essay competition singapore

• CIIM Research Essay Competition 2023

Competitions

Introduction

• About Contemporary Issues in Mediation (CIIM)
• CIIM Research Essay Competition 2021
• CIIM Research Essay Competition 2022
• CIIM Research Essay Competition 2024
• CIIM Research Essay Competition - FAQs
• CIIM Essay Prize Winners

Contemporary Issues In Mediation (CIIM) Research Essay Competition 2023

The Singapore International Mediation Institute’s (SIMI) Contemporary Issues In Mediation Research Essay Competition is an annual event aimed at developing and fostering an interest in mediation, a form of collaborative dispute resolution, amongst tertiary students.

• Top entry: Cash prize* valued at SGD300, and the winning essay will be published in the book series "Contemporary Issues in Mediation", Volume 9.
• Runner-up: Cash prize* valued at SGD200, and the winning essay will be published in the book series "Contemporary Issues in Mediation", Volume 9.
• All other short-listed entries: Essays will be published in the book series “Contemporary Issues in Mediation", Volume 9 and author(s) of the essay named as contributors accordingly. 

Key Information

Competition closes on 31 May 2023.

Who can apply?

The competition is open to participants from across the world.

All registered tertiary students across all disciplines of studies studying at universities, colleges or other educational institutions (including those pursuing postgraduate studies in masters or a doctorate degree) may apply.

How do I submit an entry?

• Read the CIIM Competition Terms and Conditions 2023 provided here .
• Write an essay of between 2,700 - 3,300 words. 
• Complete the CIIM Application Form here .
• Email your application form and essay to [email protected] no later than 2359 (GMT+8) hours on 31 May 2023.

Do I need to pay registration fees?

Participation in the competition is FREE.

What should I write about?

Any topic or issue related to mediation.

Participants are encouraged to be creative in their topics (e.g. write about the confluence of mediation and other disciplines, and its impact on mediation practice) and are free to decide how they wish to approach their chosen topic.

Topics of previous winning entries can be viewed via their respective pages: Volume 1 , Volume 2 , Volume 3 , Volume 4 , Volume 5 .

What do past participants have to say about the competition?

Mr Samuel Teo Top Prize Winner - CIIM Research Essay Competition 2021 Singapore

Ms Victoria Ang Runner Up - CIIM Research Essay Competition 2021 Singapore

Ms Lau Ai Xuan Published Contributor - CIIM Research Essay Competition 2021 Singapore

Still have questions?

Further information can be found in the CIIM Competition Terms and Conditions or check out the FAQs here .

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• Researcher Profiles
• Collaboration

Research Collaboration Opportunities

Cccs-ess essay competition 2024.

1. The Competition and Consumer Commission of Singapore (“CCCS”) and the Economic Society of Singapore (“ESS”) has launched the 6 th  CCCS-ESS Essay Competition. The topic for this year is  “How should Competition and Consumer Protection rules evolve in the age of Artificial Intelligence?” .

2. Artificial Intelligence (AI) is transforming industries globally, automating processes, customising and enhancing customer experiences through chatbots and accelerating content creation. Businesses benefit from increased efficiency, while consumers experience personalised services. This advancement presents both challenges and opportunities for businesses and consumers, influencing how they interact with technology.

3. As AI integration becomes more prevalent and businesses begin to embrace the technology, questions arise about the role of competition and consumer protection in this landscape. The essay competition invites contestants to examine the role of competition and consumer protection laws and policies in supporting AI development in Singapore. Specifically, contestants may discuss, among others, how should rules and policies evolve to achieve a balance between fostering innovation and ensuring fair business practices to safeguard the interests of businesses and consumers. 

4. The essay competition has two categories:

a) “School” category: all post-secondary students (regardless of nationality) studying in Singapore in polytechnics, centralised institutes, international schools and junior colleges may apply. This includes students currently enrolled in the Integrated Programme (Year 5/6) or in the International Baccalaureate diploma programme. Current full-time national servicemen and/or students who have recently completed their education in the above-mentioned schools/programmes, and Singaporean students in such institutions/programmes (or equivalent) overseas may also participate.

b) “Open” category: all individuals living in Singapore as well as Singaporeans living overseas (excluding those who qualify under the “school” category).

5. The following awards will be given for the three best essays of each category:

6. The terms and conditions as well as entry forms for the CCCS-ESS Essay Competition are available on the  CCCS website . The closing date for submission of entries is 31 May 2024.

• Competition Overview
• Working Committee
• Judging Panel - Static Presentation
• Judging Panel - Dynamic Presentation
• Competition Brief
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This Year's Theme (2023)

Many Faces, Many Races, One Singapore

Our theme this year celebrates one of our nation’s greatest strengths: the harmony and cohesion of our multi-faceted society – and recognises it among our greatest responsibilities to uphold.

Over the past few decades, we have successfully built a home in which disparate communities can live as equals supported by the law - regardless of race, language or religion.

Today, in the midst of social strife and racial conflict, as well as new economic and geo-political challenges, can our unity in diversity stand the test of time?

What else can we do to weave our social fabric more tightly together? How can we ensure our society remains strong enough to weather any future storm? And how will we surpass and soar above the social harmony most of us enjoy today?

Share your ideas

In essays, pictures or motion media, share with us your vision of how we can build a stronger and more unified Singapore. How would you shape the way we think and behave toward one another, and the places we live, work and play?

  Categories

Open to all Singaporeans and Singapore Permanent Residents

Important Competition Information

- By entering into this competition, the participant(s) verifies that the work submitted is not plagiarised and does not infringe the copyright and intellectual property right of any person or organisation.

- By entering into this competition, the participant(s) agree that the organisers have free usage of the submitted works for the competition's publicity purposes and future events.

- Participants are encouraged to use the Creative Commons License (https://creativecommons.org/choose/) for all work submitted.

- The judges' decision is final and no correspondence will be entered into.

- Any dialogue or text shown within the submission that is not in English, should have annotations/subtitles in English.

- Individual and group participants under the age of 16 years old will be required to obtain their parent's or guardian's consent to take part in the competition. The following details will be required when filling in the online submission form:

1. Consenting Parent's / Guardian's Name 2. Consenting Parent's / Guardian's Contact Number 3. Consenting Parent's / Guardian's Email 4. Consenting Parent's / Guardian's Mailing Address

- By entering into this competition, the participant(s) agree that personal data collected will be used by the organising committee and third-parties engaged by the organising committee to manage the competition for purposes related to the competition, including but not limited to sending email communications about submissions, publicity of competition-related events, notification of results etc.

- Terms and Conditions stated above may be subject to changes at the discretion of the organising committee.

Submissions can be done as an individual participant or as a group of up to 6 persons.

Participants can take part in the competition via these 2 categories:

STATIC PRESENTATION 1 -  WRITTEN ESSAY

How to submit: - Upload your PDF file directly via the online registration form

What can I submit:  - The essay can be supported by pictures. - Length of essay is limited to 2,500 words.

What are some guidelines I need to take note of: - Accepted file format is Adobe PDF - Total maximum file size is 1GB. - You are required to submit a short explanation about your work in less than 750 characters during the online submission.

STATIC PRESENTATION 2  - ILLUSTRATION, GRAPHIC DESIGN & PHOTO SUBMISSION

How to submit: - Upload your file to wetransfer ( https://wetransfer.com/ ) and a download link will be generated.  - Please submit the download link via the online registration form . - Click  here  for step-by-step guide on how to get a wetransfer download link.

What can I submit: - A single artwork or up to a series of 5 related images in JPEG format

What are some guidelines I need to take note: - Accepted file format is JPEG - Maximum resolution 300dpi - Total maximum file size is 1GB. - You are required to submit a short explanation about your work in less than 750 characters during the online submission.

DYNAMIC PRESENTATION -  ANIMATION & VIDEO SUBMISSION

What can I submit: - Video files should be in HD (1920 x 1080) and .mp4 format, no longer than 3 minutes in length.

What are some guidelines I need to take note: - Any dialogue or text shown within the animation/video that is not in English, should have subtitles in English.  - Total maximum file size is 1GB. There must be no mention of group name or logo in the submission. - You are required to submit a short explanation about your work in less than 750 characters during the online submission.

More information will be furnished on the exact prizes at a later date.

Q: I want to take part with some friends, can I do so? A: Yes, definitely! Submissions can be made by up to a group of 6 participants. Please select group submission during online submission.

Q: When is the submission deadline? A: Please submit by 21 July 2023, 17:00Hrs (UTC+8). Entries received after this date and time will not be eligible.

Q: Can I submit multiple entries? A: Yes. However, they should be different in content. Do give different titles to each separate entry to avoid confusion.

Q: I would like to make some changes to my entry and the competition is still open. Can I re-submit? A: Yes. There is a question within the submission form asking" Is this a re-submission?". Please select Yes. 

Q: My video submission has some dialogue in a language other than English. Will I be disqualified? A: The primary language for the competition is English. If other languages are used, English subtitles are required.

For all enquiries regarding the competition, please send your queries to: 

     [email protected]

© Copyright 2023 by Tanjong Pagar - Tiong Bahru CCC, part of People's Association. All Rights Reserved.

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The Society re-launched on 14-Mar-2016

The Royal Commonwealth Society - Singapore  was re-launched on 14 Mar 2016.

The Society will be primarily involved in the advertising and selection process for the new Fellowships and Scholarships for Singaporeans in Innovation alongside the Commonwealth Scholarships Commission (CSC); encouraging study in the United Kingdom. 

