The Global Essay Competition is now the Global Ideas Competition. Same spirit, sharper format. The 56th St. Gallen Symposium takes place from 27 to 29 April 2027, and the competition is your way in. If you are a graduate or postgraduate student with something to say about cooperation and the problems it fails to solve, this is your shot at an all-expenses-covered seat as a leader of tomorrow. The St. Gallen Global Ideas Competition is a global student competition, offering students who study at the graduate or postgraduate level around the world the opportunity to apply for participation at the St. Gallen Symposium.
The topic question for 2027: What could we solve if we could agree? Cooperation increasingly comes with terms. Those terms determine what gets built and what stays undone. Somewhere, a solvable problem remains unsolved because the parties cannot agree. Identify such a problem and propose a novel arrangement that would make solving it more effective. Choose a case you understand from the inside. Show what would be built or unlocked and the evidence it works.
Your submission has two parts. The Solution Brief is the core: no more than 1,000 words across four sections. You identify a real problem, back it with evidence, propose a partnership that could solve it, and show how it would work. It is assessed anonymously, so the strength of your argument matters, not who wrote it. The Video Explainer is your second submission. Imagine you run into your dream speaker at the symposium and pitch them your idea. You have three minutes.
Why the change? The competition has run since 1989, and the essay served it well. But the organizers want to assess how you think, not only how you write. A written submission alone, in times of AI assistants, can no longer show that. The Solution Brief keeps the analytical rigor the competition has always demanded, in a sharper format. The Video Explainer lets you show the thinking behind the idea in your own words. The name reflects what they are actually looking for: your idea.
Programme Details
- Event: The St. Gallen Symposium’s Global Ideas Competition, Switzerland.
- Topic Question: What could we solve if we could agree?
- Number of Awards: 3 winners and 100 Leaders of Tomorrow (top 100 submissions).
- Date: 27–29 April 2027.
- Target group: Open to all nationalities.
St. Gallen Symposium Global Ideas Competition Benefits
The St. Gallen Symposium Global Ideas Competition provides successful applicants with the following:
- Prize money of CHF 20,000 split amongst the three best ideas.
- Flights or train tickets and shuttle service from and to the airport are provided.
- All Leaders of Tomorrow also receive a free ticket for public transport in St. Gallen during the week of the symposium.
- Meet 200 of the world’s brightest young minds.
- Exchange ideas with more than 600 senior leaders from business, politics, academia, and civil society.
- Be inspired by world-renowned speakers and challenge your perspectives.
Note : If the jury selects your submission in the top 100, you qualify as a Leader of Tomorrow for an expenses-paid participation in the 56th St. Gallen Symposium.
St. Gallen Symposium Global Ideas Competition Eligibility
To be eligible for the St. Gallen Symposium Global Ideas Competition, an applicant must:
- Be enrolled in a graduate or postgraduate programme (master level or higher) in any field of study at a regular university
- Be born in 1997 or later
- Submit a Solution Brief (max. 1,000 words using the template) + a 3-minute Video Explainer
- Ensure your name does not appear anywhere in the solution brief, including the file name and file metadata
NB : In the context of the Global Ideas Competition, a regular university is defined as an institution of higher education that also conducts research and offers at least one PhD program. Exceptions are possible and are granted on a case-by-case basis.
Other Opportunities
How to Apply for the St. Gallen Symposium Global Ideas Competition
Interested applicants in this Europe opportunity must click on the apply button below, create an account and follow instructions to submit an application. In addition, make sure you can provide the following documents:
- Copy of passport or other identification (in English for non-Roman languages).
- Confirmation of matriculation/enrolment from your university, which proves your enrollment in a graduate/postgraduate-level program as of 1 February 2027 (download sample document here).
- Your solution brief with no indication of your name in the file name, the file metadata, or the file itself.
- Your Video Explainer (max. 3 minutes).
- A short abstract (200–300 words), entered directly in the registration form.
