2008 Ibn-Khaldun Essay Contest
Middle East Program
Theme
How individuals, think tanks, universities and entrepreneurs can influence government policies to allow the free market to flourish and improve the lives of its citizens based on Islamic teachings and traditions.
Background:
The 2008 Ibn-Khaldun Essay Contest is exclusively offered to students in the Middle East, Middle East and North Africa (MENA) and other Muslim regions of the world.
In the past two years Atlas has accepted essays from North American students. However; this year we have excluded North America and Europe (with the exception of Albania, Kosovo and Bosnia). We believe it would be most beneficial to provide this unique opportunity to the young people of the Muslim world and to hear their ideas on commerce and free market from an Islamic perspective.
This will be Atlas’ third annual essay contest. The contestants are asked to write about “Islamic teachings, traditions, the practice of commerce through out history as well as its shared common principals with free-market economics practiced today in the West”.
Awards:
- First Prize Winner: $2,000
- Second Prize Winner: $1,000
- Third Prize Winner: $500
- Two Honorable Mentions: $250 each
In addition, the winner of the Ibn-Khaldun Essay contest may be offered an additional scholarship or a travel grant to one of several Atlas’s events. One of which may include; two full scholarships to the Atlas’s Think Tank MBA program in 2009 (TTMBA). The first is an academic scholarship covering the cost of TTMBA program. The second scholarship is intended to cover the cost of airfare, hotel accommodations and meals for the TTMBA. The TTMBA is a program designed to train and assist Intellectual Entrepreneurs (IEs) to create market policy think tanks and change the climate of ideas by improving the prospect of economic freedom on a global scale. These potential scholarships and grants will depend on the winner’s interest, expertise and knowledge and will be determined at a later date.
Guidelines for the essay:
- Provide essay in Word Document
- Provide resume in Word Document (Separate attachments from the essay)
- Write in a format that is easy to follow
- Essays should be no fewer then 1200 and up to 2000 words.
- Type written, double-spaced and footnoted.
- Essays are accepted in English only (students are not expected to write with a North American English fluency or format)
Students will be judged on the following categories:
- Historic accuracy
- Islamic Principles of free market
- Citations and references (no plagiarism please)
Contestants are encouraged to research the works of well known Islamic scholars such as Ibn-Khaldun, Abu Hanifa, Zaid Bin Ali, Al Gahzali, Al-Shaizari, and contemporary economists such as Muhammad Yunus and Professor Nejatullah Siddiqi.
Who may join:
The contest is open to university students, undergraduate and graduate level students who are, or below 30 years of age. Each contestant is required to send a brief curriculum vitae, summarizing his or her academic and if applicable, work history. All qualified individuals will be considered for the contest as long as they live and are citizens of the regions stated above, regardless of religious affiliation, race and sex.
Deadline:
All submissions must be received on or before November, 15, 2008
Judging Process:
Entries will be reviewed by a selected group of judges on the following criteria: clarity, persuasiveness, logic, historic accuracy and the ability to offer practical recommendations and solutions.
Click here to fill out the Atlas Contact Form. For more information about the Atlas Economic Research Foundations, please visit their website.