Notable Commonwealth Scholars include Mr.  Abdullah Tarmugi, former Speaker of the Singapore Parliment and Professor Walter Woon, former Attorney-General of Singapore and Professor Tan Chorh Chuan, President of NUS; amongst several others.

To play, press and hold the enter key. To stop, release the enter key.

The Queen's Commonwealth Essay Competition

The Queen’s Commonwealth Essay Competition is the world’s oldest schools’ international writing competition, managed by The Royal Commonwealth Society since 1883. Every year, it offers all Commonwealth youth aged 18 and under the opportunity to express their hopes for the future, opinions of the present and thoughts on the past, through the written word.

The closing date for the essay competition is 1 June 2020. Click More Info below to sign up and submit your entry.

Fellowships in Innovation

The Singapore Commonwealth Fellowships in Innovation were launched on 14 Mar 2016, together with the re-launch of the Society; for Innovation subjects in the United Kingdom.

The Fellowships are for short term placements, up to 3 months, for Singapore Professionals to have a study placement of their choice in academia or in industry in the United Kingdom.

The closing date for application is on 15 June 2020. For more details, email to [email protected] .​

Register your support

Do register your support for and interest in the Society and what we are doing.

We appreciate you sharing your contact details with us.

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Will keep you updated on our events

Two Singaporeans win in Commonwealth essay competition

They took part in Queen's Commonwealth contest

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As a primary school pupil, Janine Shum felt like she was invisible.

Her grades were not outstanding, she said, and nor was she particularly talented in sports or music.

So when she decided to enter the Queen's Commonwealth Essay Competition this year, it was this experience she drew on - and the authenticity of it scored her the title of junior winner.

Janine, 13, a first-year student in National Junior College's Integrated Programme, submitted a poem written from the perspectives of an Afghan girl and a Singaporean girl.

She said she tried to encapsulate the issues both characters face - the Afghan girl faces persecution for her pursuit of education, while the Singaporean girl feels stifled and lost in the race towards perfection.

Janine said: "They both feel 'disempowered' in different ways. But what they need is the same - to be loved and heard, and to have a good, kind education system to help them grow and be nurtured as a person."

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The Singaporean character, she said, came from the heart.

Dr Diana Owen, director-general of the non-profit Royal Over-Seas League and chair of the panel of judges for the junior category, said: "(Janine) gets into the mind of someone in a war-torn country as well as her own and has created a complex structure that works at both levels. It is technically remarkable with a mature, subtle and political approach."

Of the four winners selected out of 12,000 participants this year, two were Singaporean - Janine and 16-year-old Ng Woon Neng, who was runner-up in the senior category.

The other two winners were girls from Pakistan and Canada. The competition has been run by The Royal Commonwealth Society since 1883.

Woon Neng, a Nanyang Girls' High School student, submitted a short story on her view of wealth, health, freedom and happiness.

To her, wealth looks like an impeccably dressed businessman.

Health is an average teenager, Freedom is personified by a fatigued war veteran and happiness takes the form of a child.

Said Woon Neng: "I believe that being happy makes life worthwhile, but it is also a choice.

"That is not to say we do not chase after dreams for more, but perhaps we should also first recognise we do have enough."

The winners will get a free trip to London next month for a week of educational and cultural events, including an award ceremony at Buckingham Palace.

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THE QUEEN'S COMMONWEALTH ESSAY COMPETITION

Since 1883, we have delivered The Queen's Commonwealth Essay Competition, the world's oldest international schools' writing competition. Today, we work to expand its reach, providing life-changing opportunities for young people around the world.

ENTER THE QCEC 2024

The Queen’s Commonwealth Essay Competition 2024 is now live!

Find out more about this year’s theme

'Our Common Wealth' and make sure to enter by 15 May 2024!

140 years of The Queen’s Commonwealth Essay Competition

The Queen’s Commonwealth Essay Competition (QCEC) is the world’s oldest international writing competition for schools and has been proudly delivered by the Royal Commonwealth Society since 1883. 

ABOUT THE COMPETITION 

An opportunity for young Commonwealth citizens to share their thoughts, ideas and experiences on key global issues and have their hard work and achievement celebrated internationally.

Frequently Asked Questions for the Competition. Before contacting us please read these.

MEET THE WINNERS 

In 2023 we were delighted to receive a record-breaking 34,924 entries, with winners from India and Malaysia. Read their winning pieces as well as those from previous years.

TERMS AND CONDITIONS

Terms and Conditions for entrants to The Queen’s Commonwealth Essay Competition. Please ensure you have thoroughly read them before submitting your entry.

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The Queen’s Commonwealth Essay Competition Workshop 2023

Our critically acclaimed Queen's Commonwealth Essay Competition writing workshop is back for the 2023 June holidays. It is a quintessential platform for writers, combining creativity, literary chops and prestige. Past alumni of the workshop have achieved more than 40 Gold, Silver, and Bronze awards, in addition to two Gold Finalist awards. 

This year’s competition, themed "A Youth-Powered Commonwealth", invites young writers to explore the power that youths hold with the global community, and consider how this power can be harnessed to make a meaningful impact on the world. We’ll break this statement into a number of parts, from the various concepts of power, to a critical analysis of the global issues at hand, and a deeper understanding of what meaningful impact entails - before embarking on literary explorations and tangents. 

Our clients traditionally view the competition as a chance to build a sophisticated and diverse writing portfolio that includes short stories, essays and poems. Intangibly, it is also a chance to build soft writing skills, accrue cultural capital and embark on intellectual explorations. 

There are two categories for participation in the Queen's Commonwealth Essay Competition Workshop.

• Junior Category for participants born on or after 1 July 2009 (under 14 years)
• Senior Category for participants born between 1 July 2004 and 30 June 2009  (14 to 18 years)

Workshop details

• Tue 30 May to Thu 1 June 2023
• Academia Privileges Apply

Academia Privileges

All existing Academia students are granted an exclusive 20% discount to the workshop fees, before GST. Friends of Academia students will also be granted this discount if they attend the workshop together. 

Register Now

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ABOUT LIVE ON FESTIVAL

Live On Festival (LOF) is an initiative started by National Organ Transplant Unit (NOTU), Ministry of Health (MOH). Launched in 2018 as the Live On Design Competition (LODC), the competition was renamed Live On Festival (LOF) in 2021 following the inclusion of creative essay writing. LOF has since expanded its reach to 111 participating schools in year 2023. LOF encourages participants, in particular youths, to express their thoughts on organ donation and transplantation through art and writing. Values of responsibility, compassion and empathy are incorporated in LOF by providing insights into the delicate and emotive nature of the topic of organ donation and transplantation. Top winners of the Festival will have their artworks or essays actualised as collaterals for NOTU’s publicity events held nationwide. Click here to download the full LOF information booklet

View past LOF winning artworks

View past LOF winning essays

Design Competition

Essay competition.

The themes for 2024’s Design Competition are ' Making a difference… '.

(1) ... starting with me invites participants to envision the diverse roles individuals can play in organ donation and transplantation. These roles extend far beyond the literal act of donating an organ. For instance, an individual can (i) take on the responsibility of advocating for organ donation within their social circle; and (ii) initiate ground-up efforts that engage the broader community, forming a strong and multi-faceted pillar of support for patients with organ failure.

(2) ...that endures across time invites participants to consider the short (several days/weeks), medium (several months) and long-term (several years) personal, familial and/or societal impact of organ donation.

• This competition is open to Singapore residents (Singapore Citizens, Permanent Residents, and residents with work permit / employment pass / student pass).
• Artworks can be done in traditional or digital media, in portrait or landscape format.
• Artwork should be designed for a tote bag in an aesthetically pleasing and attention-grabbing manner, while adhering to the selected theme.
• The artwork submitted must be original work. All artworks must not have been published or awarded by other organisations or other competitions. Artworks must not be plagiarised from other sources. Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools are permissible for conceptualisation purposes only and the final entry submitted should not be generated by AI. Artwork may be submitted to AI-detection tools for plagiarism check.
• There is no limit to the number of artwork submitted per participant, but each participant is only entitled to one prize.
• Participants may work on their artworks in groups, but each winning artwork will only receive one prize.
• To ensure that the entries submitted are received successfully, each artwork submitted online and all digital artworks should be named in the following format:

e.g: SWM_ABC Secondary School_XYZ.png

• ... starting with me - SWM
• ... that endures across time - EAT
• For traditional artwork, participant is required to label their full name and class at the back of the artwork
• Please refer to the guide for more details on the Festival

For school based submission (School Category):

• An application form is required for each artwork submitted. Teachers may download the application form or submit the application form through the online form .
• For traditional artworks, participants are encouraged to submit their entries to their teacher-in-charge (if applicable). The National Organ Transplant Unit (NOTU) will contact the teacher-in-charge to collect all the traditional artworks for the purpose of judging.
• For digital entries, submitted using the online form, the uploaded artwork must be either in a compressed zip folder (the maximum file size for uploading of files onto the online form is 7MB) or through a weblink (with the artwork uploaded onto a third party website such as WeTransfer or Google Drive – access would need to be granted to [email protected] ).
• The teacher-in-charge can arrange for group submission of artworks (both traditional and digital media) and application forms by contacting NOTU at [email protected] .

For individual submission (School / Open Category):

• All individual submissions are to be submitted through the online form .
• For traditional artworks submitted online, participants are to ensure that the scanned image (preferred) or photograph is clear and of high definition (at least 10MP), while retaining the original artwork in good condition. NOTU will contact participants with shortlisted artworks to arrange for collection / delivery of artworks to NOTU's office.
• For digital entries, the uploaded artwork must be either in a compressed zip folder (the maximum file size for uploading of files onto the online form is 7MB) or through a weblink (with the artwork uploaded onto a third party website such as WeTransfer or Google Drive – access would need to be granted to [email protected] ).

