Essay competition for students on the topics of panel discussions of the Academic Forum on Crimea – 2022

As part of the Academic Forum on Crimea - 2022, Taras Shevchenko Kyiv National University and its student community, in cooperation with leading Ukrainian and foreign universities, their academic and student communities, and with the organizational support of the Representation of the President of Ukraine in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea / Office of the Crimean Platform, announce the Essay competition for students on the topics of panel discussions of the Academic Forum on Crimea - 2022 . Every participant may choose one of the four topics listed below for his or her essay. All subtopics of the chosen topic should be covered in the essay contribution. The language of all essays and student panel discussions is English. There are no strict requirements regarding essay length. Essay topics and subtopics to cover:

1. Legal status of Crimea: Defining contours of national-territorial autonomy 

Subtopics:

• how should power be distributed between the organs of autonomy?
• what should be the relationship between the autonomous parliament and indigenous elected bodies (the Mejlis and Qurultay of the Crimean Tatar people)? What should be their status and powers?
• can the imposition of quotas for indigenous peoples in autonomy’s organs, ranging from all-Crimean to local ones, be an effective tool to ensure representation and restore historical justice?
• how can the legal framework of the Crimean Tatar national-territorial autonomy take into account the need to protect smaller indigenous peoples (Krymchaks, Crimean Karaites)?

2. Vision for economic reintegration of Crimea: Rebuilding better?

Subtopics:

• what priorities should be pursued in terms of economic development?
• what competitive edges will Ukrainian Crimea have and which industries will be particularly worth investing in?
• what economic tools can be employed to foster growth in Crimea?
• how should the peninsula be reintegrated into the Ukrainian economy, especially in view of the current environmental disaster caused by the occupation?

3. Back to the roots: Restoration of indigenous Crimea in culture, language, and historical memory.

Subtopics:

• what role the Crimean Tatar language should play in the Crimean educational system;
• how important returning Crimean Tatar toponyms will be and how/when it should be done;
• what role return of works of art and historical artifacts play in the renaissance of Crimean culture;
• rethinking Crimean history and culture and promoting historical truth about Crimean Tatars in Ukrainian national discourse.

4. Overcoming the disaster: Tackling artificially changed demographics, propaganda and environmental degradation in Crimea 

Subtopics:

• how to deal with the Russian population unlawfully transferred to Crimea? Should either the Ukrainian government or national-territorial autonomy launch schemes to ensure the repatriation of Crimean Tatars from all over the world? What shape could they take?
• taking into account years of total Russian propaganda, should any temporary restriction on the voting rights be imposed after de-occupation?
• how to overcome years of brainwashing and bring an objective picture of the world to Crimeans?
• how to cope with the consequences of environmental degradation in Crimea?

In accordance with the results of the essay contest, 20 authors of the best essay will be selected and invited to participate in student panel discussions on September 29 joined by jury and experts. They may also continue to improve their essays and speeches throughout the academic part of the Forum on September 22 inspired by invited scholars’ and experts’ contributions. Further prizes, including publication and dissemination of the best participants’ ideas and essays, will be announced later. The contributions and panel discussion appearances will be evaluated by an experienced jury consisting of scholars, experts and representatives of the Mission of the President of Ukraine in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea. The Forum’s organizers commit to ensuring impartiality of evaluation. Criteria for evaluating essay contributions are as follows: - originality and unorthodoxy of thoughts (30 points); - depth and completeness of research (20 points); - problem-solving approach (10 points); - detailedness of the solutions proposed (30 points); - coherence and structure (10 points). Key dates: Competition launch: 26 August. Submission deadline: 11:59 p.m., 17 September. Results announcement: 23 September. Participation in student panel discussions: 29 September. Send your essays to crimeaacademicforum2022@gmail.com. Along with the essay, it is necessary to indicate the name, e-mail and telephone number for feedback, educational institution and year of study of the participant. Individuals enrolled in Ukrainian or foreign higher education institutions at the time the Forum will take place can participate in the competition, regardless of the degree the participant is obtaining.