GLOBALCIT, the Global Citizenship Observatory at the Robert Schuman Centre of the European University Institute, is soliciting submissions for the “GLOBALCIT – Rainer Bauböck Essay Award on the Global State of Citizenship”, by recent graduates with a master’s or equivalent degree, current doctoral researchers, or those within 3 years after the award of the doctorate. Early-career scholars from any academic discipline are invited to participate in the competition. Anyone currently contracted by GLOBALCIT, or who has been so in the last five years, is excluded from participation. Essays must be single-authored.
Each year, the prize committee asks a question that the essays should try to answer. The question for the 2026 competition is:
“How will Artificial Intelligence transform membership, rights and practices of citizenship?”
Essays should address the impact of AI on human citizenship – not (primarily) the question of whether AI-enhanced robots might have a claim to citizenship status and rights. We invite authors to explore how both domestic and international aspects of citizenship might be affected by the future evolution and dissemination of AI.
The essays should be written in English and in a non-technical style that is accessible to a broader public audience (but should follow standard academic citation practices). Essays should not be longer than 3,000 words. They should include a list of references that is not counted towards the word limit. Submissions must come with a declaration whether and which AI has been used for research purposes or for generating text.
A jury composed of the GLOBALCIT co-directors and an expert in the field will evaluate submissions and choose the winning essay. Essays will be evaluated based on the originality of the arguments and the ability to inspire and convey ideas in a concise and engaging way. The selected essay will be published on the GLOBALCIT website and in the EUI’s research repository Cadmus, and will be disseminated through the EUI’s communication channels. The author of the best essay will receive a prize of 1,000 euros and will be invited to present at a GLOBALCIT workshop in Florence, 14-15 May 2026 (online or in person).
Essays should be submitted online until 31 March 2026 at 23:59 CEST to globalcit@eui.eu together with a short CV and digital photo.
By entering the competition, participants agree to the terms of the competition, and agree to processing and use of their personal data for the purposes described – including administering the contest, announcing the winner publicly and for promotional purposes. We will not share personal details with third parties. Copyright remains with the author.
The GLOBALCIT– Rainer Bauböck Essay Award is sponsored by the funds of the City of Vienna 2023 Prize in Humanities and Social Sciences awarded to Rainer Bauböck for his work on citizenship and democratic theory. Rainer Bauböck is a former professor of Social and Political Theory at the EUI and founding Co-Director of GLOBALCIT.