The Schuman Challenge

The EU Delegation welcomed 15 semi-finalist teams to Washington D.C. on April 7-8. The semi-finalist teams were selected from the online preliminary rounds.

Congratulations to the finalists:

• 1^st place: Macalester College (MN)
• 2^nd place: Patrick Henry College (VA)
• 3^rd place: Stanford University (CA)

The winning team were awarded a trip to Brussels to visit the European Union where they will have the opportunity to present their policy proposal to EU officials.

The 3-round competition will take place again in 2027. Watch this space for more information on how to register your university or college!

For more information about the Schuman Challenge, please refer to the 2026 competition guide, and the evaluation rubric. For more detailed information about the 2027 edition, contact James Draney (jdraney@wise-ny.org)

Competition Details

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

One team per university/college can compete. 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 the provided topic. 

There are three rounds to the competition:

• a preliminary round takes place online in a live format to a panel of three judges. The preliminary rounds take place on multiple dates. 
• fifteen teams qualify to 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 receive a travel stipend and accommodation in D.C.
• Three teams go on to the final round which also takes place in Washington D.C.

The winning team is awarded a 4-day Victory Tour of Brussels to visit the EU institutions and to give their winning presentations to officials. 

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 February 19, 20, and 23.
• 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.
• Three 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 2026 Schuman Challenge winners!

The 2026 edition of the Schuman Challenge took place from April 7-8, 2026, at the EU Delegation’s office in Washington, D.C. This year’s topic was: On July 4, 2026, the United States of America will commemorate the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. Within these past 250 years, the development of the transatlantic relationship – first between the United States and individual European countries and now more recently the European Union - has shown that the partnership of security that is central to EU-U.S. relations goes far beyond traditional defense.

In the rapidly changing landscape of a 21st century dominated by shifting geopolitical dynamics and ever-evolving innovations, this transatlantic partnership necessarily must also adapt to meet new, critical needs. Please develop a policy proposal that analyses the current state of EU-U.S. cooperation on security and offers an initiative or policy by which it might be strengthened in the coming years. The proposal must include consideration of 2 of the following areas:

• Defense
• Economy, trade and energy
• Technology and, digital
• Arctic cooperation

34 universities from 20 U.S. states and Washington, D.C. competed in the preliminary rounds. 15 teams went on to compete in the semi-finals held in-person at the Delegation’s offices.

The winning team, Macalester College, delivered a compelling proposal for an ‘Atlantic Cable Infrastructure Program’ for the European Union and U.S. to cooperate to monitor, maintain and defend transatlantic cable systems utilizing new technology. The second and third-placed teams, Patrick Henry College and Stanford University were commended on their proposals.

Well done to the 2026 winners and all participating teams!

The winners:

1. Macalaster College (read their policy brief)
2. Patrick Henry College (read their policy brief)
3. Stanford University (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!