Essay Contest 2009

At the beginning of 2009, AUC announced its first Essay Contest. The winner would receive a waiver of the first year's tuition fee.

Students were asked to write about their motivation to study at AUC and the benefits of an AUC education. 
 
The essay topic was a response to the following statement:

Young, well-educated and ambitious, you are ready to embark on an educational adventure within the sciences, social sciences and humanities. Studies show that students tend to be optimistic about their future. We would like you to put that optimism to work!

Winner, Essay Contest  2009: Randy van Duuren

Randy van Duuren won the AUC Essay Contest 2009 with his essay: "Don't hunt for high offices, but for the knowledge it takes to occupy them."

The jury judged his essay as an original, creative and well-structured piece of writing. The essay reads like a story and involves other cultures. On top of that, it is written with a good sense of humor and self-criticism. 

The mayor of Amsterdam, Job Cohen, offered the Essay Prize to Randy van Duuren at AUC Opening Ceremony. He also read an inspiring selection of the winning essay to the audience:

I want to educate myself to such a level that I can be sure that the decisions I make are right. Your institute fits that ambition perfectly. The complex problems we face today aren't one-dimensional and can't be solved by narrow thinking. And of course I can educate myself in as many disciplines as I want. But I alone will not be able to bring peace to the Middle-East, economic growth to the Third World or sense into Kim Jong-il. This requires cooperation, an open mind and, admittedly, a small miracle. Now, the latter we will not be able to influence, but I believe that AUC will most definitely teach its students to work together and to be creative. It will form the kind of environment in which you will be forced to think outside the box and seek for solutions beyond your own field of knowledge. By doing so, AUC will not only increase my knowledge, but also develop the skills that are absolutely vital to succeed in life.