Results Announced: Online Stage Winners of the International Philosophy Olympiad for Students

The results of the first stage of the International Philosophy Olympiad for Students, organised by Immanuel Kant Baltic Federal University and Lomonosov Moscow State University, with the support of the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of Russia, have been announced. The event was held online on the 20th of September. The task was to write an essay on topics related to Immanuel Kant.

The Expert Committee received a total of 630 essays submitted by participants from 24 countries. The contributors included not only students of philosophy but also those studying law, bioinformatics, medicine, public relations, philology, economics, education, mathematics, and more.

The Jury Panel, composed of leading experts from Lomonosov Moscow State University, Immanuel Kant Baltic Federal University, Saint Petersburg State University, the Institute of Philosophy of the National Academy of Sciences of Belgrade University, and Belarusian State University, selected 51 outstanding essays. The submissions were evaluated on several criteria, including understanding of the chosen topic, clarity and coherence of argumentation, comprehensiveness of the topic, functional literacy, reflective position, and originality.

Among the winners are students from Belarus, India, Iran, Spain, Cyprus, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, and France, representing the leading universities of their respective countries, namely Saint Petersburg State University, M.V. Lomonosov Moscow State University, Immanuel Kant Baltic Federal University, Southern Federal University, National Research University Higher School of Economics, the French Ecole Du Centre Ouest des Avocats, University of Nicosia in Cyprus, Belarusian State University, Tehran University and University of Tabriz in Iran, Kyrgyz-Russian Slavic University named after Boris Yeltsin, and University of Granada in Spain, among others.

Experts noted that the most popular topics for student essays were Kant’s legacy in the context of moral philosophy, philosophical theology, and the philosophy of consciousness.

	Maxim Demin, IKBFU Acting Rector:
	I would like to extend my gratitude to all the participants of this major philosophical competition. Among them were not only students of the humanities, but also future engineers, IT specialists, and medical professionals. This reflects philosophy’s ongoing relevance among today’s youth. We have seen a significant increase in participation rates compared to the first Olympiad, with several hundred more applicants. The expansion of international representation is remarkable: 24 countries compared to 11 in 2022. While scale was not our primary goal, the interest from students of leading universities in Russia and across the world is important to us. It underscores the relevance of hosting such events. We await the finalists in Kaliningrad, where we will honour them at the 14th-century Cathedral.

Maxim Demin, IKBFU Acting Rector:

I would like to extend my gratitude to all the participants of this major philosophical competition. Among them were not only students of the humanities, but also future engineers, IT specialists, and medical professionals. This reflects philosophy’s ongoing relevance among today’s youth. We have seen a significant increase in participation rates compared to the first Olympiad, with several hundred more applicants. The expansion of international representation is remarkable: 24 countries compared to 11 in 2022. While scale was not our primary goal, the interest from students of leading universities in Russia and across the world is important to us. It underscores the relevance of hosting such events. We await the finalists in Kaliningrad, where we will honour them at the 14th-century Cathedral.

	Roman Svetlov, Doctor of Sciences in Philosophy, Professor at the Institute of Theology, Saint Petersburg State University, and Deputy Chairman of the Jury Panel of the Olympiad:
	This year has seen a clear increase in interest towards the Olympiad, with an expanded range of participants both in Russia and abroad. The overall quality of submissions was high, with some essays demonstrating the potential of young scholars to make a serious entry into the academic field. I would particularly like to highlight the strong interest in Kant’s legacy, both in Russia and among the international participants who submitted essays. This is especially gratifying in the year of the great thinker’s 300th anniversary. The selection process was rigorous, with a minimum score of 44.5 out of 50 required to enter the list of winners. Particular attention was given to the originality and independence of the essays. All submissions underwent thorough plagiarism checks, with a special focus on the use of AI-generated content. Unfortunately, many modern students rely on assistance from chatbots. When such texts were identified, the essays were carefully reviewed, and marks for independence and reflection were significantly reduced. Interestingly, a number of international participants referred to Immanuel Kant as a Russian philosopher and identified his birthplace as Kaliningrad.

Roman Svetlov, Doctor of Sciences in Philosophy, Professor at the Institute of Theology, Saint Petersburg State University, and Deputy Chairman of the Jury Panel of the Olympiad:

This year has seen a clear increase in interest towards the Olympiad, with an expanded range of participants both in Russia and abroad. The overall quality of submissions was high, with some essays demonstrating the potential of young scholars to make a serious entry into the academic field. I would particularly like to highlight the strong interest in Kant’s legacy, both in Russia and among the international participants who submitted essays. This is especially gratifying in the year of the great thinker’s 300th anniversary. The selection process was rigorous, with a minimum score of 44.5 out of 50 required to enter the list of winners. Particular attention was given to the originality and independence of the essays. All submissions underwent thorough plagiarism checks, with a special focus on the use of AI-generated content. Unfortunately, many modern students rely on assistance from chatbots. When such texts were identified, the essays were carefully reviewed, and marks for independence and reflection were significantly reduced. Interestingly, a number of international participants referred to Immanuel Kant as a Russian philosopher and identified his birthplace as Kaliningrad.

Fifty-one winners of the first stage of the Olympiad are invited to participate in the in-person stage in Kaliningrad, which will take place from the 26th to 28th of November 2024.

The final results will be announced, and the Olympiad winners will be celebrated on the 29th of November at the 14th-century Kaliningrad Cathedral.

The scientific and philosophical event, initiated by the Prime Minister of the Russian Federation, Mikhail Mishustin, will be held in autumn of 2024 in Kaliningrad. The First Olympiad was held in 2022.

Mentioned persons

Maxim Demin

Acting rector