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Applications are now open for the 2025 Peter Drucker Challenge Essay Contest. Enter this contest and stand a chance to win a trip to Austria!
Opportunity Details
The 2025 Drucker Challenge is dedicated to the memory of social philosopher Charles Handy, who passed away in December 2024. Inspired by Peter Drucker and an influential management thinker himself, he shared his wisdom and insights at successive editions of the Global Peter Drucker Forum from its launch in 2009.
Theme
Timeline
First Round
From late May to end June, an international committee of reviewers, selected by the Peter Drucker Society Europe, evaluates each essay based on the essay evaluation criteria.
Each essay is scored individually.
The entries in each category with the highest overall scores move on to the Second Round.
Second Round
By the end of June, a sub-committee of expert reviewers selects the top authors in each category to advance to the Third and Final Round.
Opportunity to Stand Out: Finalists can showcase their talent by recording a video (no longer than 5 minutes) summarizing their Drucker Challenge Essay. While the essay remains the core of the competition, the video summary will influence the final ranking.
Notification: At the conclusion of the Second Round, participants receive an email notification with further details.
Third & Final Round
By mid-July, an international jury of business leaders and academics selects the laureates in each category:
Gold Award: 1st place
Silver Award: 2nd place
Bronze Award: 3rd place
4th–10th place rankings
Most Original Essay Award
Notification & Announcement:
All Third Round participants receive anemail notification.
Shortly thereafter, the results are published on the Drucker Challenge website and announced via the Drucker Challenge Newsletter.
Topic-related questions
The suggested questions on the landing pageare designed to spark your thinking process and are not meant to be exhaustive.
Gold Award Winner Drucker Challenge 2025
(Those who placed First in the Student or Professional category)
YOUR EXCLUSIVE BENEFITS
Cash prize: 2.000 EUR
Complimentary Pass: In-person access to the 17th Global Peter Drucker Forum in Vienna, Austria, held at the Hofburg Vienna on November 6 – 7, 2025
Visa: Invitation letter and support for visa application provided by the organizers
Travel & Accommodation (as per the Forum’s travel process and policy)
Lump sum that covers flight and local transport costs;
Booking and payment of your accommodation from November 5 – 8, 2025;
Exclusive Invitations to join
Meet & Greet lunch, Workshops and Masterclasses on the Pre-Conference Day (November 5, 2025);
Gala Event with Awards Ceremony (November 6, 2025);
Challenge Breakfast (November 8, 2025)
ADDITIONAL BENEFITS
Special Recognition Award for the most original essay: Opportunity to win 300 EUR;
Official Certificate with ranking;
Invitation to join the Drucker Challenge Community on social media networks;
One-Year digital subscription to Harvard Business Review;
Publication: Ranking list, link to your essay, your photo and bio to be featured on www.druckerchallenge.org. Your essay may also be republished by your university or company with appropriate credits to Peter Drucker Society Europe
General Terms & Conditions
Submission Deadline: Your essay and all required information must be submitted by the deadline. Late submissions will be disqualified without notice.
Reproduction Rights: Your submission may be reproduced once, in whole or in part, for editorial and promotional purposes.
Ownership: All submitted essays and any photos in which you are depicted become the property of the Peter Drucker Society Europe.
To participate in the contest, you must meet both the general requirements and essay category requirements.
General requirements
Age: You must be between 18 and 35 years old, inclusive.
Previous Participation: You are eligible to participate if you previously placed between 11th and 15th in a past Challenge contest. However, if you were a former winner or ranked between 2nd and 10th, you are not eligible to participate.
Essay category requirements: You can submit one essay in either the Student or Professional category. (Please mention your main occupation in the submission form)
Student category: Open to part-time, gap-year or full-time students (Bachelor's, Master's, MBA, or PhD) or those seeking their first opportunity after completing their last degree.
Professional category: Open to managers of people, projects, budgets and/or processes; entrepreneurs or business owners; licensed professionals; social volunteers or community leaders.
Essay Format for Submission
| Word Count | 1,500 to 3,000 words (excluding footnotes and graphics) |
|---|---|
| File Format | PDF or Word document |
| Font size | 12 points |
| Language | English |
Go to SUBMISSION in the main menu, fill in the form and upload your essay.
In case you encounter problems with uploading, please send your file and information to [email protected]
BEFORE May 24, 2025 at 16:00 CET
Please note:
Submission Rules
Anonymity: Your name must not appear anywhere in the essay.
Exclusivity: Your entry must be written solely by you, specifically for this competition. Group work is not allowed, and the essay must not have been published elsewhere.
Original Thinking: If you use any generative AI software (e.g. Chat GPT) to assist in writing, you must disclose the prompts used in sequential order and demonstrate how the tool contributed to refining your work. (see FAQ)
Apply for Peter Drucker Challenge Essay Contest