The Schuman Challenge

For the first time ever, the 2026 edition of the Schuman Challenge is welcoming more U.S. universities and colleges to compete. 

A preliminary round will take place live and online to a panel of three judges during multiple dates in late February and March 2026. In April, 15 qualifying teams will then be invited to Washington, D.C., to present their policy proposals and recommendations to senior officials and experts at the EU Delegation office. These 15 teams will also attend an evening reception.

The final five teams will compete in a final round judged by the Ambassadorial team. The winning team will be awarded a victory tour to Brussels, headquarters of the EU.

The 2026 topic will be announced soon – watch this space!

Registration of interest is now open! Please contact James Draney at W!se (jdraney@wise-ny.com) or fill out the form at this link.
 

The Schuman Challenge is the annual foreign affairs contest for undergraduate students in the United States organized by the EU Delegation to the United States. It provides an opportunity to present and defend EU-U.S. policy recommendations on a specific theme in front of a panel of judges.

Teams comprise 3-4 students who give a 10-minute presentation on a topic set by the EU Delegation. Each team describes their actionable proposals on the topic and then participate in a 10-minute Q and A session with the judges. Visual aids can be used in the presentation.

To prepare for the competition, undergraduate students conduct original research, cite sources, and prepare to present and defend proposals on a provided topic. There are also opportunities for networking with EU policy officials and alums of graduate programs in international relations.

Starting in 2026, there will be three rounds to the competition:

• A preliminary round will take place online in a live format to a panel of three judges. The preliminary rounds will take place on multiple dates during March 2026.
• Fifteen teams will qualify from the preliminary round and be invited to participate in the semi-final round to give their presentation in-person to officials and experts in Washington, D.C., at the EU Delegation’s office. Teams will receive a travel stipend and accommodation in D.C.
• Five teams will go on to the final round, which will also take place in Washington.

The winning team will be awarded a four-day victory tour of Brussels, headquarters of the EU, where they will also give their winning presentation and visit EU institutions and think tanks.

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:

1. American University (read their policy brief)
2. Columbia University (read their policy brief)
3. The University of Texas at Austin (read their policy brief)

Click here to view our Flickr album from the 2025 competition!

Click here to view our Flickr album from the 2024 competition!

Click here to view our Flickr album from the 2023 competition!

Click here to view our Flickr album from the 2022 competition!