Ideas for the Future essay contest registration opens

Registration for the Ideas for the Future essay contest is open. Until May 31, Ibero-American university students can submit their essays on the main socioeconomic challenges faced by their countries and be eligible for awards.

CAF development bank of Latin America, along with the Central Bank of TT, launched the third edition of the Ideas for the Future university essay contest, which promotes the debate on sustainable development, and aims to highlight the young talents in the region, said a media release.

In this year's edition, young university students can focus their essays on the development challenges of Latin America and the Caribbean. The guidelines they may follow are:

Challenges of reconstruction in terms of environmental sustainability;

Challenges to reactivate economies ensuring macroeconomic sustainability;

Construction of social protection systems for resilient and inclusive societies;

Creation of more robust health systems;

Challenges in terms of integration and co-operation to face future pandemics;

Digital innovation to boost employment, education, and the provision of social services, and

Role of infrastructure investment in post-covid recovery and financing alternatives.

The release said the best essay at the national level and the three best essays at the Ibero-American level will receive awards. The Ibero-American winners will have the opportunity to present their essays at the CAF conference, scheduled for November 2021. The prizes to be awarded are: Guillermo Perry Award, US$3,000 for first place; second place, US$2,000; and third place, US$1,000.

Students 18-29 years old (strictly born between December 31, 1991, and January 1, 2003) are eligible to participate in the contest. Applicants must be undergraduate or graduate university students of any discipline, enrolled in a university in one of the 19 CAF countries, with a certificate of studies (regular student certificate or its equivalent).

For more info on the categories, formal requirements, participation and evaluation criteria, data acceptance, prizes and data protection: www.ideasparaelfuturo.caf.com/en