Apply to Become a Junior Ambassador at MSC 2024

Honoring the memory of Vice Admiral Ulrich Weisser, the scholarships are awarded since his year of death in 2013. Vice Admiral Weisser was Head of the Policy Planning Staff at the German Ministry of Defense from 1992 to 1998, author of many books and articles on security and defence issues, and one of Germany’s leading strategic thinkers of the past decades.

This year’s essay topic invites you to explore the following question:

Identify one concrete window of opportunity generated by current dynamics in international security affairs. Explain your choice, why it matters, and what should be done to capitalize on it?

The contest is open to students and young professionals between 18 and 28 (at the time of the conference). The deadline for entries is Wednesday, November 22, 2023, 11.59 pm (Central European Time). Submissions must not be longer than 3,500 characters (including spaces) and must be written in English. Core criteria for the assessment are the strength of the arguments as well as the originality and creativity of the ideas.

To participate, please upload your essay and a short CV and fill out the application form.

Only entries that are received before the deadline and that are complete will be considered for the competition. Please note that only the authors of the winning contributions will be notified.

The three winning short pieces will be published on our website and might be featured on other MSC social media channels. Moreover, the three winners will be invited to the Munich Security Conference, held from February 16 to 18, 2024, at Hotel Bayerischer Hof. The MSC will cover the travel expenses and will provide accommodation at a conference hotel. We expect the Junior Ambassadors to be willing to share their conference impressions via our website and social media from their perspective as the youngest conference attendees.

Each entrant retains the copyright in his or her entry but grants to the MSC a perpetual non-exclusive royalty-free licence to publish the entry online, together with the name, age, and country of residence of the author. By participating in the contest, you agree that the MSC may edit, abridge, or translate the entries. You grant permission to the MSC to use your data for the purpose of the competition and its promotion.

All entries must be the original work of the entrant and must not infringe the rights of any other party. The MSC accepts no responsibility if entrants ignore these terms and conditions. The MSC is not accountable for any injuries, losses, or damages of any kind occurring with or as a result of the prize, or from participation in the contest. 

1. Which writing style is appropriate for the essay?

Among the core criteria for the assessment are the strength of the arguments as well as the originality and creativity of the ideas. Winning contributions of former Junior Ambassadors may provide additional orientation regarding the writing style. They are available on our website.

2. The deadline to submit essays has passed. Can I still submit an application?

Unfortunately, we cannot consider applications that are submitted after the date indicated above.

3. When will the winners be notified?

Our team will carefully evaluate all applicants’ contributions. They will be in touch with the winners after the end of the review process, which will conclude by January 2024. Please note that only the authors of the winning contributions will be notified.

4. I will be older than 28 years at the time of the Munich Security Conference in February 2024. Can I still apply?

The Junior Ambassadors Program is designed to provide students and young professionals between 18 and 28 with the opportunity to attend the conference. Therefore, we cannot accept contributions from contestants who do not match the application criteria.

Find out more about the Junior Ambassadors program.

If you have any questions regarding the application process, please contact juniorambassadors@securityconference.org.