To recognize and reward outstanding student essays, the Centre for Critical Heritage Studies at the University of Gothenburg (CCHS) is establishing a new essay prize in the field of critical heritage studies.
Starting in 2026, CCHS will annually award a prize for the best essay within the field of critical heritage studies.
The prize is awarded to a bachelor’s, one-year master’s (magister), or two-year master’s essay. The thesis must have received the highest grade at one of the following faculties at the University of Gothenburg: the Faculty of Science and Technology, the School of Business, Economics and Law, the Faculty of Humanities, the Artistic Faculty, the Faculty of Social Sciences, or the Faculty of Education.
Supervisors, examiners, and heads of department may nominate essays. Self-nominations are also accepted. A nomination must include the essay together with a short letter of recommendation describing the strengths of the work. In the case of self-nomination, the author must also attach a CV, and the letter of recommendation must be written by the supervisor.
The current nomination period runs until 31 August 2026. To nominate an essay, please use the following form: Nomination Form. Essays submitted between 1 September 2025 and 20 August 2026 are eligible for nomination.
How is the prize winner selected?
The winning essay is selected by a jury appointed by CCHS. The jury consists of experienced researchers at the University of Gothenburg affiliated with CCHS, as well as experts from the heritage sector connected to the Heritage Academy.
The jury reviews the nominated essays and selects the most outstanding submission.
The chair of the jury is Annelie Sjölander-Lindqvist, Director of CCHS.
The winner will be offered the opportunity to publish their essay in the CCHS Passion series. The prize is awarded in connection with the Heritage Academy’s annual event, the Heritage Fair (20 Oct 2026). On this occasion, the student will also be invited to present their work either orally or in the form of a poster.
The jury may also decide to award an honourable mention to an additional essay.
The jury may also decide not to award the prize if the number of nominations is too low or if no essay is deemed to meet the required standard of quality.
For questions, please contact Annelie Sjölander-Lindqvist, Director of CCHS. Email: annelie.sjolander-lindqvist@gu.se
Nomination Form - Student Essay CHS (pdf)
Links
Which essays are eligible for nomination?
Bachelor’s, one-year master’s (magister), or two-year master’s essays from different disciplines within the field of critical heritage studies may be nominated. The thesis must have received the highest grade at one of the following faculties at the University of Gothenburg: the School of Business, Economics and Law, the Faculty of Humanities, the Faculty of Science and Technology, the Artistic Faculty, the Faculty of Social Sciences, and the Faculty of Education.
Who can submit a nomination?
Supervisors, examiners, and heads of department may nominate essays. Self-nominations are also accepted. A nomination must include the essay together with a short letter of recommendation describing the strengths of the work. In the case of self-nomination, the author must also attach a CV, and the letter of recommendation must be written by the essay supervisor.
How do you nominate an essay?
To nominate, send the essay in PDF format to chs@history.gu.se together with information about the author, examination date, supervisor, examiner, and department. Please also attach any grading forms if available.
If you are nominating someone else’s essay, please remember to include the author’s contact details in the nomination.
How is the prize winner selected?
The winning essay is selected by a jury appointed by CCHS. The jury consists of experienced researchers at the University of Gothenburg affiliated with CCHS, as well as experts from the heritage sector connected to the Heritage Academy.
The jury reviews the nominated essays and selects the most outstanding submission.
When will the winner be announced?
The prize winner will be announced during the following autumn semester. The winning essay will subsequently be published on this webpage.