Essay Contest

Basic information about the UC Alumni Network Essay Contest

if you wish to participate please contact Magda to discuss which prompt you would like to answer and discuss the approach you intend to take.

 

Introduction & Prompts

In the debate over the sources of the Russia-West confrontation, there are various competing perspectives. The NATO enlargements of 1999 and 2004 are often bound up in that debate, and perspectives differ across the UC’s three regions. Choose a prompt focusing on a geographic area which you are not from and the perspective which is least familiar to you. Based on historical evidence, analyse your chosen perspective and its evolution and impact. Contact Magda before you begin to indicate which prompt you wish to answer and to discuss the approach you would like to take.

  1. Analyse the motivations expressed by some of the candidate states who joined NATO in 1999 and 2004. Why did these countries wish to join NATO, and how might reasons have varied or shifted with time and from country to country?
  2. Analyse the internal discussions taking place during the 1999 and 2004 NATO membership expansions between those countries who were already members of NATO before 1999. What arguments for and against accepting new member states were made, and what might have been the reasons which drove various countries' positions on these issues?
  3. What did the Russian government and Russian policy experts have to say about NATO membership expansion before and after 1999 and 2004? How was the process understood within Russia and what were its perceived implications for the future, as seen during that time?
  1. Overview
    1. All UC Fellows are eligible to participate.
    2. Participants will have five months to complete their essays, and all entries must be submitted no later than 2359 BST 30 June.
    3. An introductory paragraph with further instructions and a choice of three prompts can be found at the bottom of this document.

  1. Essay Structure & Guidelines
    1. Essays must be between 2,000-3,000 words. Arguments must be supported by relevant primary and secondary sources which are cited in the document utilizing a consistent citation style throughout the work (APA, MLA, Chicago, etc.). Provide a bibliography after the conclusion; citations and the bibliography will not count towards the total word count.
    2. Essays may be written in either English or Russian.
    3. Plagiarism will not be tolerated. If plagiarism is discovered, the essay will be disqualified from the competition. Plagiarism is defined here as “…presenting someone else’s work or ideas as your own, with or without their consent, by incorporating it into your work without full acknowledgement. All published and unpublished material, whether in manuscript, printed or electronic form, is covered under this definition. Plagiarism may be intentional or reckless, or unintentional.”
    4. The essays must be research- based. While each participant must of necessity have an opinion, opinions unsupported by well researched evidence will be insufficient for this contest.
    5. Essays will be submitted by e-mail to john.alulis@sant.ox.ac.uk. The essay should be in the form of a Word document and include the applicant’s name and contact details.

  1. Judging Criteria & Process
    1. All essays will be judged anonymously by a panel of judges chosen by the UC Team from among the UC’s Senior Members. The panel will consist of three individuals, one from each region.
    2. Each judge will independently award a score from 1 to 10 (10 being the highest) to each essay, and the three essays with the highest scores will be named the first, second, and third place winners. In case of a tie, judges will be asked to choose which from among the tied essays is the strongest.
    3. Essays will be judged on the following criteria:
      1. Degree to which the question has been addressed
      2. Depth and quality of research
      3. Rigorousness of methodology
      4. Clarity and structure of argument
      5. Originality

  1. Prizes & Results
    1. First place - $1,000
    2. Second place - $500
    3. Third place - $250
    4. The top three essays will be published on the UC website, with or without the authors’ names depending on their individual preferences, and their authors will be offered the opportunity to present their paper at the UC annual conference.