Peter Drucker Challenge 2025 for Students & Young Professionals : Entries are invited from students and young professionals from all around the world for the Peter Drucker Challenge 2025. The deadline for submission of entries is 24th May, 2025.

The aim of the Contest is to keep the human-oriented management philosophy of Peter Drucker alive in the minds of the young generation.

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Peter Drucker Challenge 2025 for Students & Young Professionals.

The theme for the 2025 competition is “Leadership and Critical Thinking.”

What makes someone an effective leader? For one thing, people look for leadership from those they trust to exercise good judgment. Not every decision can be simply data-driven; many involve difficult tradeoffs among competing priorities, or calls that must be made based on limited information (as in making plans for the future). Great leaders are able to objectively analyze these complex and often politicized situations and arrive at their own conclusions. They have a high capacity, in other words, for critical thinking.

Your essay should offer a point of view on whether the emerging generation of leaders is being sufficiently prepared to exercise the critical thinking required of them. What conditions of the twenty-first century are making this more difficult—or in what ways is critical thinking better supported than in the past?

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Peter Drucker Challenge Eligibility.

All applicant must

Be 18-35 years old (inclusive of both ages)
Have been selected no more than once (or not at all) among the top 10 since 2010

Essay category requirements

You can submit one essay to participate as either a student or a professional
(please mention your main occupation in the submission form)

Student category

You are a part-time or full-time student (bachelor, master, MBA, or PhD) or you are seeking your first opportunity after the completion of your last degree

Professional category

You are a;

manager of people, projects, budgets, and/or processes
an entrepreneur or business owner
licensed professional
social volunteer or community leader

Peter Drucker Challenge Prizes & Benefits.

The first prize winner will receive a cash prize of 1,500 EUR (to be handed over at Awards ceremony)
First to tenth place winners will have free participation and waived registration fee (regular fee +/- € 2,000) for the 12th Global Peter Drucker Forum to be held in Vienna on October 29-30, 2025 at the Imperial Palace (Hofburg) (including conference bag and brochure, buffet lunches, and coffee breaks at the conference venue)

Invitation to pre-conference events on October 28:
- Morning: Drucker Forum Specials (more to come)
- Afternoon: Drucker Challenge Get-Together (with partner) – opportunity to network with peers, Drucker Challenge team and Jury in a Viennese cosy atmosphere!
- Evening: Networking Reception at House of Industry (with partner) – opportunity to mingle with the Drucker Forum family
Invitation to the Gala event on October 29 with seated dinner and Awards ceremony (with partner)
Funding of travel expenses: Your international travel and accommodation costs for attending the Forum will be reimbursed based on the travel process & policy. If you need visa to travel to Austria, they will advise early travel arrangements.

Peter Drucker Challenge Evaluation Criteria.

The jury will assess your ability to analyze, synthesize and produce a coherent and impactful essay, specifically

Your personal insights and original thoughts about the topic
Your story-telling style and ability to communicate fluently in English
Your research and citations of primary and secondary sources
Your conclusions that could be drawn from Peter Drucker’s article on Managing Oneself

How to Apply Peter Drucker Challenge 2025 for Students & Young Professionals.

Fill in the online form and upload your essay here >> https://www.www.druckerchallenge.org/submission/

In case you encounter problems with uploading, please send your file and information to essay@druckerchallenge.org BEFORE May 24, 2025, 16:00 CET (4:00 PM CET)

Please note: