Aarhus University Seal / Aarhus Universitets segl

Prize essay 2022: Does your essay meet the gold standard?

The topic for next year’s prize essay has now been published. One again, students from Aarhus BSS have a unique opportunity to demonstrate their academic ability – and perhaps take the first step on the road to a future research career.

2021.06.21 | Louise Asmund-Hjorth

Photo: Lars Kruse

Each year, departments/schools or faculties at Aarhus University can choose to set a number of prize essays. A prize essay is an obvious way of profiling your knowledge, and again this year the chance to try their hand at the academic discipline goes to students at Aarhus BSS.

The best essays will be awarded a gold medal or the grade ‘accessit’. The gold medal bears the Aarhus University seal and the inscription ‘Solidum petit in profundis’ (‘We seek solid ground in the depths’) on the front, while the recipient’s name and the year it was awarded will appear on the back. An ‘accessit’ will be accompanied by a cash prize.


The following prize essay topic has been set for 2022:

The prize essay is at the Department of Law with the title:

  • “Economic compensation at the violation of international law”

Submissions must be sent as a single PDF file to the email address prisopgave.bss@au.dk

The deadline for submission of essays is 1 August 2022.

The other faculties at the university have not set prize essay topics for 2022.


Prize essays at Aarhus University
A prize essay may have up to three authors. If an essay has more than one author, the contribution of each author must be clearly distinguishable. It must be clear from the paper itself or from an attached declaration who is responsible for what.

When submitting a prize essay, the author(s) must declare in writing that the paper has not previously been submitted to the same or another educational institution for assessment. This declaration must also contain the person’s name, address, and date and year of birth (for use in issuing certificates).

The prize consists either of a gold medal or a mark of ‘accessit’, where the gold medal is the higher accolade. An ‘accessit’ will be accompanied by a cash prize. The rector will issue a certificate stating that the faculty in question has decided to award the university’s gold medal or an ‘accessit’ for the paper. The dean may decide that a prize essay may be converted to a Master’s thesis. However, this is subject to prior approval from the Academic Council.

A copy of each paper will be filed in the faculty archives, from which it may be borrowed by persons who have obtained the written consent of the author(s).

The assessment can be expected to be completed three months after submission.

The prize essays have been set according to the rules on prize essays at Aarhus University, adopted by the Aarhus University Board on 27 May 2005 and last updated on 24 April 2017. 

Talent development, Research, Students, Aarhus BSS, Aarhus University, Education, Business and finance, All AU units, Aarhus BSS