In the run-up to the 58th edition of the Munich Security Conference 2022, the Munich Security Conference (MSC) is announcing its ninth Junior Ambassadors essay contest. Inviting the authors of the three most inspiring essays to Munich, the contest aims to give dedicated students and young professionals between 18 and 28 the unique opportunity to participate in the Munich Security Conference.
Honouring the memory of Vice Admiral Ulrich Weisser, the scholarships are awarded since his year of death in 2013. Vice Admiral Weisser was Head of the Policy Planning Staff at the German Ministry of Defence from 1992 to 1998, author of many books and articles on security and defence issues, and one of Germany’s leading strategic thinkers of the past decades.
Essay Topic
In your opinion: What are Black Swans (unexpected security risks) or Grey Rhinos (present, yet ignored security risks) the international community should prepare for? Name one security threat and elaborate on possible responses.
Terms
The contest is open to students and young professionals between 18 and 28 (at the time of the conference). The deadline for entries is Wednesday, December 1, 2021, 11.59 pm Central European Time. Submissions must not be longer than 3,500 characters (including spaces) and must be written in English. Core criteria for the assessment are the strength of the arguments as well as the originality and creativity of the ideas.
To participate, please fill out this application form and send us your essay and a short CV as a PDF or word file.
Only entries that are received before the deadline and that are complete will be eligible for the competition. The MSC will only notify those contestants that have been selected.
Prize
The three winning short pieces will be published on our website and might be featured on other MSC social media channels. Moreover, the three winners will be invited to the Munich Security Conference, held from February 18 to 20, 2022, at Hotel Bayerischer Hof. The MSC will cover the travel expenses and will provide accommodation at a conference hotel. We expect the Junior Ambassadors to be willing to share their conference impressions via our website and social media from their perspective as the youngest conference attendees.
Use of your Information
Each entrant retains the copyright in his or her entry but grants to the MSC a perpetual non-exclusive royalty-free licence to publish the entry online, together with the name, age, and country of residence of the author. By participating in the contest, you agree that the MSC may edit, abridge, or translate the entries. You grant permission to the MSC to use your data for the purpose of the competition and its promotion.
Liability
All entries must be the original work of the entrant and must not infringe the rights of any other party. The MSC accepts no responsibility if entrants ignore these terms and conditions.
The MSC is not accountable for any injuries, losses, or damages of any kind occurring with or as a result of the prize, or from participation in the contest. The health of all participants involved in the main conference and applicants of the essay contest as well as the Munich public is of paramount importance to us. Together with our partners and in close consultation with the relevant authorities, we are working on a comprehensive health and safety concept containing strict hygiene measures, meaning that we can only permit participation if the overall pandemic-related situation allows for it.
About the Junior Ambassadors
Find out more about the Junior Ambassadors program.
If you have any questions regarding the application process, please contact [email protected].