Schuman Challenge
The Schuman Challenge is an academic competition for undergraduate students from U.S. colleges and universities to engage in rigorous dialogue on transatlantic issues.The Schuman Challenge is the annual foreign affairs contest for undergraduate students in the United States organised and hosted by the EU Delegation to the U.S. in Washington D.C. The Challenge provides an opportunity to present and defend EU-U.S. policy recommendations on a specific theme in front of a panel of judges. The competition takes place over two days in spring and includes an evening reception with foreign policy professionals.
In 2025, the competition comprises two rounds: a preliminary round for all teams to present their policy proposals, followed by a second round, the finals. Three teams from the first round proceed to the final round. During their 10-minute presentations, each team (3-4 students) highlights their actionable proposals and then participates in a 10-minute Q-and-A session with the judges.
To prepare for the competition, undergraduate students conduct original research, cite sources, and prepare to present and defend proposals on a provided topic. As part of the competition, participants present their ideas, mingle with like-minded peers, and engage with brilliant minds in the world of international affairs, often including the EU Ambassador to the United States. There are also opportunities for networking with EU policy officials, and alums of graduate programs in international relations.
To read more about this project, click here.
The Schuman Challenge is funded by the European Union.
Current Iteration
Expand All2025 Edition
The 2025 edition of the Schuman Challenge took place from April 10-11, 2025, at the EU Delegation's office in Washington, D.C. This year’s topic was: “Artificial Intelligence as a Key Technology: A Shared Initiative for the EU and U.S. vis-à-vis China."
Overall, 28 universities from 17 U.S. states and Washington, D.C., participated, which involved presenting their ideas to judges, including: 1) A proposal of a joint EU-U.S. initiative; 2) Making recommendations; and 3) Using a specific example or case study.
The winning team, American University, delivered an impressive proposal about monitoring illicit drug trafficking through AI-driven, cross-border mechanisms. The second- and third-place teams – Columbia University and the University of Texas at Austin respectively – also had excellent proposals. Well done to our 2025 winners and to all the participating teams!
The winners:
- American University (read their policy brief)
- Columbia University (read their policy brief)
- The University of Texas at Austin (read their policy brief)
Click here to view the Flickr album from the 2025 competition!
Past Iterations
Expand All2024 Edition
The 2024 edition of Schuman Challenge took place from April 4-5 at the offices of the EU Delegation in Washington, D.C.
The assigned question focused on enhancing EU-U.S. engagement with the Latin America and Caribbean (LAC) region. The competition featured a record 29 participating universities from 18 U.S. states. Congratulations to all of the teams for their impressive presentations!
The winners:
- American University (read their policy brief)
- University of Utah (read their policy brief)
- Stanford University (read their policy brief)
Click here to view our Flickr album from the 2024 competition!
2023 Edition
Read the policy briefs from the 2023 winners:
- Patrick Henry College (read their policy brief)
- Columbia University (read their policy brief)
- University of Texas at Austin (read their policy brief)
Click here to view our Flickr album from the 2023 competition!
Hear from Participants
The Schuman Challenge is implemented by Working in Support of Education (W!se) with the support of the German Marshall Fund of the United States.
