Jo Cox Europe Prize 2026
Once again this year, ten years after her death, the ASTRID Foundation and, for the first time, the Istituto Affari Internazionali, under the high patronage of the European Parliament, are promoting a dissertation prize for studies on Europe named after Helen Joanne “Jo” Cox, the British MP who was killed in an attack in the run-up to Brexit. The initiative aims to commemorate Jo Cox’s commitment to keeping the United Kingdom in the EU and to reward one or more young people whose research highlights the economic, political, social and legal benefits of European integration.
The 2026 Cox Prize is open to Master’s dissertations that, drawing on a range of disciplinary approaches, focus on issues concerning the institutions, economy and society of the European Union (EU), as well as on the European policies needed to address the technological, environmental and geopolitical challenges of our time.
Recent years have brought about profound changes in Europe’s political and economic landscape as a result of the pandemic, the energy crisis and climate change, economic and technological competition and, above all, the geopolitical and military conflicts that have had a major impact on international balances and the internal cohesion of the region.
Today, many analysts believe that the EU can preserve a leading position in the international arena and sustain its “social model” only if it is capable of transforming its productive model and institutional arrangements. However, there is less agreement on the direction and substance of the changes required, as well as on the concrete initiatives that should be undertaken to pursue the chosen course.
Dissertations submitted for the Cox Prize may address economic, financial and legal issues, as well as matters relating to international relations and institutions.
The Jury will be the Scientific Committee of the Jo Cox Prize, composed of Giuliano Amato, Stefania Bariatti, Franco Bassanini, Marco Buti, Claudio De Vincenti, Paolo Giordani, Valentina Meliciani, Marcello Messori, Raoul Minetti, Pier Carlo Padoan, Lia Quartapelle, Pietro Reichlin, Marco Simoni, Irene Tinagli, Nathalie Tocci and Gian Luigi Tosato.
The prize will be awarded to a Master’s graduate from a university based in Italy who has studied economics, political science, law, history or a related discipline. It may also be awarded to a graduate of a university in the European Union or the United Kingdom who has spent an Erasmus period at an Italian university.
Applications may be submitted by graduates who defended their dissertation after 31 December 2024 and obtained a final degree mark of at least 105/110. The prize is open to citizens of Italy, other European Union countries and the United Kingdom. Dissertations may be written in Italian or English.
Candidates must submit their dissertation and a detailed curriculum vitae, clearly indicating their final degree mark, in electronic PDF format to [premiocox@gmail.com](mailto:premiocox@gmail.com) by 30 July 2026. Dissertations written in Italian must also be accompanied by a one- to two-page summary in English.