GRC Social Impact Essay Competition

1. Prompts

Participants are invited to write an argumentative piece identifying an important problem that the world faces today and offer a solution. Topics are available below:

• Technology for Good:With step changes in AI, automation, and telecommunications, technology has the potential to unlock prosperity. How can we harness its power for the social good?
• Global Health: From nutrition to vaccination, how can we improve human quality of life across the globe and increase affordability of healthcare services? What strategies can be employed to promote preventative healthcare?
• Sustainable Development & Climate Change: How can countries, companies, and / or communities balance economic growth, resource consumption, and wealth distribution?
• Innovations in the Public Sector: The public sector often faces criticism for its slow and inefficient operations. How can policymakers enhance their decision-making processes and improve budget allocation?
• Modern Solutions to Human Rights Issues:How to improve implementation of all three generations of human rights established by the United Nation at global, regional, and local levels?
• The Role of Education in Promoting Gender Equality & Social Mobility: What policy changes and investments in education can be made to promote equality and social mobility?

2. GRC Affiliate Schools 

Harvard University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, Northwestern University, University of California, Berkeley (UC Berkeley), Columbia University, National University of Singapore (NUS), Johns Hopkins University, University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), Brown University, Cornell University, Rice University, University of Toronto (UofT), Duke University, Sciences Po (Institut d’études politiques de Paris), Nanyang Technological University (NTU), Northeastern University, Washington University in St. Louis (WashU), Case Western Reserve University.

3. Timeline

• Submission Open: September 1, 2024
• Submission Deadline: December 15, 2024
• Results announced: February 1, 2025

4. Prizes

• The top 5 will be offered an internship with one of GRC’s university branches and will support a consulting team with a client project from February to May 2025.
• Top 6-10 will receive an Ivy League mentor with at least 3 coaching sessions. 
• The top 30 will have their essay published by the GRC think tank on our Insights platform, and all authors will receive a digital laureate certificate.
• Top 31-50 will receive a digital finalist certificate.