing the risks over the long term.
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.
The St. Gallen Symposium is annually organized by the International Students’ Committee (ISC), an independent student initiative at the University of St.Gallen. For ten months, a team of approximately 30 students voluntarily engages in the challenging task of organizing an outstanding St. Gallen Symposium. During the symposium week, the ISC Team is supported by about 450 student volunteers. Three members of last year’s team are taking up the role of Head of the Organizing Committee.
In addition to designing and planning, the student team is especially involved with the development of the conceptual framework and content of the symposium. It decides on the key themes and fosters contacts with Partners and Donors, as well as selected Speakers and key figures as a whole. It also maintains links with media representatives and leading universities around the world.
The St. Gallen Symposium is the world’s most relevant student-driven organization and platform for cross-generational dialogue and collaboration. They connect leaders of today and tomorrow from business, politics, science and civil society to foster mutual understanding and joint action on their most pressing challenges and chances. Their global community comprises more than 400 businesses and institutions and over 300 universities.
Eligibility
To be eligible, you must fulfill all of the following criteria:
- Enrolled in a graduate or postgraduate program (master level or higher) in any field of study at a regular university
- Born in 1996 or later
Make sure you can provide the following documents:
- Copy of passport or other identification (in English for non-Roman languages)
- Confirmation of matriculation/enrolment from your university which proves your enrollment in a graduate/postgraduate level program as of 1 February 2026 (download sample document here)
- Your contribution file with no indication of your name in the file name, the file metadata or the file itself
Qualify with an excellent essay
We expect a professional, creative, and thought-provoking essay. Be bold, unconventional, and distinctive in addressing the competition question. While the use of AI tools is permitted (when cited correctly), the judging will focus on originality and the strength of your own unique ideas. For this reason, heavy reliance on generic outputs from systems such as ChatGPT is strongly discouraged: We want to hear your authentic voice and perspective.
For your contribution to be valid, the following criteria must be met
| Form | Essay (max. 2,100 words, excl. abstract, bibliography, and footnotes) |
| Language | English |
| Deadline | 1 February 2026, 11:59 p.m. last time zone (UTC-12) |
| Anonymity | Your name, e-mail address, university, or any identifying details must not be mentioned anywhere in the contribution file. |
| Individuality | Individual work expected, no group work allowed. The essay must be written exclusively for this contest. The idea must be the author’s own. |
| Citation | All sources must be cited and referred to the respective part in the essay. All contributions will be tested for plagiarism. Any auxiliary aids (AI, proofreading, translation service, layout/graphics services, writing and translation programs, etc.) are to be listed in an auxiliary aids directory. All auxiliary aids and resources used must be fully and correctly cited. Failure to acknowledge or reference any aid—whether digital, printed, or otherwise—will result in disqualification. Transparency and academic integrity are mandatory. |
| Template | Download Template for the Global Essay Competition |
Benefits
- Win prize money of CHF 20,000 split amongst the three winners
- Qualify for participation as a Leader of Tomorrow in the world’s premier opportunity for cross-generational debates
- 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
Eligible Regions: All Regions
Application Process
- Create an account on the Application website
- Fill in the Application form step-by-step to submit your entry.
For Further Queries: If you have a question you would like to ask, including admission queries, please use their official QA section on their website.
Disclaimer: Opportunities World shares opportunities based on information that is readily available for your convenience and simplicity; therefore, it disclaims all liability for erroneous or unexpected information. We advise you to check the opportunity provider’s own website for further information, as this is not their official page. Organizations should not relate this opportunity with any other goals; it is shared with the sole purpose of increasing “Access to Information” for everyone.
Latest opportunities