TRADITIONAL ARTWORKS

• Artworks must be between A4 and A3 size.
• Artworks must be flat and able to be scanned on a flatbed scanner.
• Submitted artworks will be retained by NOTU until completion of judging.
• All artworks need to be minimally 4,961 pixels on the shortest edge.
• For artwork designed using Adobe Illustrator , the minimum artboard / canvas size should be minimally A2 size with a minimum resolution of 300dpi. The vector .ai file should be submitted together with a rendered high-resolution image of the artwork.
• For artwork designed using Adobe Photoshop , the minimum artboard / canvas size should be minimally A4 size with a minimum resolution of 600dpi. The .psd file should be submitted together with a rendered high-resolution of the artwork.
• For artwork designed using Autodesk Sketchbook or equivalent , where the dpi cannot be set, the minimum artboard / canvas size should be A1 size.
• For artwork designed using Procreate or equivalent , the minimum artboard / canvas size should be A2 size with a minimum resolution of 300dpi.
• The artwork image should be submitted in .png file format together with the working file, with CMYK coloured scheme (preferred).
• Outlines must be created for all fonts.

Artworks will be evaluated based on the following:

• Adherence to theme (including designing the artwork for a tote bag)
• Aesthetics quality (including displaying sense of composition of artwork printed onto tote bags)
• Technical merit
• Inventiveness & creativity
• Personal response (or artist statement)

Submission of entry signifies your acceptance of the terms and conditions listed in this page.

SCHOOL & OPEN CATEGORY

Submission of entries signifies your acceptance of the terms and conditions listed in this page.

Terms and Conditions

1. The school category of this competition is open to full time students enrolled in MOE Secondary Schools, including schools offering Integrated Programme (year 1 – 4 only). The open category is open to all Singapore residents (Singapore Citizens, Permanent Residents, and residents with work permit / employment pass / student pass).

2. Artwork submitted must be related to either one of the themes prescribed above, in the aspect of organ donation and/or transplantation, that are suitable to printed onto tote bags (i.e. aesthetically pleasing and attention grabbing).

3. Artwork submitted shall be in good quality and must not contain any elements that are deemed indecent, blasphemous, libellous, offensive, pornographic, politically insensitive, racially insensitive, or otherwise unlawful or depict any inappropriate activity. The National Organ Transplant Unit (NOTU) reserves the rights to reject any entry that is deemed to be inappropriate.

4. Artwork submitted must be original work. All artworks must not have been published or awarded by other organisations or other competitions. Artworks must not be plagiarised from other sources. In the case of copyright infringement, the entry will be disqualified. As for winning entries, qualifications will be cancelled and the prize must be returned to the organiser. In the case of late discovery of copyright infringement and that the winning entry has been published, the participant shall pay organisers any damages, monetary or otherwise, which may be incurred as a result.

5. The organiser, NOTU, retains the non-exclusive, perpetual, world-wide, royalty-free license, with right to sublicense, to keep and use submitted entries for any purpose consistent with the mission of NOTU, including educational, archival and research purposes. By participating in this competition, the participant hereby consents to the organising committee, NOTU, to produce collaterals, and to perform marketing and awareness activities with the submitted artwork. The collaterals may be used by NOTU and/or NOTU’s appointed agents at, but not limited to, public roadshows, exhibitions or events.

6. Artworks submitted in physical or digital media are welcomed, in either landscape or portrait format. Please refer to the important submission information for the artwork size and resolution required for traditional and digital media respectively.

7. There is no limit to the number of artwork submitted, but each participant is only entitled to one prize.

8. School participants are encouraged to submit their entries to their teacher-in-charge, or through the online form . Open participants are to submit their entries through the online form .

9. All entries must be received by 2359 hours on 26 May 2023 (Friday) . All entries submitted will be acknowledged accordingly. An acknowledgement screen will be shown for all successful FormSG submissions. Please keep a screenshot of the reference number if required. For email submissions, please contact NOTU at 63213649 / 63265878 or [email protected] if you do not receive an acknowledgement within 3 working days . NOTU will not accept any responsibility for non-receipt of artwork for submissions which are not acknowledged.

10. All traditional artwork will be scanned, and judging will be performed via an online platform. Please avoid use of materials which may cause prejudice to the artworks (e.g. reflective surfaces, artworks which are not suitable for scanning on flatbed scanners).

11. Winning artwork will be selected at the judges’ sole discretion. The judges’ decision is final.

12. Winners will be contacted as per contact details listed in the application form. Winners who are uncontactable will have been deemed to have made an incomplete submission, and the prize awarded will be withdrawn.

13. Winners are required to attend an awards ceremony to be on 16 August 2024 (Sat) (tentative) , subject to the COVID-19 situation. Winners are required to nominate a proxy to attend the ceremony if they are unable to attend the ceremony.

14. A photograph of the winner may be requested for release on NOTU’s webpage, published collaterals, roadshows and exhibitions nationwide.

15. Prizes are not transferable or exchangeable for cash. NOTU accepts no responsibility for any tax or other liability that may arise from the prize winnings. Prizes are subject to availability and NOTU reserves the right to substitute the prizes with another item of a similar value without prior notice.

16. Submission of entries signify your acceptance of the terms and conditions listed herein.

Participants must select an essay topic from the relevant category.

SCHOOL JUNIOR (Sec 1 -2)

Topic 1: Imagine you are a teenager in need of a life-saving organ transplant. Describe your journey, emotions and the impact of receiving a donated organ on your life and future.

Topic 2: After reading from the news that your Math teacher selflessly donated her kidney to an unknown stranger, you are motivated to organise a celebration for her after her one-month leave. Write a letter to your form teacher explaining:

• how has the news impacted you
• a suitable class celebration proposal for your Math teacher
• why it is important to have this celebration

You may add any other details you think will be helpful. Write your letter in clear, accurate English. Your tone should be positive and enthusiastic to convince your form teacher of your proposal. You should use your own words as much as possible.

SCHOOL SENIOR (Sec 3 -5)

Topic 1: Discuss the view that organ donation and transplantation is of little interest to people as it is too complex

• the significance of the jar to your aunt
• your proposal for the VIA project and the execution plan
• how the student population will benefit from your project
• why you think honouring deceased organ donors is important

You may add any other details you think will be helpful. Write your letter in clear, accurate English. Your tone should be polite and enthusiastic, showing genuine passion for your proposal. You should use your own words as much as possible.

Topic 1: Encouraging living donations may be the key to improving organ donation rates. Do you agree?

Topic 2: “A spark is a little thing, yet it may kindle the world” (Martin Farquhar Tupper). Discuss how an individual selfless act of organ donation can make a positive impact to the different levels of society.

• All essays should be typewritten and submitted in word document with the following formatting: Arial font type, font size of 12 with 1.5 spacing with clear paragraphing.
• The maximum word count (excluding title, references and footnotes) for the essays are as follows:
• The essay submitted must be original work. All essays must not have been published or awarded by other organisations or other competitions. Essays must not be plagiarised from other sources. Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools are permissible for conceptualisation purposes only and the final entry submitted should not be generated by AI. Essays may be submitted to Turnitin and other AI-detection tools for plagiarism check.
• There is no limit to the number of essays submitted, but each participant is only entitled to one prize.
• Participants may work on their essay in groups, but each winning essay will only receive one prize.

e.g: Junior_1_ABC Secondary School_XYZ.png

• Please refer to the guide for more details on the Festival.

For school based submission (Junior / Senior / Open Category):

• An application form is required for each artwork submitted. Teachers may download the application form or submit the application form through the online form . Teachers may also opt for group submission of the application details through the consolidated application form (excel).
• The teacher-in-charge can arrange for group submission of essays and application form(s) by contacting NOTU at [email protected] . The essays can be submitted through a compressed zip folder or uploaded through a weblink (such as WeTransfer or Google Drive – access would need to be granted to [email protected] ).

For individual submission (Junior / Senior / Open Category):

• All individual submissions are to be submitted through the online form in a word document format.

Essays will be evaluated based on the following:

SCHOOLS & OPEN CATEGORY

1. The school category of this competition is open to full time students enrolled in MOE Secondary Schools, including schools offering Integrated Programme (year 1 – 4 only). The open category is open to all Singapore residents age 13 and above (Singapore Citizens, Permanent Residents, and residents with work permit/employment pass/student pass). Participants must select an essay topic from the relevant category.

2. The essay submitted must be in relation to the chosen topic within the relevant category, in the aspect of organ donation and transplantation. The essay should be written in English.

3. Essays submitted shall be in good quality and must not contain any elements that are deemed indecent, blasphemous, libellous, offensive, pornographic, politically insensitive, racially insensitive, or otherwise unlawful or depict any inappropriate activity. The National Organ Transplant Unit (NOTU) reserves the rights to reject any entry that is deemed to be inappropriate.

4. The essay submitted must be original work. All essays must not have been published or awarded by other organisations or other competitions. Essays must not be plagiarised from other sources. Essays may be submitted to Turnitin for plagiarism check. In the case of copyright infringement and/ or plagiarism, the entry will be disqualified. For school participants, NOTU may inform the school of such disqualification. As for the winning entries, qualifications will be cancelled and the prize must be returned to the organiser. In the case of late discovery of copyright infringement and/ or plagiarism and that the winning entry has been published, the participant shall pay organisers any damages, monetary or otherwise, which may be incurred as a result.

