How might students exercise more influence in enabling their universities to make a more effective contribution to society?
The essay question was ‘How might students exercise more influence in enabling their universities to make a more effective contribution to society?
Ninety-seven essays were received from students in 24 countries. They were assessed independently by the 5 judges, who met together to determine the result of the competition.
The following winners (listed in alphabetical order) were declared
Their essays can be seen at the bottom of this page
Ernesto Fabbri, Alma Mater Studiorum - University of Bologna, Italy
Pamela Eyre Victoria Lira, University of the Philippines Diliman, Philippines
Jayson Pasaol, Wrocław University of Environmental and Life Sciences Wroclaw, Poland
Diana Stefanova-Slobodiana, Pavlo Tychyna Uman State Pedagogical University, Ukraine
Christina Williams, Norman Manley Law School, Jamaica
The following two students were awarded Certificates of Merit
Alan Helberg, Poland
João Henrique Cavalcanti Santos, Insper, Brazil
The strength of the entries and the level of interest shown by students in engaging with their universities has caused the MCO to make a significant change to a session at the Anniversary Conference on 24 October so as to enable all competition entrants and others who are interested to engage with it.
The session will take place at 14:45 CEST on Tuesday 24 October. It will be chaired by Peter Kwasi Kodjie, Secretary General of the All-Africa Students’ Union, who was one of the judges of the competition and is a member of the MCO’s Governing Council.
It is planned that the session in which the winning essays will be read will be live streamed and that there will be an opportunity to ask questions and discuss them. We are hoping that people both in the theatre and on-line will be able to join in the discussion. More details about this will be sent nearer the time and will be posted on the MCO website.
More details about the MCO Anniversary conference can be found HERE. Students are allowed to attend free of charge but the MCO is not able to meet the cost of travel or lodgings. Details of how to register can be found at the same link.
Finally, all the essays submitted will be analysed with a view to either themes from the essays, or extracts or the complete essays themselves forming a resource for all universities.
The contribution that those who submitted essays to the competition have made to enabling students to exercise more influence in enabling their universities so that they can make a more effective contribution to society is potentially considerable. The MCO appreciates and thanks all who entered the competition.
Caroline Sundberg
Independent Chair of the judging panel
David J. Lock
Secretary General
28 July 2023
LAUNCH OF THE COMPETITION - 2023
The central role of students in universities features in the original (1988) Magna Charta Universitatum (MCU) and is endorsed and expanded in the 2020 version. The Magna Charta Observatory (MCO) includes representatives of students in the membership of its governing body and in its various activities. It wishes to increase and raise the profile and effectiveness of student involvement in universities.
To do this the MCO is pleased to announce an essay competition for students with a view to ascertaining how students might exercise more influence in enabling their universities to make a more effective contribution to society and sharing this information.
There will be 5 prizes for expenses paid participation (including travel and accommodation costs) in the MCO’s 2023 Anniversary Conference which will be held from 23-25 October in Lodz, Poland at which the winners will present their essays and participate in discussions with an international audience.
The competition is open to students in any university in any country. The closing date for the submission of essays is 12 June 2023 at 23.59 CEST. The winners will be announced on 28 July 2023. More details are contained below.
The theme of the competition: How might students exercise more influence in enabling their universities to make a more effective contribution to society?
MCU 2020 says: “Universities acknowledge that they have a responsibility to engage with and respond to the aspirations and challenges of the world and to the communities they serve, to benefit humanity and contribute to sustainability.”
In their essays, students may wish to:
- how they have enabled universities and with whom,
- whether this has been through the student union, class groups, or individually
- whether this has been achieved through the universities’ governing structures
- their involvement in the universities’ strategic processes,
- involvement in class activities
- through protests
Essays must not exceed 2000 words. They must be in the English language and uploaded as a pdf HERE
They must be solely the work of the author who must certify as follows at the bottom of the essay. ‘I hereby certify that the above essay is entirely my own work and that I have acknowledged any reference that I have made to other work. Signed electronically…………………..’
Failure to comply with the formal requirements will result in exclusion from the competition.
Essays will be judged on the following criteria:
An independently chaired and gender-balanced international judging panel comprising current and former student representatives and senior leaders in universities will review entries and their decisions will be final.
Members of the judging panel:
- Caroline Sundberg (Chair) Brussels representative - Lärosäten Syd/ EU Policy Officer at Lund University and Former Member of the Governing Council of the Magna Charta Observatory
- Cristina Demaria, Rector’s delegate for Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion of Alma Mater Studiorum – The University of Bologna and Member of the Governing Council of the Magna Charta Observatory
- Peter Kwasi Kodjie, Secretary General All-Africa Students Union (AASU), Ghana, and Member of the Governing Council of the Magna Charta Observatory
- Marcelo Knobel, President Insper, Brazil, and Member of the Governing Council of the Magna Charta Observatory
- Catharine Stimpson, Professor and Dean Emerita of the Graduate School of Arts and Science, New York University, USA, and Member of the Governing Council of the Magna Charta Observatory
Five prizes of expenses paid for participation in the MCO’s 2023 Anniversary conference in Lodz, Poland will be awarded. In addition, the judging panel may award certificates of merit. All entrants will receive a certificate of participation.
The MCO is pleased to be working with the Global Students Forum and the European Students’ Union in the organisation of this competition.
More details about the MCO and MCU can be found at https://www.magna-charta.org
