Can you tell us a bit about yourself and what motivated you to enter the essay competition?
I’m from Slovakia, and I am currently studying Political Science here at CEU. My research interests revolve around the impact of digitalization on democracy and political behavior, particularly how people process the vast amount of political information available.
The main reason I entered the essay competition was to strengthen my application for a 2-year MA Program in Political Science. Thankfully, it seems to have worked! Beyond that, I saw it as an opportunity to demonstrate my alignment with the department. That said, I would have pursued admission to CEU regardless of the outcome—this university has always been my goal.
Which topic did you choose and what inspired you to choose it?
I selected the topic “authoritarian and populist challenges to democracy.” I had just finished writing a response paper to John Mearsheimer’s essay from 2014, where he argues that the Ukraine crisis was caused by the West. I disagreed, and one of the main counterarguments I made was that Ukraine poses a threat to Russia due to its democratic regime. I realized that this perspective was the opposite of what the topic suggested, and I thought it would be intriguing to turn it on its head and challenge the premise itself.
How did you approach the writing process? Did you have a particular method or structure?
Since I already had a clear argument in my mind, I focused mainly on explaining it well and supporting it with strong evidence. I paid special attention to the structure; I wanted to make sure that the paragraphs flowed nicely into each other, making the essay easy to follow.
What was the biggest challenge you faced while writing your essay, and how did you overcome it?
The biggest challenge was staying within the 1,200-word limit. At first, I found myself thinking about the word count too much, which complicated my research and writing process. What helped me was giving myself “permission” to write everything I deemed important. Then, I spent as much time editing as I did writing, making paragraphs as concise as possible and ensuring they were meaningful in terms of supporting the overall argument.
What advice would you give to students considering entering this year’s competition? Why do you think students should consider entering this competition?
Choose a topic you are confident in and build on your prior research and knowledge. This allows you to spend more time refining your arguments and ensuring they are communicated clearly, rather than having to conduct research on a completely new topic.
Finally, I encourage any BA students aspiring to study at CEU to join the competition. It’s a great opportunity to introduce yourself to the department even before you submit your application. Winning can also give you a confidence boost heading into the admissions process, which is invaluable.
Credit: Maryam Hasanova