The Magna Charta Observatory has announced a competition for the 2026 student essay. The theme of this year’s edition is:” The Humanities and their Impact on Access to and the Experience of Higher Education”.

We encourage you to participate, the deadline for submitting applications is the 13^th of July.   

Students from universities around the world are invited to reflect on how the humanities shape access to higher education, sense of belonging, academic development, and personal development.  

All information regarding the competition, including rules of participation, details of entries and a recording of the webinar are available here:  

 https://events.magna-charta.org/competitions/2026-mco-student-essay-competition   

The Magna Charta Universitatum Declaration was established in 1988 to celebrate the 900th anniversary of the world’s oldest Bologna University. It is a kind of set of principles that guide universities from all over the world, forming part of their mission. The document defines fundamental principles considered essential for the functioning of higher education, such as academic freedom and university autonomy. The Silesian University of Technology is its signatory. More information about Magna Charta Universitatum can be found here:

https://www.magna-charta.org/about-us/introduction-to-mco