Objective: 

We invite scholars from Western Europe to submit articles that explore the dynamic relationships between European regions – particularly with CEE – focusing on industrial, technological, political, or cultural exchanges. Scholars from Central and Eastern Europe are encouraged to write about any aspect of CEE itself, reflecting on its unique identity, challenges, and contributions to the broader European project. Selected works will be featured on Blue Europe’s website, contributing to our mission of enhancing public awareness of European issues and fostering dialogue and cooperation across the continent. We believe it is a great opportunity for scholars and young researchers to showcase their knowledge and increase their visibility.

Award:
Authors of papers that are successfully accepted into the competition will receive a certificate of participation, which will include the evaluation of their work. As mentioned above, selected papers will also be published on the Blue Europe website and will be eligible for a cash prize. This year, we are offering two cash prizes to the authors of the two best articles that receive the highest marks from the jury. We will award:

- A prize of 1000€ for the article with the highest score from the jury;
- A prize of 500€ for the article with the second highest score from the judges.
Articles will be evaluated by a panel of experts based on originality, clarity, depth of analysis, and relevance to the theme of the contest and the mission of Blue Europe.

Please make sure you read the full rules here.

Conditions:
As mentioned before, this contest is open to all EU/EEA Bachelor, Master, and Doctoral students, as well as recent graduates who obtained their degree in 2024. Proof of academic enrolment is required. While not compulsory, scholars from Western Europe are still invited to write about European relations focusing on CEE, while scholars from Central and Eastern Europe are encouraged to engage specific topics related to CEE.

Individuals may submit more than one paper to the competition, but only one will be eligible to be promoted to the final round. Submissions must be original, unpublished works that have not been submitted to other competitions or journals. Authors must ensure their submissions do not infringe on the intellectual property rights of any third party.

Contributions must have a minimum of 3,000 words and a maximum of 30,000 words. To be admitted to the contest and be eligible for the award, the submission must be presented in either English, French or Polish. Nevertheless, to have the paper published on the website, an English version is required. All contributions must also adhere to a formal academic style, with proper citations and references according to the Chicago Manual of Style (both Author-Date and Note-Bibliography stiles are accepted).

Original articles may be submitted on any subject among the following areas: Economy and Trade, Industry and Business, Literature and Cultural Studies, Political Science and Governance, International Relations, Sociology, Law and Human Rights, Environmental Studies and Climate Policy, Innovation and Technology, Energy and Sustainability, Education and Research Collaboration, Migration and Demographic Studies, Public Policy and Administration, Regional Development and Urban Planning, Security Studies and Geopolitics. Nevertheless, contributions must deal with – at least partially – Central and Eastern Europe [3].

For more information, make sure to check the full rules here.

Dates and Registration:
Key deadlines for Blue Europe 2024-2025 Denis de Rougemont contest include:

01/09/2024 Contest beginning
31/01/2025 Deadline for abstract submission
31/05/2025 Deadline for article submission
30/06/2025 Notification of acceptance
31/08/2025 Winners’ announcement

To register, send an email to contest24@blue-europe.eu with “Registration for 2024-2025 competition” in the subject line, including a brief 250-500 word abstract and a provisional title for your paper, a brief 150–word biography, and proof of academic enrolment/recent degree.

Disclosure:
Blue Europe is an independent, non-profit and privately funded think tank based in Luxembourg, France and Poland made up of several organization and experts working together. It has no political stance and refuses to take any, preferring to offer data-driven expert opinions and analyses.