Drawing on your experience, how might your university engage more effectively with stakeholders both to improve both access to higher education for all and enhance the learning experience of students?
Following the success of its Student Essay Competitions in 2023 and 2024, the Magna Charta Observatory (MCO) is pleased to launch a new call for essays from university students worldwide. This year the MCO is inviting students to reflect on how universities might better liaise with university stakeholders* to improve both access to higher education, and provide opportunities for students which will enrich their learning experience during their programmes of study. More specifically, the guiding question of the 2025 MCO Student Essay Competition is as follows:
“Drawing on your own experience, how might your university engage more effectively with stakeholders* both to improve both access to higher education for all and enhance the learning experience of students?’**
The Magna Charta Universitatum, 2020, emphasises the critical role of universities in acknowledging that individuals and communities, often due to inequitable circumstances, have difficulty gaining access to higher education or influencing the modes and matter of academic study. Further, to realise human potential everywhere, universities deliberately seek ways to welcome and engage with diverse voices and perspectives.
Through this essay competition the MCO wishes to learn from and raise the voice of students in universities. The MCO has representatives of students in the membership of its governing body and in its various activities. It seeks to enable the student voice to be heard both within institutions and internationally.
There will be up to 5 prizes for winners to present their essays and participate in discussions with an international audience either at the World Access to Higher Education Network conference scheduled for 27 – 29 October 2025 at the University of Western Cape, South Africa or the Magna Charta Observatory Anniversary Conference at Kings College London from 11- 13 November 2025. The prizes will consist of expenses (including travel and accommodation costs) or an alternative prize, at the discretion of the organisers.
Precise arrangements will be discussed with the winners.
The competition is open to students registered in any university in any country. The closing date for the submission of essays is 13 July 2025. The winners will be announced on 5 September 2025. More details are contained below.
*By ‘stakeholders’ we mean groups or organisations with a vested interest , or stake, in the decision making and activities and outputs of a university. These might include alumni of the university, employers, professional bodies, communities and other groups.
**You may choose to reflect upon one or more of your own student experiences and the surrounding environment in relation to your university or student movement, culture, teaching, learning and/or research.
You may wish to focus on one or more of:
Essays must be submitted in English, must not exceed 1000 words.
The link where to upload the essay will be announced as soon as possible
and must be uploaded here: https://mcostudents.plateformecandidature.com/
Essays will be judged on the following criteria (all four criteria will have equal weighting):
1. Relevance to the theme:
a. Does the essay propose concepts or methodologies to enable their university engage more effectively with stakeholders to improve both access to higher education for all and enhance the learning experience of students?
b. Does the essay substantiate these concepts or methodologies with evidence from literature/ empirical or anecdotal evidence/ personal experience?
2. Awareness of the factors involved:
a. Does the essay give context to how the author’s higher education experience or environment is or is not inclusive?
b. Does the essay consider the possible risks to implementing their changes from either institutional/ teacher/ learner/ researcher perspective?
3. Uniqueness of the approach proposed:
a. Does the essay consider what is uniquely valuable about the concept or methodology they are proposing?
4. Potential impact for the university and beyond:
a. Does the essay reflect on the outcomes that could result from such changes to their higher education experience or environment?
An independently chaired international judging panel comprising current and former student representatives and senior academics and leaders in universities will review entries and their decisions will be final.
Members of the judging panel for 2025:
- Dr Roberta Malee Bassett, Global Lead for Tertiary Education and Senior Education Specialist , World Bank
- Dr Tahirih Danesh Africa College Foundation (MII UK)
- Emma Harden-Wolfson, Assistant Professor McGill University, Canada
Formerly Right to Higher Education Lead, UNESCO International Institute for Higher Education in Latin America and the Caribbean
- Peter Kwasi Kodjie, Secretary General, All-Africa Students Union (AASU), Ghana and Member of the Governing Council of the Magna Charta Observatory
- Ignacy Maliszewski, Uniwersytet SWPS Warszawa, Poland, Winner of the 2024 Essay Competition.
- Professor Caroline Parker, MCO Ambassador and formerly Assistant Vice Principal Values at Glasgow Caledonian University, Scotland
- Professor June Pym Saville Foundation, formerly University of South Africa
- Dr Nidhi Sadana Sabharwal, Associate Professor, Nationlal University of Educational Planning and Administration, India
- 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
Formal requirements:
Only one entry per author is permitted.
Authors must be registered as a student at a university or higher education establishment.
Neither the author’s name nor the name of his/her university or higher education establishment must be included in the essay or in the file name of the essay.
Essays must be solely the work of the author.
The author is allowed to quote from other works but such quotations must be acknowledged.
The author is not allowed to use generative AI in the planning or writing of the essay. If the use of AI is suspected the judges will exclude the essay from further consideration.
At the judges’ discretion, the writer of short-listed essays may be invited for a short online discussion before their decision is finalised.
Essays must not exceed 1000 words.
Essays must be in the English language.
Essays must be uploaded here https://mcostudents.plateformcandidature.com/ and not be sent by email or with a different tool.
Failure to comply with the formal requirements will result in exclusion from the competition.
By participating in the contest, the author confirms his/her authorization to processing the data. The data will be processed pursuant to d.lgs. N.196 of 2003 (code regarding the protection of personal data) and its amendments and additions, as well as EU Regulation no. 2016/679 (General Data Protection Regulation, GDPR)
Click here to see the recording of the webinar "Launch of the 2025 Student essay competition"
More details about the MCO and MCU can be found at https://www.magna-charta.org
David Lock
Secretary General
Magna Charta Observatory
23-5-25