5. The essay submitted must be the participant’s own work, and cannot be excessively corrected or improved by another person. This does not rule out inputs or assistance by others.

6. For School (Junior | Sec 1 - 2) category, the maximum word count is 500 (Situational writing) and 750 (Continuous writing). For School (Senior | Sec 3 - 5) category, the maximum word count is 1000 (Situational writing) and 1500 (Continuous writing). For Open category, the maximum word count is 1500. These word limits apply to all topics and all formats. Exceeding the word count will result in automatic disqualification. Title, references and footnotes are not included in the word count.

7. The organiser, NOTU, retains the non-exclusive, perpetual, world-wide, royalty-free license, with right to sublicense, to keep and use submitted entries for any purpose consistent with the mission of NOTU, including educational, archival and research purposes. The organiser reserves the right to rewrite, publish, copy and distribute the winning entries or parts of the contents of the winning entries at any time and in any places, without additional consent from or paying a fee to the author. By participating in this competition, the participant hereby consents to the organising committee, NOTU to produce collaterals, and to perform marketing and awareness activities with the submitted essay. The collaterals may be used by NOTU at, but not limited to, public roadshows or events.

8. Essay contents shall conform to Singapore’s laws and regulations, abiding by social morality and good orders. The contents shall not allude to attacking or disparaging the reputation of others.

9. There is no limit to the number of essays submitted, but each participant is only entitled to one prize.

10. School participants are encouraged to submit their entries to their teacher-in-charge, or through the online form . Open participants are to submit their entries through the online form.

11. All entries must be received by 2359 hours on 26 May 2023 (Friday) . All entries submitted will be acknowledged accordingly. An acknowledgement screen will be shown for all successful FormSG submissions. Please keep a screenshot of the reference number if required. For email submissions, please contact NOTU at 63213649 / 63265878 or [email protected] if you do not receive an acknowledgement within 3 working days . NOTU will not accept any responsibility for non-receipt of entries for submissions which are not acknowledged

12. Winning essays are selected at the judges’ sole discretion. The judges’ decision is final.

13. Winners will be contacted as per contact details listed in the application form. Winners who are uncontactable will have been deemed to have made an incomplete submission, and the prizes will be withdrawn.

14. Winners are required to attend an awards ceremony to be on 17 August 2024 (Sat) (tentative) , subject to the COVID-19 situation. Winners are required to nominate a proxy to attend the ceremony if they are unable to attend the ceremony.

15. A photograph of the winner may be requested for release on NOTU’s webpage, published collaterals, roadshows and exhibitions nationwide.

16. Prizes are not transferable or exchangeable for cash. NOTU accepts no responsibility for any tax or other liability that may arise from the prize winnings. Prizes are subject to availability and NOTU reserves the right to substitute the prizes with another item of a similar value without prior notice.

17. Submission of entries signify your acceptance of the terms and conditions listed herein.

The Live On Festival 2023 encourages participants to express their feelings through art or writing with regards to organ donation and transplantation. Each year, LOF has grown to become more than just a competition, but a holistic growth accelerator for budding artists and writers as they ponder about organ donation or transplant. The theme for LOF 2023 revolved around Connection. Connection builds the foundation of promoting trust and confidence within the community. LOF 2023 saw a total of 111 participating schools, with 3,041 artworks and 2,136 essays received across the school and open categories.

Design: For the Design Competition, themed “My Organ, My Companion”, artists envisioned sharing a friendship with an organ and for “Our Transformative Journey” artists pictured the changes brought about by an individual or community about organ donation. Artworks were evaluated based on the artists’ ability to adhere to their chosen theme with the artists’ touch of creativity. Each artwork was also judged based on the aesthetic quality and technical merit.

Essay: The Essay Competition aimed to challenge lower secondary students to empathise with a loved one who received a heart transplant or a classmate who is on dialysis due to kidney failure. Upper secondary writers were tasked to explain how social media can bring a positive impact on organ donation, or how a collective school effort can raise awareness on organ donation and transplantation. Writers from the Open category shared their views on the difficulties and resolutions to generate a positive mindset change on organ donation or, how the altruism of organ donors may be negated by medical advancements in the future. Essays were evaluated by the relevance to the chosen topic, creativity of the writer and their use of the English language.

For more details on the ceremony and the winners, click here .

Sharing session: Students from Juying Secondary School participating actively in the discussion.

Ms Gan Siow Huang congratulating all winners on their outstanding entries.

Awards Ceremony: Ms Gan Siow Huang with LOF 2022’s awards winners and their families.

Awards Ceremony: Showcase of top three winning artworks from the school and open category that were printed onto tote bags.

Awards Ceremony: Exhibition gallery of winning essay entries and artworks

Sharing session: CHIJ Secondary students during their English lesson.

Sharing session: Bukit Batok Secondary School Art students learning how to fold origami stars for the Stars of Love project. Stars folded by students will be presented to donor families, symbolising a token of appreciation from the community.

Online Sharing Session: Students from Chung Cheng High (Main) engaging with an interactive online quiz through Kahoot!

Following positive testimonials from previous participating schools, the interest of other schools grew, with 52 participating schools in year 2020. The themes for LODC 2020 are "A New Beginning" and "From Fears to Dreams" . "A New Beginning" refers to organ donors opening up a new chapter in their life for organ failure patients, granting them a second chance in life, igniting a new beginning for the patients and their families. The second theme "From Fears to Dreams" refers to the fear organ failure patients face - the uncertainties of what tomorrow may bring, and how organ transplantation allows these patients to rise through their fears, marching on to a hopeful future with their loved ones. The judging panel for LODC 2020 consisted of: Ms Sally Kong (Assistant Director, Operations, NOTU), Ms Sabrina Long (Dean, School of Art and Design, Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts) and Mr Lee Wei Lieh (Senior Art Director, Wild Advertising & Marketing). In view of COVID-19 situation, the physical Awards Ceremony and Art Exhibition has been moved online.

Sharing session: Art Council students from Pei Hwa Secondary School came together during the CCA session to learn more about organ donation. Students from the Taekwondo CCA also joined in for the Stars of Love project where students folded stars which will be presented to donor families to express their heartfelt appreciation [Photo taken before MOE suspended CCA due to COVID-19.]

Assembly session: Manjusri Secondary School [Photo taken before MOE suspended large group and communal activities such as assembly due to COVID-19.]

Sharing session: Secondary 2 students from Ping Yi Secondary School during Science lesson. [Photo taken before Circuit Breaker measures due to COVID-19.]

Guest of Honour Speech: Ms Gan Siow Huang, Minister of State for Education and Manpower, recognising the efforts of all LODC 2020 participants.

School Category Winners: Top 3 artworks from the Live On Design Competition 2020 which were printed on tote bags

Open Category Winners: Top 3 artworks from the Live On Design Competition 2020 which were printed on tote bags

Following the successful pilot initiative in 2018, LODC 2019 was extended to all secondary schools and schools offering Integrated Programmes, and a total of 12 schools participated. The theme - "More than Me - Beyond this Life" signifies an act of reaching out to others and leaving a legacy, just like how organ donors continue to live on by offering the gift of life to the recipients. The judging panel for LODC 2019 consisted of: Ms Sally Kong (Assistant Director, Operations, NOTU), Ms Sabrina Long (Dean, School of Art and Design, Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts) and Mr Jetch Lim (Graphic Designer, Unusual Print Media Ptd Ltd). A total of 262 entries were received from both the Schools and Open category. Top 3 artworks from each category were printed on tote bags, and distributed at various events. Winners of the top 38 artworks were also invited to the Awards Ceremony and Exhibition on 20 July 2019. The Awards Ceremony was graced by Dr Lam Pin Min (Senior Minister of State, Ministry of Transport and Ministry of Health) as the Guest-of-Honour who encouraged all the winners to share with their families and peers their artworks and what they have learnt through this competition.

Sharing Session: Students from Methodist Girls' School IDEAS club were presented with true stories and medical information for them to understand the challenges that patients face while waiting for an organ transplant. The interactive sessions were designed for students to reflect and ask questions.

Sharing Session: Students from the Changkat Changi Secondary School gathered for the sharing session, where questions were raised enthusiastically as they stepped into the world of organ donors, organ failure patients and transplant recipients.

Awards Ceremony: Dr Lam Pin Min viewing the winning artworks exhibition.

Awards Ceremony: Dr Lam penning his thoughts on organ donation at the 'Share Your Thoughts' board. Attendees took turns to write and share their views on the topic.

Awards Ceremony: Parents happily became their child's photographers.

Awards Ceremony: Dr Lam with awards winners of LODC 2019.

Awards Ceremony: Top 3 winners from the Open Category: Ms Nurul Farahin, Ms Theresa Roselinne Tanaka and Ms Choo Jia Hui (L-R) together with Dr Lam.

Awards Ceremony: Top 3 winners from Schools Category: Ms Justina Low (Punggol Secondary School), Ms Tricia Tan (National Junior College) and Ms Hannah Law (Ngee Ann Secondary School) (L-R) together with Dr Lam.

Post-Awards Ceremony: Winning artworks were displayed at various hospitals, where visitors had the opportunity to view the messages of organ donation and transplantation through the eyes of our artists.

