The Dreaming Spires Global Essay Competition

Registration

  • This competition (the “Competition”) is operated and promoted by WorldStrides. Registration in the Competition constitutes acceptance of these terms and conditions and confirm that you are telling us your real name. Worldstrides reserves the right to amend these Terms and Conditions without notice and at its sole discretion.
  • The Competition is open to high school students between the ages of 14 and 19 inclusive. Participants under the age of 18 years old will be deemed to have obtained the permission of their parent or guardian to participate in the Competition.
  • The Timeline of the competition is on the competition website, https://globalessay.org/
  • Each participant could only submit one essay.
  • All correspondence regarding the Competition will be made through the nominated contact details provided when registering. It is the responsibility of the individual to ensure contact details are correct and current.
  • The essay submitted should be unpublished.
  • An Entry fee of USD 50 per person must be paid to participate in the competition.
  • The registration form will close automatically on April 30th. No registrations will be accepted after this time.
  • Individuals must complete the payment of the registration fee and submit their work before the specified deadlines – no late submissions will be accepted. We cannot accept responsibility for submissions that are lost, delayed, or damaged and proof of sending an online submission is not proof that we received it.

Competition Rules

  • Each submission should comply with the essay requirements listed on the competition website, https://globalessay.org/essay-requirements/
  • Each participant is responsible for creating their own individual work for the competition. Each submission will be submitted through plagiarism software and any works deemed plagiarized will automatically be disqualified.
  • Essays submitted cannot be returned so please remember to retain a copy.
  • All the work must not contain defamatory, obscene, offensive, or any other unsuitable material; WorldStrides reserves the right to disqualify essays containing such matter. Essays must be suitable to be published by WorldStrides for audiences of all ages.
  • Each participant retains the copyright in his or her work but grants to WorldStrides a perpetual non-exclusive royalty-free license (including but not limited to China, EU, UK and US) to publish, broadcast (across all media) and post the work online and on any other platforms yet to be envisaged, together with his or her name, age and country of residence. This license will be deemed to include all the necessary rights and permissions to enable such use by WorldStrides, to fulfil the prizes and to complete the administration of this Competition.
  • By submitting an essay, you agree that WorldStrides may at its sole discretion edit, adapt, abridge or translate the essay for the purposes listed in these terms and conditions. You grant permission to WorldStrides, and to those acting under WorldStrides’ authority, to use your name, picture, likeness, voice, biographical information and statements for promotional purposes without additional compensation, in all media now known or hereafter discovered, worldwide and on the Internet and World Wide Web, without notice, review or approval.

Prize and judging

  • All judges come from the University of Oxford or the University of Cambridge and are recognised experts in their academic fields.
  • Prizes are listed on the competition website, https://globalessay.org/awards/. There is no alternative prize and prizes cannot be transferred to any other person. We may alter arrangements or prizes should this be deemed necessary by us.
  • The prizes do not include any items other than those expressly stated. They do not include, for example, round-trip ticket to England for the Award Dinner at Oxford, accommodation fee during the stay at Oxford, insurance costs, the costs of transfers to and from airports, food and drink other than meals provided by WorldStrides, taxes or personal expenses. Any such costs, or other costs incidental to the fulfilment of the prizes, are the responsibility of the winners.
  • If you win, you will be responsible for ensuring that you are available to travel and hold valid passports, any necessary visas and other travel documents for the prize in question on the travel dates specified.
  • The decision of the judging panel is final, and at its sole discretion. No correspondence or discussion will be entered into by us in relation to that decision.
  • Winners will be announced on or about May 30th, 2023.
  • We will make all reasonable efforts to contact the winners. If any winner cannot be contacted or is not available or has not claimed his or her prize within 10 days of the announcement date, WorldStrides reserves the right to offer the prize to the next eligible participant selected from the correct submissions that were received before the closing date.
  • . We may ask you to provide documentary proof or your identity and/or address before award of the prize. The use of a false name or address will disqualify you from receiving any prize.
  • Please note that if you win and you are under 18 at the time of the Award Dinner at Oxford in July/August, we may ask you for a parent consent.

Use of your information

  • We will use any personal information that you give us in accordance with the law and our privacy policy at: https://worldstrides.com/privacy-policy/, for the purposes of the Competition, in the ways described in these terms and conditions, and for any marketing or other purposes you may indicate your consent to. We may also share your details with our service providers and agents for the purposes of providing prizes on our behalf, and any sponsors or Competition partners involved in this Competition.
  • You or your parent or guardian (if you are under the age of 18 years old) hereby separately, voluntarily and expressly represent, warrant, undertake and consent that:
    (a) WorldStrides may obtain, collect, retain, store and process your personal information involved in the Competition in any reasonable way;
    (b) WorldStrides may obtain, collect, retain, store and process your sensitive personal information attained for the purpose of the Competition;
    (c) WorldStrides may publicize your necessary personal information involved in the Competition for any marketing or other purposes; and
    (d) WorldStrides may provide and transfer your personal information to overseas recipient outside the territory of China.
  • If you have any questions or concerns about the use of your personal information please contact us by email at competition@globalessay.org.

General

  • We are not liable for any damage, loss or disappointment suffered by you taking part or not being able to take part in this Competition, or from being unable to claim your prize.
  • Insofar as is permitted by law, WorldStrides, its agents or distributors will not in any circumstances be responsible or liable to compensate the winner or accept any liability for any loss, damage, personal injury or death occurring as a result of taking up a prize except where it is caused by the negligence of WorldStrides, its agents or distributors or that of their employees. Your statutory rights are not affected.
  • In the event of unforeseen circumstances, we may alter, amend or foreclose the Competition without prior notice. We reserve the right to change these terms at any time. The Competition is void wherever prohibited by law.
  • These terms shall be governed by the internal law of the State of Delaware, without regard to conflict of law principles that would result in the application of any law other than the law of the State of Delaware. Any dispute, controversy, difference or claim arising out of or relating to these terms shall be referred to and finally resolved by the courts in the State of Delaware.