2026 Rainer Bauböck Essay Award on the Global State of Citizenship: Explore How AI Will Transform Citizenship Worldwide @Unknown

Overview

The 2026 Rainer Bauböck Essay Award on the Global State of Citizenship invites early-career scholars to explore how Artificial Intelligence will transform citizenship worldwide. Organized by GLOBALCIT at the European University Institute, this award honors Rainer Bauböck's legacy and encourages interdisciplinary research on citizenship in the age of AI.

Key Responsibilities

• Critically explore how Artificial Intelligence will transform membership, rights, and practices of citizenship.
• Focus on the impact of AI on human citizenship, including its influence on national membership, migration policies, civil/political/social rights, democratic participation, surveillance, digital governance, and global implications.
• Contribute to international debates and ethical reflections on AI's role in citizenship.

Requirements

• Essays must be single-authored.
• Written in English.
• Maximum 3,000 words (excluding reference list).
• Include a reference list using standard academic citation practices.
• Written in a non-technical style accessible to a broader public audience.
• Include a declaration specifying whether and how AI tools were used for research or text generation.
• Submit a short CV and a digital photo.
• Applicant must be an early-career scholar.

Benefits

• €1,000 cash prize.
• Publication on the GLOBALCIT website and in the EUI research repository, Cadmus.
• Dissemination through EUI communication channels.
• Invitation to present the essay at a GLOBALCIT workshop in Florence (14–15 May 2026), either online or in person.

Location

Florence, Italy (for workshop presentation, option to attend online)

How to Apply

Submit essays via email to globalcit@eui.eu, including a short CV and a digital photo. Ensure all submission requirements are met.

Deadline

31 March 2026 at 23:59 CEST