John Locke Institute Global Essay Prize - International Relations
$10,000 Scholarship
The John Locke Institute Global Essay Prize in International Relations is a prestigious international essay competition for students worldwide.
Mode
Online
Fee
Free
Participation format
Individual
Duration
Approximately 1 month for submission.
Time needed
Depends on individual research and writing time
Eligibility
Open to students worldwide, aged 18 years or younger. Participants are divided into Junior (14 or under) and Senior (15-18) categories. Key requirements include submitting an original essay, free from AI-generated content, and providing an academic referee's email. Entrants must demonstrate strong academic skills and critical thinking.
- Age range
- 6 to 18 years
- Eligibility region
- Available nationwide across India
- Academic requirement
- Open to students from any country and educational background.
- Prerequisites
- Strong command of the English language.
- Ability to write a structured and persuasive academic essay.
See if your child qualifies.
Rewards and recognition
Award
$10,000
Winners receive scholarships for John Locke Institute programs, with the Grand Prize winner awarded a US$10,000 scholarship. Category winners receive scholarships of US$1,000, US$2,000, and US$5,000.
Certificate
eCertificate of Shortlisting
All shortlisted candidates receive eCertificates.
Opens doors to
Top essayists gain recognition from leading universities, enhancing their applications to prestigious institutions like Oxford, Cambridge, Harvard, and Princeton.
Recognition
International recognition
Skills your child builds
Key dates
Last edition
- Registration opened
- 2 Feb 2026
- Registration closed
- 31 Mar 2026
- Competition
- 1 Apr 2026 to 31 May 2026
- Results
- 3 Oct 2026
How to apply
- 1Register online via the John Locke Institute website, confirm email, complete registration form, and submit the essay as a PDF document by the deadline.
Rules and guidelines
- Each essay must address only one question from the chosen subject category.
- Essays must not exceed 2000 words, excluding diagrams, tables of data, endnotes, bibliography, or authorship declaration.
- No AI-generated content is permitted; essays must be entirely original work.
- Participants must provide an email address for an academic referee.
- Footnotes are not allowed, but endnotes and/or a bibliography are permitted.
- The essay file must be submitted in PDF format with a specific filename convention (FirstName-LastName-Category-QuestionNumber.pdf).
Technology requirements
- Computer or laptop with internet access for online registration and submission
- Software capable of creating and saving documents in PDF format
About this opportunity
The John Locke Institute Global Essay Prize is an esteemed international competition designed to foster independent thought, critical analysis, and persuasive writing skills in young people. Participants explore challenging questions across various academic disciplines, including International Relations, extending beyond typical school curricula. This competition offers a unique platform for students to articulate their perspectives on complex global issues.
The competition is open to students worldwide, with distinct age categories for those aged 14 or younger and 15 to 18. Winners receive significant scholarships for John Locke Institute programs, including a US$10,000 Grand Prize, and gain recognition from leading universities like Oxford, Cambridge, Harvard, and Princeton, enhancing their university applications.
Rounds and format
The competition involves a single round of essay submission.
How entries are judged
Essays are judged on knowledge and understanding of the relevant material, competent use of evidence, quality of argumentation, originality, structure, writing style, and persuasive force. The most successful essays are those capable of changing a reader's mind and effectively addressing counter-arguments.
Selection process
Selection is based on the quality of the submitted essay as evaluated against the judging criteria. Essays demonstrating exceptional independent thought, depth of knowledge, clear reasoning, critical analysis, and persuasive style are shortlisted for prizes.
Academic details
Difficulty: Advanced
What's covered
Encourages exploration of challenging questions beyond standard school curricula, fostering a deeper engagement with academic disciplines.
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