The 2025 Drucker Challenge is dedicated to the memory of social philosopher Charles Handy, who passed away in December 2024. Inspired by Peter Drucker and an influential management thinker himself, he shared his wisdom and insights at successive editions of the Global Peter Drucker Forum from its launch in 2009.
Theme: The ‘Second Curve’ in Life and Business: How to best navigate the Cycles of Growth and Renewal?
Benefits
The prizes are as follows:
First Place (Gold): € 2.000
Second Place (Silver) € 1.200
Third Place (Bronze) € 1.000
Winner
A cash prize of 2.000 EUR
ADDITIONAL BENEFITS
Complimentary in-person pass for the 15th Global Peter Drucker Forum, to be held in Vienna, Austria on November 30 & December 1, 2023
Invitation to attend the Gala event with Awards ceremony and to participate in a cultural program
Opportunity to win the Special Recognition Award for the most original essay
Certificate with ranking
Invitation to join the Drucker Challenge Alumni Community on social media networks
One-year-all-access subscription to the Harvard Business Review
Publication: Ranking list, link to your essay, your photo and bio on www.druckerchallenge.org. Your essay may be re-published by your university/company with credits given to Peter Drucker Society Europe
Funding of travel expenses: Your international travel and accommodation costs for attending the Forum will be reimbursed based on our travel process & policy.
Requirements
The Challenge is open to students (Bachelor, Masters, MBA, and PhD) and young professionals, 18 to 35 years old (inclusive of both ages).
General requirements
You must be 18-35 years old (inclusive of both ages)
You must have been selected no more than once (or not at all) among the top 10 since 2010. However, you can participate in the 2022 Contest (if still meeting the age criteria of 18 – 35 years inclusive)
If you were previously a student (as per your application form) and are now embarking on a career at a university;
If you were previously a student (according to your application form) and meanwhile moved on to become a manager or entrepreneur
Essay category requirements
You can submit one essay to participate as either a student or manager or entrepreneur (please mention your main occupation in the submission form)
Student category
You are a part-time or full-time student (bachelor, master, MBA, or PhD) or you are seeking your first opportunity after the completion of your last degree
Professional category
You are a
Manager of people, projects, budgets, and/or processes
An entrepreneur or business owner
lLcensed professional
Social volunteer or community leader
Selection Process
Exclusivity
Entries must be produced exclusively by you (no group work) for the specific purpose of this competition, and must not have been published elsewhereOriginality
The essay must be written entirely and exclusively by the participant. The essay must not be written with assistance from tools like Chat-GPT, or any other Generative AI tools or similar software. Entries submitted thus will be disqualified and their authors will not be allowed to participate in the contest again.
Timeline:
MARCH 3: SUBMISSION OPEN
MAY 24: SUBMISSION DEADLINE
NOV. 6–7: GLOBAL PETER DRUCKER FORUM
NOV. 6: AWARD CEREMONY
Method of Application
Essay Format
Words: 1500 to 3000 (excluding footnotes and any graphics) as PDF or word document
Font size: 12 points
Language: English
Anonymity: Your name must not be included anywhere in the essay
For More Information,
Visit the Official Webpage
Application Deadline: May 24, 2025.
