The John Locke Institute Global Essay Prize encourages young people to develop strong writing and critical thinking skills by exploring challenging questions across various subjects. Students can build knowledge, refine arguments, and have their work assessed by academics from leading universities. The competition awards prizes for the best essays in categories like Philosophy, Politics, Economics, History, Psychology, Theology, and Law, as well as a Junior category and a Grand Prize.
John Locke Institute
Global Essay Prize
OpenEconomicsGlobal AffairsEssay Contest
About the Program
Eligibility
Open to students from any country. Essays must address one question from the provided list and not exceed 2000 words (excluding diagrams, tables, endnotes, bibliography, authorship declaration). Essays are judged on knowledge, understanding, use of evidence, argumentation, originality, structure, writing style, and persuasive force. No AI generated content is allowed. Essays must be the original work of a single individual. An academic referee email is required. Candidates must be 18 years old or younger on May 31, 2026. For the Junior Prize, candidates must be 14 years old or younger on May 31, 2026.
Eligible Countries
citizenship, residency permanent, high school in: Worldwide🌎 Open to students from any country.
How to Apply
Registration opens February 2, 2026 and is required by March 31, 2026. Submissions are accepted from April 1, 2026, until May 31, 2026. Late submissions are accepted with a fee until June 7, 2026 (7-day extension) or June 21, 2026 (21-day extension). Shortlisted essayists are notified by July 7, 2026. An academic conference is held October 2-4, 2026, and an awards dinner on October 3, 2026. Essays must be submitted as a PDF with a specific filename format. An email address for an academic referee must be provided.