On the occasion of the award of the 2017 Erasmus Prize to sociologist Michèle Lamont, the Praemium Erasmianum Foundation is organising an essay competition on the theme ‘Knowledge, Power and Diversity’ for students. Students of social sciences are invited to connect the three themes, and may draw inspiration from Michèle Lamont. Send your submission via email by Wednesday 1 November. A jury will select three essays from those submitted.
The three prize-winners will be invited to the Erasmus Prize award ceremony and the activities of the Foundation throughout the year, and they can win a sum of money. In addition, the ten best essayists will take part in a masterclass in Groningen with Michèle Lamont, who is Professor of Sociology at Harvard.
What to write?
How do knowledge, power and diversity relate to one another? What does it actually mean when people say that knowledge is power? And do we not hear the very opposite today, that whoever is in power determines what knowledge prevails? New discussions about ‘alternative facts’ and ‘fake news’ and about the notion that ‘science is only a point of view’ are mostly perceived as an attack on science and scholars. To what extent does the academic world reflect society? Or is that unimportant? The jury is looking for essays that focus on at least two of these three themes. Entrants may draw inspiration from the work of Michèle Lamont, the 2017 winner of the Erasmus Prize, but they are also free to connect the themes without referring to her work.
Take part!
– Email us your essay, along with your name, address, student number and university.
– The essay should consist of a maximum of 1000 words (including footnotes). Essays of more than 1000 words will not be considered.
– The essay should be written in Dutch or English, and accompanied by an English summary of 150 words.
– You can send your submission via email on or before 1 November to. A jury will select three essays from those submitted.
The three prize-winners will be invited to attend the Erasmus Prize award ceremony at the Royal Palace in Amsterdam in November and the Foundation’s activities throughout the year, and they can win a sum of money. In addition, the ten best essayists have an opportunity to take part in a masterclass in Groningen with Michèle Lamont, winner of the 2017 Erasmus Prize.
Prizes
1st prize: € 500, a selection of books, and a one-year subscription to De Groene Amsterdammer magazine or The Economist
2nd prize: € 300 and a selection of books
3rd prize: € 200 and a selection of books
Copyrights
By participating in the competition, each entrant gives the Praemium Erasmianum Foundation permission to publish his or her essay on its website and in its 2017 annual report, among other places. The author retains full copyright to the submitted work.
Other conditions
Members of the jury and of the Foundation are excluded from participation. No correspondence will be entered into by the Praemium Erasmianum Foundation or the jury regarding the results.