Starting out as a pilot initiative, NOTU collaborated with schools offering Art Elective Programmes (AEP) and Enhanced Art Programmes (EAP). LODC was designed with the objective of providing a unique and tailored learning experience for partner schools, and serving as a platform for students to articulate their opinion on organ transplantation through art. The theme for LODC 2018 was "Your Thoughts on Organ Donation" enabling participants to explore freely on ideation, allowing for varying interpretations of their personal thoughts on this emotive topic. The judging panel for LODC 2018 consisted of: Ms Sally Kong (Assistant Director, Operations, NOTU), Ms Sabrina Long (Dean, School of Art and Design, Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts) and Mr Francis Tan (Creative Director, Germs Digital). Close to 200 artworks were received from schools and members of the public. Top 30 winners and their family members were invited to the awards ceremony held on 14 July 2018. Top 3 artworks were printed onto EZ link cards and distributed at NOTU's events. Just as EZ link cards enable people to travel from place to place, it is hoped that the knowledge of organ donation and transplantation travels widely.

Assembly session: Conducted at CHIJ Secondary to give students a foundation on the topic before students started work on their ideas.

Sharing session: Art Club students from Orchid Park Secondary School participating in "Stars of Love Project", where they fold paper stars as a form of heartfelt encouragement to our donor families.

Awards Ceremony: Top 3 winners with our judges: Mr Francis Tan, Ms Joyce Hoon (Ngee Ann Secondary School), Proxy of Mr Froderick Blanco, Ms Sheila Jan Blanco, Ms Sabrina Long, Ms Sally Kong (L-R).

Awards Ceremony: Award winners of LODC 2018 with our judges.

Awards Ceremony: Chloe Lim from CHIJ Secondary and her family.

Awards Ceremony: Nur Herdiawati Bte Mohamad Hermi from CHIJ Katong Convent with her parents and teacher, Mdm Zakiah.

Awards Ceremony: Award winners and their families viewing the winning artwork exhibition.

Awards Ceremony: Award winners took a moment to pen down their thoughts on organ donation.

MAS-ESS Essay Competition 2024: “The Impact of Global Industrial Policies on Singapore’s Economy

8 January 2024 10:16:53 AM

How should Competition and Consumer Protection rules evolve in the age of Artificial intelligence (“AI”)?

AI is transforming our economy and changing many work processes e.g., automation of routine processes, chatbots to dispense advice, and writing tasks through the use of generative AI models. Discuss the use of AI and its implications on competition and consumer protection policy. How can the government protect competition and consumers without stifling the advancement of technology?

The Inclusive Future for China and the World!

25 July 2020: Cheryl WANG Yu and David LEE Kuo Chuen (Professor SUSS and Vice President, Economic Society of Singapore. "Programmable Government and The Value of Everything Economy"

Outstanding Economics Teachers Award 2024

The Economic Society of Singapore (ESS) is pleased to invite nominations for the Outstanding Economics Teacher Award (OETA). Up to two OETA awards will be given to outstanding secondary school or junior college/ centralised institute teachers who have exhibited excellence in the teaching and learning of Economics.

ESS Secretariat Economic Society of Singapore c/o Department of Economics

National University of Singapore 1 Arts Link Singapore 117570

Tel: (65) 6773 2913

Fax: (65) 6775 2646

Email: [email protected]

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Essay  COMPETITION

2024 global essay prize, registrations are now open all essayists must register  here  before friday 31 may, 2024.

The John Locke Institute encourages young people to cultivate the characteristics that turn good students into great writers: independent thought, depth of knowledge, clear reasoning, critical analysis and persuasive style. Our Essay Competition invites students to explore a wide range of challenging and interesting questions beyond the confines of the school curriculum.

Entering an essay in our competition can build knowledge, and refine skills of argumentation. It also gives students the chance to have their work assessed by experts. All of our essay prizes are judged by a panel of senior academics drawn from leading universities including Oxford and Princeton, under the leadership of the Chairman of Examiners, former Cambridge philosopher, Dr Jamie Whyte.

The judges will choose their favourite essay from each of seven subject categories - Philosophy, Politics, Economics, History, Psychology, Theology and Law - and then select the winner of the Grand Prize for the best entry in any subject. There is also a separate prize awarded for the best essay in the junior category, for under 15s.

Q1. Do we have any good reasons to trust our moral intuition?

Q2. Do girls have a (moral) right to compete in sporting contests that exclude boys?

Q3. Should I be held responsible for what I believe?

Q1. Is there such a thing as too much democracy?

Q2. Is peace in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip possible?

Q3. When is compliance complicity?

Q1. What is the optimal global population?  

Q2. Accurate news reporting is a public good. Does it follow that news agencies should be funded from taxation?

Q3. Do successful business people benefit others when making their money, when spending it, both, or neither?

Q1. Why was sustained economic growth so rare before the later 18th century and why did this change?

Q2. Has music ever significantly changed the course of history?

Q3. Why do civilisations collapse? Is our civilisation in danger?

Q1. When, if ever, should a company be permitted to refuse to do business with a person because of that person’s public statements?

Q2. In the last five years British police have arrested several thousand people for things they posted on social media. Is the UK becoming a police state?

Q3. Your parents say that 11pm is your bedtime. But they don’t punish you if you don’t go to bed by 11pm. Is 11pm really your bedtime?

Q1. According to a study by researchers at four British universities, for each 15-point increase in IQ, the likelihood of getting married increases by around 35% for a man but decreases by around 58% for a woman. Why?

In the original version of this question we misstated a statistic. This was caused by reproducing an error that appeared in several media summaries of the study. We are grateful to one of our contestants, Xinyi Zhang, who helped us to see (with humility and courtesy) why we should take more care to check our sources. We corrected the text on 4 April. Happily, the correction does not in any way alter the thrust of the question.

Q2. There is an unprecedented epidemic of depression and anxiety among young people. Can we fix this? How?

Q3. What is the difference between a psychiatric illness and a character flaw?

Q1. “I am not religious, but I am spiritual.” What could the speaker mean by “spiritual”?

Q2. Is it reasonable to thank God for protection from some natural harm if He is responsible for causing the harm?

Q3. Does God reward those who believe in him? If so, why?

JUNIOR prize

Q1. Does winning a free and fair election automatically confer a mandate for governing?

Q2. Has the anti-racism movement reduced racism?

Q3. Is there life after death?

Q4. How did it happen that governments came to own and run most high schools, while leaving food production to private enterprise? 

Q5. When will advancing technology make most of us unemployable? What should we do about this?

Q6. Should we trust fourteen-year-olds to make decisions about their own bodies? 

ENTRY REQUIREMENTS & FURTHER DETAILS

Please read the following carefully.

Entry to the John Locke Institute Essay Competition 2024 is open to students from any country.

Registration  

Only candidates who registered before the registration deadline of Friday, 31 May 2024 may enter this year's competition. To register, click here .  

All entries must be submitted by 11.59 pm BST on  the submission deadline: Sunday, 30 June 2024 .  Candidates must be eighteen years old, or younger, on that date. (Candidates for the Junior Prize must be fourteen years old, or younger, on that date.)

Entry is free.

Each essay must address only one of the questions in your chosen subject category, and must not exceed 2000 words (not counting diagrams, tables of data, endnotes, bibliography or authorship declaration). 

The filename of your pdf must be in this format: FirstName-LastName-Category-QuestionNumber.pdf; so, for instance, Alexander Popham would submit his answer to question 2 in the Psychology category with the following file name:

Alexander-Popham-Psychology-2.pdf

Essays with filenames which are not in this format will be rejected.

The candidate's name should NOT appear within the document itself. 

Candidates should NOT add footnotes. They may, however, add endnotes and/or a Bibliography that is clearly titled as such.

Each candidate will be required to provide the email address of an academic referee who is familiar with the candidate's written academic work. This should be a school teacher, if possible, or another responsible adult who is not a relation of the candidate. The John Locke Institute will email referees to verify that the essays submitted are indeed the original work of the candidates.

Submissions may be made as soon as registration opens in April. We recommend that you submit your essay well in advance of th e deadline to avoid any last-minute complications.

Acceptance of your essay depends on your granting us permission to use your data for the purposes of receiving and processing your entry as well as communicating with you about the Awards Ceremony Dinner, the academic conference, and other events and programmes of the John Locke Institute and its associated entities.  

Late entries

If for any reason you miss the 30 June deadline you will have an opportunity to make a late entry, under two conditions:

a) A late entry fee of 20.00 USD must be paid by credit card within twenty-four hours of the original deadline; and

b) Your essay must be submitted  before 11.59 pm BST on Wednesday, 10 July 2024.

To pay for late entry, a registrant need only log into his or her account, select the relevant option and provide the requested payment information.

Our grading system is proprietary. Essayists may be asked to discuss their entry with a member of the John Locke Institute’s faculty. We use various means to identify plagiarism, contract cheating, the use of AI and other forms of fraud . Our determinations in all such matters are final.

Essays will be judged on knowledge and understanding of the relevant material, the competent use of evidence, quality of argumentation, originality, structure, writing style and persuasive force. The very best essays are likely to be those which would be capable of changing somebody's mind. Essays which ignore or fail to address the strongest objections and counter-arguments are unlikely to be successful .

Candidates are advised to answer the question as precisely and directly as possible.

The writers of the best essays will receive a commendation and be shortlisted for a prize. Writers of shortlisted essays will be notified by 11.59 pm BST on Wednesday, 31 July. They will also be invited to London for an invitation-only academic conference and awards dinner in September, where the prize-winners will be announced. Unlike the competition itself, the academic conference and awards dinner are not free. Please be aware that n obody is required to attend either the academic conference or the prize ceremony. You can win a prize without travelling to London.

All short-listed candidates, including prize-winners, will be able to download eCertificates that acknowledge their achievement. If you win First, Second or Third Prize, and you travel to London for the ceremony, you will receive a signed certificate. 

