Essay Competition to Debate in Switzerland from St. Gallen Symposium

The St. Gallen Symposium invites you to compete for the Essay Competition and 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. They expect a professional, creative, and thought-provoking essay. Be bold, unconventional, and distinctive on the competition question.

Eligibility criteria:

1. Essay (max. 2,100 words, excluding bibliography and footnotes)
2. The essay must be in English.
3. Individual work expected, no group work allowed. The essay must be written exclusively for this contest and the idea must be the author's own.
4. All sources must be cited and referred to the respective part in the essay. All contributions will be tested for plagiarism.
5. You must be:

• Enrolled in a graduate or postgraduate program (master level or higher) in any field of study at a regular university.
• Born in 1989 or later.

Essay Question:

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 the prestigious award.