What does it mean to be human in an increasingly AI-driven world? That is the question the UIC Faculty of Humanities has posed to young people across Latin America in the first edition of the Hispanic American Essay Competition – UIC Young Humanists Award, the aim of which is to foster critical thinking, humanistic reflection and argumentative writing among younger generations.

“With this competition, we want to recognise and support young people who have something to say about the world they live in. Writing the essay offers them a space to ask questions, develop arguments and find their own voice,” explains Laura Gandolfi, dean of the UIC Faculty of Humanities, because “as a faculty of humanities, we have a responsibility to create spaces in which this intellectual curiosity can flourish and spark dialogue with others,” she adds.

The competition is open to students in their final year of upper secondary school or equivalent university-entry programmes in a Spanish-speaking country in Latin America. Participation is free and individual, and students are not required to be nominated or selected by their school. Entries must be submitted by 23.59 (mainland Spain time) on 10 January 2027.

A humanistic perspective on the challenges of AI

In its first edition, the competition invites participants to write an essay exploring the question: What does it mean to be human in the age of artificial intelligence? The aim is not to focus on the technical aspects of AI, but to reflect on the human condition in the face of today’s cultural, social and intellectual transformations. Participants may explore the question from a range of subject areas, including philosophy, literature, history, art, culture and anthropology.

By organising this competition, the Faculty of Humanities seeks to give a voice to young people with an interest in the humanities and original ideas on the major questions facing today’s world. In this regard, the assessment committee will pay particular attention to the depth of reflection, strength of argument, originality, ability to connect different perspectives within the humanities and quality of writing.

Essays must be original, unpublished and written in Spanish, with a length of 1,500 to 2,000 words, excluding the bibliography and footnotes. Entries will be submitted anonymously and assessed by a committee composed of Faculty of Humanities lecturers, academic and institutional representatives from UIC and a guest scholar from a Hispanic American institution.

According to Gandolfi, the competition also represents an opportunity to strengthen ties with the region: “The award also allows us to foster closer links with young people in Spanish-speaking Latin America and their educational communities, with whom we share a language and an extraordinarily rich and diverse cultural heritage.”

An opportunity to study humanities in Barcelona

The winner of the UIC Young Humanists Awards will receive a certificate of recognition, a grant covering 50% of their first-year Bachelor’s Degree in Humanities tuition fees at UIC and a one-way flight to Barcelona to help them take up their place at the University. To be eligible for the grant, students must meet all academic and administrative requirements for admission to the bachelor’s degree programme.

“We want to offer them an academic community where they can find others who share their curiosity and develop their talent through rigorous study and close personal guidance,” stresses the Dean, who adds that studying humanities “means learning to connect literature, philosophy, history and the arts to better understand the human experience and the challenges of our time.”

This degree at UIC, Gandolfi explains, helps students “develop the ability to interpret, reason and communicate, as well as listen to different perspectives and exercise independent judgement.” The academic experience is further enriched by the chance to live and study in Barcelona, “a city with an exceptional cultural life”. “The award provides a tangible opportunity to turn an interest in the humanities into a university education,” she concludes.

The assessment committee may also award up to five honourable mentions to essays that show exceptional quality, originality or academic rigour in the humanities. These distinctions will not carry a monetary award; instead, the authors will receive a certificate of recognition.

With this first edition, the UIC Faculty of Humanities aims to build closer ties with young talent across Spanish-speaking Latin America and reaffirm the role of the humanities as a space for reflection that deepens our understanding of the human condition and the challenges of the contemporary world.