There is a prize for the best essay in each category. The prize for each winner of a subject category, and the winner of the Junior category, is a scholarship worth US$2000 towards the cost of attending any John Locke Institute programme, and the essays will be published on the Institute's website. Prize-giving ceremonies will take place in London, at which winners and runners-up will be able to meet some of the judges and other faculty members of the John Locke Institute. Family, friends, and teachers are also welcome.

The candidate who submits the best essay overall will be awarded an honorary John Locke Institute Junior Fellowship, which comes with a US$10,000 scholarship to attend one or more of our summer schools and/or visiting scholars programmes. 

The judges' decisions are final, and no correspondence will be entered into.

R egistration opens: 1 April, 2024.

Registration deadline: 31 May, 2024. (Registration is required by this date for subsequent submission.)

Submission deadline: 30 June, 2024.

Late entry deadline: 10 July, 2024. (Late entries are subject to a 20.00 USD charge, payable by 1 July.)

Notification of short-listed essayists: 31 July, 2024.

Academic conference: 20 - 22 September, 2024.

Awards dinner: 21 September, 2024.

Any queries regarding the essay competition should be sent to [email protected] . Please be aware that, due to the large volume of correspondence we receive, we cannot guarantee to answer every query. In particular, regrettably, we are unable to respond to questions whose answers can be found on our website.

If you would like to receive helpful tips  from our examiners about what makes for a winning essay or reminders of upcoming key dates for the 2024  essay competition, please provide your email here to be added to our contact list. .

Thanks for subscribing!

The John Locke Institute's Global Essay Prize is acknowledged as the world's most prestigious essay competition. 

We welcome tens of thousands of submissions from ambitious students in more than 150 countries, and our examiners - including distinguished philosophers, political scientists, economists, historians, psychologists, theologians, and legal scholars - read and carefully assess every entry. 

I encourage you to register for this competition, not only for the hope of winning a prize or commendation, and not only for the chance to join the very best contestants at our academic conference and gala ceremony in London, but equally for the opportunity to engage in the serious scholarly enterprise of researching, reflecting on, writing about, and editing an answer to one of the important and provocative questions in this year's Global Essay Prize. 

We believe that the skills you will acquire in the process will make you a better thinker and a more effective advocate for the ideas that matter most to you.

I hope to see you in September!

Best wishes,

Jamie Whyte, Ph.D. (C ANTAB ) 

Chairman of Examiners

Q. I missed the registration deadline. May I still register or submit an essay?

A. No. Only candidates who registered before 31 May will be able to submit an essay. 

Q. Are footnote s, endnotes, a bibliography or references counted towards the word limit?

A. No. Only the body of the essay is counted. 

Q. Are in-text citations counted towards the word limit? ​

A. If you are using an in-text based referencing format, such as APA, your in-text citations are included in the word limit.

Q. Is it necessary to include foo tnotes or endnotes in an essay? ​

A. You  may not  include footnotes, but you may include in-text citations or endnotes. You should give your sources of any factual claims you make, and you should ackn owledge any other authors on whom you rely.​

Q. I am interested in a question that seems ambiguous. How should I interpret it?

A. You may interpret a question as you deem appropriate, clarifying your interpretation if necessary. Having done so, you must answer the question as directly as possible.

Q. How strict are  the age eligibility criteria?

A. Only students whose nineteenth birthday falls after 30 June 2024 will be eligible for a prize or a commendation. In the case of the Junior category, only students whose fifteenth birthday falls after 30 June 2024 will be eligible for a prize or a commendation. 

Q. May I submit more than one essay?

A. Yes, you may submit as many essays as you please in any or all categories.

Q. If I am eligible to compete in the Junior category, may I also (or instead) compete in another category?

A. Yes, you may.

Q. May I team up with someone else to write an essay?  

A. No. Each submitted essay must be entirely the work of a single individual.

Q. May I use AI, such as ChatGPT or the like, in writing my essay?

A. All essays will be checked for the use of AI. If we find that any content is generated by AI, your essay will be disqualified. We will also ask you, upon submission of your essay, whether you used AI for  any  purpose related to the writing of your essay, and if so, you will be required to provide details. In that case, if, in our judgement, you have not provided full and accurate details of your use of AI, your essay will be disqualified. 

Since any use of AI (that does not result in disqualification) can only negatively affect our assessment of your work relative to that of work that is done without using AI, your safest course of action is simply not to use it at all. If, however, you choose to use it for any purpose, we reserve the right to make relevant judgements on a case-by-case basis and we will not enter into any correspondence. 

Q. May I have someone else edit, or otherwise help me with, my essay?

A. You may of course discuss your essay with others, and it is perfectly acceptable for them to offer general advice and point out errors or weaknesses in your writing or content, leaving you to address them.

However, no part of your essay may be written by anyone else. This means that you must edit your own work and that while a proofreader may point out errors, you as the essayist must be the one to correct them. 

Q. Do I have to attend the awards ceremony to win a prize? ​

A. Nobody is required to attend the prize ceremony. You can win a prize without travelling to London. But if we invite you to London it is because your essay was good enough - in the opinion of the First Round judges - to be at least a contender for First, Second or Third Prize. Normally the Second Round judges will agree that the short-listed essays are worth at least a commendation.

Q. Is there an entry fee?

A. No. There is no charge to enter our global essay competition unless you submit your essay after the normal deadline, in which case there is a fee of 20.00 USD .

Q. Can I receive a certificate for my participation in your essay competition if I wasn't shortlisted? 

A. No. Certificates are awarded only for shortlisted essays. Short-listed contestants who attend the award ceremony in London will receive a paper certificate. If you cannot travel to London, you will be able to download your eCertificate.

Q. Can I receive feedba ck on my essay? 

A. We would love to be able to give individual feedback on essays but, unfortunately, we receive too many entries to be able to comment on particular essays.

Q. The deadline for publishing the names of short-listed essayists has passed but I did not receive an email to tell me whether I was short-listed.

A. Log into your account and check "Shortlist Status" for (each of) your essay(s).

Q. Why isn't the awards ceremony in Oxford this year?

A. Last year, many shortlisted finalists who applied to join our invitation-only academic conference missed the opportunity because of capacity constraints at Oxford's largest venues. This year, the conference will be held in central London and the gala awards dinner will take place in an iconic London ballroom. 

TECHNICAL FAQ s

Q. The system will not accept my essay. I have checked the filename and it has the correct format. What should I do?  

A. You have almost certainly added a space before or after one of your names in your profile. Edit it accordingly and try to submit again.

Q. The profile page shows my birth date to be wrong by a day, even after I edit it. What should I do?

A. Ignore it. The date that you typed has been correctly input to our database. ​ ​

Q. How can I be sure that my registration for the essay competition was successful? Will I receive a confirmation email?

A. You will not receive a confirmation email. Rather, you can at any time log in to the account that you created and see that your registration details are present and correct.

TROUBLESHOOTING YOUR SUBMISSION

If you are unable to submit your essay to the John Locke Institute’s global essay competition, your problem is almost certainly one of the following.

If so, please proceed as indicated.

1) PROBLEM: I receive the ‘registrations are now closed’ message when I enter my email and verification code. SOLUTION. You did not register for the essay competition and create your account. If you think you did, you probably only provided us with your email to receive updates from us about the competition or otherwise. You may not enter the competition this year.

2) PROBLEM I do not receive a login code after I enter my email to enter my account. SOLUTION. Enter your email address again, checking that you do so correctly. If this fails, restart your browser using an incognito window; clear your cache, and try again. Wait for a few minutes for the code. If this still fails, restart your machine and try one more time. If this still fails, send an email to [email protected] with “No verification code – [your name]” in the subject line.

SUBMITTING AN ESSAY

3) PROBLEM: The filename of my essay is in the correct format but it is rejected. SOLUTION: Use “Edit Profile” to check that you did not add a space before or after either of your names. If you did, delete it. Whether you did or did not, try again to submit your essay. If submission fails again, email [email protected] with “Filename format – [your name]” in the subject line.

4) PROBLEM: When trying to view my submitted essay, a .txt file is downloaded – not the .pdf file that I submitted. SOLUTION: Delete the essay. Logout of your account; log back in, and resubmit. If resubmission fails, email [email protected] with “File extension problem – [your name]” in the subject line.

5) PROBLEM: When I try to submit, the submission form just reloads without giving me an error message. SOLUTION. Log out of your account. Open a new browser; clear the cache; log back in, and resubmit. If resubmission fails, email [email protected] with “Submission form problem – [your name]” in the subject line.

6) PROBLEM: I receive an “Unexpected Error” when trying to submit. SOLUTION. Logout of your account; log back in, and resubmit. If this resubmission fails, email [email protected] with “Unexpected error – [your name]” in thesubject line. Your email must tell us e xactly where in the submission process you received this error.

7) PROBLEM: I have a problem with submitting and it is not addressed above on this list. SOLUTION: Restart your machine. Clear your browser’s cache. Try to submit again. If this fails, email [email protected] with “Unlisted problem – [your name]” in the subject line. Your email must tell us exactly the nature of your problem with relevant screen caps.