For your contribution to be valid, the following criteria must be met:
- Form: Solution Brief (max. 1,000 words using the template). Your References, Auxiliary Aids Directory, and optional Evidence Annex do not count toward the limit. Please state your exact word count in the document, and remember that your name must not appear anywhere in it. In addition, a 3-minute video explainer
- Language: English
- Deadline: 1 February 2027, 11:59 p.m. last time zone (UTC-12)
- Anonymity: In the first round, your solution brief is assessed anonymously. Check that your name, e-mail address, and university do not appear in the brief. You may describe the field, industry, or region your idea comes from. The jury sees your video explainer only in the second round to confirm that the idea is yours.
- Individuality: Individual work expected, no group work allowed. The solution brief must be written exclusively for this contest. The idea must be the author’s own.
- Citation: All sources must be cited and referred to in the respective part. All contributions will be tested for plagiarism. Any auxiliary aids (AI, proofreading, layout/graphics services, writing and translation programs, etc.) are to be listed. Failure to acknowledge or reference any aid will result in disqualification.
- Template: Download Template for the Solution Brief & Watch the Instruction Video
Frequently Asked Questions
Please find below some of the most asked questions:
Can bachelor students participate?
Unfortunately, students on the bachelor level do not fulfill the eligibility criteria and therefore cannot enter the competition. There is no other way to apply for participation. You may, however, be eligible if the level of study in your current year is equivalent to the international graduate level (i.e., in the 4th year of your bachelor’s degree with honors), which must be confirmed in writing by your university.
Can teams participate?
Only individual submissions are allowed, as the program can only grant participation to one contender per contribution.
What is a solution brief?
A structured, evidence-based proposal in four sections: a summary of your idea, an Evidence & Analysis section diagnosing the problem, your Proposal and what makes it original, and an Implementation Path. It is not an essay and not a pitch deck; it is the document you would hand to a decision-maker who has ten minutes. The template guides you through each section.
What should my video explainer look like?
Imagine you run into your dream speaker at the St. Gallen Symposium and have three minutes to pitch them your idea. Speak into your camera in your own words. No slides, no screen share, no reading from a script, and notes are fine. Maximum three minutes; there is no minimum. A phone camera in a quiet room is entirely sufficient. The program assesses your thinking, not your production values or your fluency in English. Non-native speakers are not disadvantaged.
Can I use AI?
Yes, and you must declare it. List every auxiliary aid you used in your Auxiliary Aids Directory: which tool, how you used it, and which parts of the submission it affected. Using these tools is permitted and expected. Failing to declare them is not, and an undeclared aid discovered during review leads to disqualification.
Do I have to quote my sources?
All sources must be quoted, and all solution briefs are scanned for plagiarism. You must refer each source to the respective text passage. Self-plagiarism will also result in disqualification, as the work has to be written exclusively for the Global Ideas Competition of the St. Gallen Symposium. Any auxiliary aids (AI, translation service, layout/graphics services, writing and translation programs, etc.) are to be listed in an auxiliary aids directory.
What happens after I submit my application?
The ISC verifies your eligibility and checks all submitted documents for completeness and readability. In the first round, the jury assesses solution briefs anonymously. Video Explainers are reviewed in the second round. If you are selected in the top 100, you qualify as a Leader of Tomorrow for an expenses-paid participation in the 56th St. Gallen Symposium. Results are announced by e-mail by mid-March 2027.
How do the travel arrangements work?
The organizing committee will get in touch with you prior to the symposium to discuss your itinerary and to book your travel.
Can the organizing committee help me get a visa?
All leaders of tomorrow are self-responsible for getting a visa. However, the organizers will inform the applicable Swiss embassy about the invitation and will provide you with the necessary documents. Expenses for visa applications are borne by the Leaders of Tomorrow themselves.
Can I bring a spouse?
Unfortunately, the program cannot provide any services such as travel, room, board, or symposium access to any additional person.
The deadline to submit applications is . For more details on the St. Gallen Symposium Global Ideas Competition, please visit the official page.