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CCCS Launches Essay Competition on Role of Competition and Consumer Protection Laws and Policies in Environmental Sustainability

7 February 2022 (View  Media Release  in PDF) 1. The Competition and Consumer Commission of Singapore (“CCCS”) and the Economic Society of Singapore (“ESS”) today launched the 5 th CCCS-ESS Essay Competition. The topic for this year is “Environmental Sustainability: The role of competition and consumer protection laws and policies” . 2.         Environmental sustainability is one of the most important priorities facing many economies today. Sparked by heightened global awareness of the effects of climate change, achieving sustainability goals requires cross-industry collaborations and responses from government, businesses and consumers. 3.         In Singapore, a whole-of-nation approach is adopted to drive sustainable development. Businesses are encouraged to make the shift towards more sustainable practices as well as to capture opportunities in the green economy. For example, some businesses are moving towards reducing carbon emissions by adopting the use of sustainable alternatives, while others are looking to maximise energy efficiency to cut costs. Consumers championing a green environment are also changing their consumption behaviour, which may impact businesses and government.  4.         The essay competition invites contestants to examine the role of competition and consumer protection laws and policies in supporting environmental sustainability in Singapore. Specifically, contestants may discuss, among others, how businesses can collaborate yet compete fairly in achieving sustainability goals, how “externalities” to the society accruing from sustainability should be accounted, and how consumers can be better protected against ‘greenwashing’ in our journey towards achieving environmental sustainability. 5.         The essay competition has two categories: a.  “School” category : all post-secondary students (regardless of nationality) studying in Singapore in polytechnics, Centralised Institutes, international schools and junior colleges may apply. This includes students currently enrolled in the Integrated Programme (Year 5/6) or in the International Baccalaureate diploma programme. Current full-time national servicemen and/or students who have recently completed their education in the above-mentioned schools/programmes , and Singaporean students in such institutions/programmes (or equivalent) overseas may also participate. b.  “Open” category : all individuals living in Singapore as well as Singaporeans living overseas (excluding those who qualify under the “school” category). 6.         The following awards will be given for the three best essays of each category:

7.         The terms and conditions as well as entry forms for the CCCS-ESS Essay Competition are available on the CCCS website . The closing date for the submission of entries is 27 May 2022 .

About the Competition and Consumer Commission of Singapore The Competition and Consumer Commission of Singapore (“CCCS”) is a statutory board of the Ministry of Trade and Industry. CCCS administers and enforces the Competition Act 2004, which empowers CCCS to investigate and adjudicate anti-competitive activities, issue directions to stop and/or prevent anti-competitive activities and impose financial penalties. CCCS is also the administering agency of the Consumer Protection (Fair Trading) Act 2003 which protects consumers against unfair trade practices in Singapore. Our mission is to make markets work well to create opportunities and choices for business and consumers in Singapore. For more information, please visit  www.cccs.gov.sg .

About the Economic Society of Singapore

The Economic Society of Singapore (“ESS”) is a non-profit organisation of economists and other professionals interested in economics. ESS brings together members of the economics profession in academia, the government and business sectors and provides a platform for discussions on issues facing the Singapore economy and the region. The primary objective of the Society is to raise public awareness, and stimulate public interest and debate, in economic issues. It does this by organizing conferences, talks, workshops and public lectures and by conducting studies on issues, either on its own or in partnership with other organizations.

Last Updated on 07 February 2022

Summer 2024 Admissions Open Now. Sign up for upcoming live information sessions here (featuring former and current Admission Officers at Havard and UPenn).

Discourse, debate, and analysis

Cambridge re:think essay competition 2024.

Competition Opens: 15th January, 2024

Essay Submission Deadline: 10th May, 2024 Result Announcement: 20th June, 2024 Award Ceremony and Dinner at the University of Cambridge: 30th July, 2024

We welcome talented high school students from diverse educational settings worldwide to contribute their unique perspectives to the competition.

Entry to the competition is free.

About the Competition

The spirit of the Re:think essay competition is to encourage critical thinking and exploration of a wide range of thought-provoking and often controversial topics. The competition covers a diverse array of subjects, from historical and present issues to speculative future scenarios. Participants are invited to engage deeply with these topics, critically analysing their various facets and implications. It promotes intellectual exploration and encourages participants to challenge established norms and beliefs, presenting opportunities to envision alternative futures, consider the consequences of new technologies, and reevaluate longstanding traditions. 

Ultimately, our aim is to create a platform for students and scholars to share their perspectives on pressing issues of the past and future, with the hope of broadening our collective understanding and generating innovative solutions to contemporary challenges. This year’s competition aims to underscore the importance of discourse, debate, and critical analysis in addressing complex societal issues in nine areas, including:

Religion and Politics

Political science and law, linguistics, environment, sociology and philosophy, business and investment, public health and sustainability, biotechonology.

Artificial Intelligence 

Neuroengineering

2024 essay prompts.

This year, the essay prompts are contributed by distinguished professors from Harvard, Brown, UC Berkeley, Cambridge, Oxford, and MIT.

Essay Guidelines and Judging Criteria

Review general guidelines, format guidelines, eligibility, judging criteria.

Awards and Award Ceremony

Award winners will be invited to attend the Award Ceremony and Dinner hosted at the King’s College, University of Cambridge. The Dinner is free of charge for select award recipients.

Registration and Submission

Register a participant account today and submit your essay before the deadline.

Advisory Committee and Judging Panel

The Cambridge Re:think Essay Competition is guided by an esteemed Advisory Committee comprising distinguished academics and experts from elite universities worldwide. These committee members, drawn from prestigious institutions, such as Harvard, Cambridge, Oxford, and MIT, bring diverse expertise in various disciplines.

They play a pivotal role in shaping the competition, contributing their insights to curate the themes and framework. Their collective knowledge and scholarly guidance ensure the competition’s relevance, academic rigour, and intellectual depth, setting the stage for aspiring minds to engage with thought-provoking topics and ideas.

We are honoured to invite the following distinguished professors to contribute to this year’s competition.

The judging panel of the competition comprises leading researchers and professors from Harvard, MIT, Stanford, Cambridge, and Oxford, engaging in a strictly double blind review process.

Keynote Speeches by 10 Nobel Laureates

We are beyond excited to announce that multiple Nobel laureates have confirmed to attend and speak at this year’s ceremony on 30th July, 2024 .

They will each be delivering a keynote speech to the attendees. Some of them distinguished speakers will speak virtually, while others will attend and present in person and attend the Reception at Cambridge.

Why has religion remained a force in a secular world? 

Professor Commentary:

Arguably, the developed world has become more secular in the last century or so. The influence of Christianity, e.g. has diminished and people’s life worlds are less shaped by faith and allegiance to Churches. Conversely, arguments have persisted that hold that we live in a post-secular world. After all, religion – be it in terms of faith, transcendence, or meaning – may be seen as an alternative to a disenchanted world ruled by entirely profane criteria such as economic rationality, progressivism, or science. Is the revival of religion a pale reminder of a by-gone past or does it provide sources of hope for the future?

‘Religion in the Public Sphere’ by Jürgen Habermas (European Journal of Philosophy, 2006)

In this paper, philosopher Jürgen Habermas discusses the limits of church-state separation, emphasizing the significant contribution of religion to public discourse when translated into publicly accessible reasons.

‘Public Religions in the Modern World’ by José Casanova (University Of Chicago Press, 1994)

Sociologist José Casanova explores the global emergence of public religion, analyzing case studies from Catholicism and Protestantism in Spain, Poland, Brazil, and the USA, challenging traditional theories of secularization.

‘The Power of Religion in the Public Sphere’ by Judith Butler, Jürgen Habermas, Charles Taylor, and Cornel West (Edited by Eduardo Mendieta and Jonathan VanAntwerpen, Columbia University Press, 2011)

This collection features dialogues by prominent intellectuals on the role of religion in the public sphere, examining various approaches and their impacts on cultural, social, and political debates.

‘Rethinking Secularism’ by Craig Calhoun, Mark Juergensmeyer, and Jonathan VanAntwerpen (Oxford University Press, 2011)

An interdisciplinary examination of secularism, this book challenges traditional views, highlighting the complex relationship between religion and secularism in contemporary global politics.

‘God is Back: How the Global Rise of Faith is Changing the World’ by John Micklethwait and Adrian Wooldridge (Penguin, 2010)

Micklethwait and Wooldridge argue for the coexistence of religion and modernity, suggesting that religious beliefs can contribute to a more open, tolerant, and peaceful modern world.

‘Multiculturalism’ by Tariq Modood (Polity Press, 2013)

Sociologist Tariq Modood emphasizes the importance of multiculturalism in integrating diverse identities, particularly in post-immigration contexts, and its role in shaping democratic citizenship.

‘God’s Agents: Biblical Publicity in Contemporary England’ by Matthew Engelke (University of California Press, 2013)

In this ethnographic study, Matthew Engelke explores how a group in England seeks to expand the role of religion in the public sphere, challenging perceptions of religion in post-secular England.

Gene therapy is a medical approach that treats or prevents disease by correcting the underlying genetic problem. Is gene therapy better than traditional medicines? What are the pros and cons of using gene therapy as a medicine? Is gene therapy justifiable?

Especially after Covid-19 mRNA vaccines, gene therapy is getting more and more interesting approach to cure. That’s why that could be interesting to think about. I believe that students will enjoy and learn a lot while they are investigating this topic.

The Hall at King’s College, Cambridge

The Hall was designed by William Wilkins in the 1820s and is considered one of the most magnificent halls of its era. The first High Table dinner in the Hall was held in February 1828, and ever since then, the splendid Hall has been where members of the college eat and where formal dinners have been held for centuries.

The Award Ceremony and Dinner will be held in the Hall in the evening of  30th July, 2024.

Stretching out down to the River Cam, the Back Lawn has one of the most iconic backdrop of King’s College Chapel. 

The early evening reception will be hosted on the Back Lawn with the iconic Chapel in the background (weather permitting). 

King’s College Chapel

With construction started in 1446 by Henry VI and took over a century to build, King’s College Chapel is one of the most iconic buildings in the world, and is a splendid example of late Gothic architecture. 

Attendees are also granted complimentary access to the King’s College Chapel before and during the event. 

Confirmed Nobel Laureates

Dr Thomas R. Cech

The nobel prize in chemistry 1989 , for the discovery of catalytic properties of rna.

Thomas Robert Cech is an American chemist who shared the 1989 Nobel Prize in Chemistry with Sidney Altman, for their discovery of the catalytic properties of RNA. Cech discovered that RNA could itself cut strands of RNA, suggesting that life might have started as RNA. He found that RNA can not only transmit instructions, but also that it can speed up the necessary reactions.

He also studied telomeres, and his lab discovered an enzyme, TERT (telomerase reverse transcriptase), which is part of the process of restoring telomeres after they are shortened during cell division.

As president of Howard Hughes Medical Institute, he promoted science education, and he teaches an undergraduate chemistry course at the University of Colorado

Sir Richard J. Roberts

The nobel prize in medicine 1993 .

F or the discovery of split genes

During 1969–1972, Sir Richard J. Roberts did postdoctoral research at Harvard University before moving to Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, where he was hired by James Dewey Watson, a co-discoverer of the structure of DNA and a fellow Nobel laureate. In this period he also visited the MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology for the first time, working alongside Fred Sanger. In 1977, he published his discovery of RNA splicing. In 1992, he moved to New England Biolabs. The following year, he shared a Nobel Prize with his former colleague at Cold Spring Harbor Phillip Allen Sharp.

His discovery of the alternative splicing of genes, in particular, has had a profound impact on the study and applications of molecular biology. The realisation that individual genes could exist as separate, disconnected segments within longer strands of DNA first arose in his 1977 study of adenovirus, one of the viruses responsible for causing the common cold. Robert’s research in this field resulted in a fundamental shift in our understanding of genetics, and has led to the discovery of split genes in higher organisms, including human beings.

Dr Aaron Ciechanover

The nobel prize in chemistry 2004 .

F or the discovery of ubiquitin-mediated protein degradation

Aaron Ciechanover is one of Israel’s first Nobel Laureates in science, earning his Nobel Prize in 2004 for his work in ubiquitination. He is honored for playing a central role in the history of Israel and in the history of the Technion – Israel Institute of Technology.

Dr Ciechanover is currently a Technion Distinguished Research Professor in the Ruth and Bruce Rappaport Faculty of Medicine and Research Institute at the Technion. He is a member of the Israel Academy of Sciences and Humanities, the Pontifical Academy of Sciences, the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, the Russian Academy of Sciences and is a foreign associate of the United States National Academy of Sciences. In 2008, he was a visiting Distinguished Chair Professor at NCKU, Taiwan. As part of Shenzhen’s 13th Five-Year Plan funding research in emerging technologies and opening “Nobel laureate research labs”, in 2018 he opened the Ciechanover Institute of Precision and Regenerative Medicine at the Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen campus.

Dr Robert Lefkowitz

The nobel prize in chemistry 2012 .

F or the discovery of G protein-coupled receptors

Robert Joseph Lefkowitz is an American physician (internist and cardiologist) and biochemist. He is best known for his discoveries that reveal the inner workings of an important family G protein-coupled receptors, for which he was awarded the 2012 Nobel Prize for Chemistry with Brian Kobilka. He is currently an Investigator with the Howard Hughes Medical Institute as well as a James B. Duke Professor of Medicine and Professor of Biochemistry and Chemistry at Duke University.

Dr Lefkowitz made a remarkable contribution in the mid-1980s when he and his colleagues cloned the gene first for the β-adrenergic receptor, and then rapidly thereafter, for a total of 8 adrenergic receptors (receptors for adrenaline and noradrenaline). This led to the seminal discovery that all GPCRs (which include the β-adrenergic receptor) have a very similar molecular structure. The structure is defined by an amino acid sequence which weaves its way back and forth across the plasma membrane seven times. Today we know that about 1,000 receptors in the human body belong to this same family. The importance of this is that all of these receptors use the same basic mechanisms so that pharmaceutical researchers now understand how to effectively target the largest receptor family in the human body. Today, as many as 30 to 50 percent of all prescription drugs are designed to “fit” like keys into the similarly structured locks of Dr Lefkowitz’ receptors—everything from anti-histamines to ulcer drugs to beta blockers that help relieve hypertension, angina and coronary disease.

Dr Lefkowitz is among the most highly cited researchers in the fields of biology, biochemistry, pharmacology, toxicology, and clinical medicine according to Thomson-ISI.

Dr Joachim Frank

The nobel prize in chemistry 2017 .

F or developing cryo-electron microscopy

Joachim Frank is a German-American biophysicist at Columbia University and a Nobel laureate. He is regarded as the founder of single-particle cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM), for which he shared the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 2017 with Jacques Dubochet and Richard Henderson. He also made significant contributions to structure and function of the ribosome from bacteria and eukaryotes.

In 1975, Dr Frank was offered a position of senior research scientist in the Division of Laboratories and Research (now Wadsworth Center), New York State Department of Health,where he started working on single-particle approaches in electron microscopy. In 1985 he was appointed associate and then (1986) full professor at the newly formed Department of Biomedical Sciences of the University at Albany, State University of New York. In 1987 and 1994, he went on sabbaticals in Europe, one to work with Richard Henderson, Laboratory of Molecular Biology Medical Research Council in Cambridge and the other as a Humboldt Research Award winner with Kenneth C. Holmes, Max Planck Institute for Medical Research in Heidelberg. In 1998, Dr Frank was appointed investigator of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI). Since 2003 he was also lecturer at Columbia University, and he joined Columbia University in 2008 as professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics and of biological sciences.

Dr Barry C. Barish

The nobel prize in physics 2017 .

For the decisive contributions to the detection of gravitational waves

Dr Barry Clark Barish is an American experimental physicist and Nobel Laureate. He is a Linde Professor of Physics, emeritus at California Institute of Technology and a leading expert on gravitational waves.

In 2017, Barish was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics along with Rainer Weiss and Kip Thorne “for decisive contributions to the LIGO detector and the observation of gravitational waves”. He said, “I didn’t know if I would succeed. I was afraid I would fail, but because I tried, I had a breakthrough.”

In 2018, he joined the faculty at University of California, Riverside, becoming the university’s second Nobel Prize winner on the faculty.

In the fall of 2023, he joined Stony Brook University as the inaugural President’s Distinguished Endowed Chair in Physics.

In 2023, Dr Barish was awarded the National Medal of Science by President Biden in a White House ceremony.

Dr Harvey J. Alter

The nobel prize in medicine 2020 .

For the discovery of Hepatitis C virus

Dr Harvey J. Alter is an American medical researcher, virologist, physician and Nobel Prize laureate, who is best known for his work that led to the discovery of the hepatitis C virus. Alter is the former chief of the infectious disease section and the associate director for research of the Department of Transfusion Medicine at the Warren Grant Magnuson Clinical Center in the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in Bethesda, Maryland. In the mid-1970s, Alter and his research team demonstrated that most post-transfusion hepatitis cases were not due to hepatitis A or hepatitis B viruses. Working independently, Alter and Edward Tabor, a scientist at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, proved through transmission studies in chimpanzees that a new form of hepatitis, initially called “non-A, non-B hepatitis” caused the infections, and that the causative agent was probably a virus. This work eventually led to the discovery of the hepatitis C virus in 1988, for which he shared the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 2020 along with Michael Houghton and Charles M. Rice.

Dr Alter has received recognition for the research leading to the discovery of the virus that causes hepatitis C. He was awarded the Distinguished Service Medal, the highest award conferred to civilians in United States government public health service, and the 2000 Albert Lasker Award for Clinical Medical Research.

Dr Ardem Patapoutian

The nobel prize in medicine 2021 .

For discovering how pressure is translated into nerve impulses

Dr Ardem Patapoutian is an Lebanese-American molecular biologist, neuroscientist, and Nobel Prize laureate of Armenian descent. He is known for his work in characterising the PIEZO1, PIEZO2, and TRPM8 receptors that detect pressure, menthol, and temperature. Dr Patapoutian is a neuroscience professor and Howard Hughes Medical Institute investigator at Scripps Research in La Jolla, California. In 2021, he won the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine jointly with David Julius.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why should I participate in the Re:think essay competition? 

The Re:think Essay competition is meant to serve as fertile ground for honing writing skills, fostering critical thinking, and refining communication abilities. Winning or participating in reputable contests can lead to recognition, awards, scholarships, or even publication opportunities, elevating your academic profile for college applications and future endeavours. Moreover, these competitions facilitate intellectual growth by encouraging exploration of diverse topics, while also providing networking opportunities and exposure to peers, educators, and professionals. Beyond accolades, they instil confidence, prepare for higher education demands, and often allow you to contribute meaningfully to societal conversations or causes, making an impact with your ideas.

Who is eligible to enter the Re:think essay competition?  

As long as you’re currently attending high school, regardless of your location or background, you’re eligible to participate. We welcome students from diverse educational settings worldwide to contribute their unique perspectives to the competition.

Is there any entry fee for the competition? 

There is no entry fee for the competition. Waiving the entry fee for our essay competition demonstrates CCIR’s dedication to equity. CCIR believes everyone should have an equal chance to participate and showcase their talents, regardless of financial circumstances. Removing this barrier ensures a diverse pool of participants and emphasises merit and creativity over economic capacity, fostering a fair and inclusive environment for all contributors.

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If you are interested to receive latest information and updates of this year’s competition, please sign up here.