ARES Philippe Maystadt Prize 2025

Philippe Maystadt Prize for Tomorrow's Education 2024-2025 This award recognizes the best student projects and theses in the Wallonia-Brussels Federation that offer transferable insights into education, particularly higher education.

Summary

1. Application Deadline: October 15, 2025
2. Value: €2,000- €4,000
3. Study Level: Master’s, PhD
4. Sponsor: ARES (Académie de Recherche et d’Enseignement Supérieur), Belgium
5. Host Country: Belgium
6. Eligible Country: Belgium

Eligibility Criteria for ARES Philippe Maystadt Prize 2025

To be eligible, the work presented must:

1. be personal, original and unpublished works, and presented for the Prize by their author(s), hereinafter referred to as “the candidate”, “the candidate” or “the candidates”,
2. have been successfully presented and/or defended, during the 2024-2025 academic year, in a recognized higher education establishment in the Wallonia-Brussels Federation,
3. for the “Bac” and “Master” prizes, be final year projects within the meaning of article 126 of the “Landscape” decree,
4. for the “Doc” prize, be doctoral theses within the meaning of article 71, § 3 of the “Landscape” decree,
5. for the “Bac” and “Master” awards, have obtained at least a grade of 16/20 (80%), certified by a transcript, diploma or achievement certificate.

The same person may only submit one application per edition and may only apply once in each award category.

Late or incomplete applications will not be considered.

Evaluation criteria

The work is evaluated by the jury on the basis of the application files and according to the following criteria:

1. the theme covered and the intensity of the link with teaching and in particular with higher education;
2. the originality and the innovative and prospective nature of the subject and/or its treatment,
3. the theoretical framework, methodological and scientific rigor,
4. the clarity of the arguments and the possibility of popularization,
5. the quality of analysis and the results obtained.

The following two criteria may also, where appropriate, be used:

1. the potential benefits of the work for education in general, and their possible transposability to the scale of the Wallonia-Brussels Federation,
2. the societal dimension (contribution to social emancipation, sustainable development, improvement of well-being, etc.).

Benefits of ARES Philippe Maystadt Prize 2025

1. The "Bac" prize, worth 2,000 euros, rewards a final year undergraduate project defended in a course at a university, a higher arts school or a higher education establishment for social advancement (short bachelor's degree and specialist bachelor's degree).
2. The "Master" prize, worth 2,000 euros, rewards a final year project of the second cycle of studies defended in a course at a university, college, higher school of the arts or a higher education establishment for social advancement (master's, specialized master's, doctor, veterinary doctor and agrégé de l'enseignement secondaire supérieur).
3. The “Doc” prize, worth 4,000 euros, rewards a doctoral thesis defended with a view to obtaining the academic degree of doctor.

How to Apply

The online application form must be completed by October 15, 2025.

Please note that you will be asked to submit the following documents in PDF format:

1. the final year project or doctoral thesis,
2. official proof of the result obtained for this work (transcript, diploma or achievement certificate, thesis report – no screenshot),
3. a summary of the work (1 page maximum), in French, specifying the subject covered, the theoretical and methodological framework, the limits, conclusions and perspectives of the research,
4. a popular summary (maximum 10 lines), in French, explaining what the research conducted can contribute to thinking about teaching (on educational policies, teaching practices, etc.). This text will allow the jury to evaluate the popularization potential of the work. It must make the link with the objective of the prize.

For more details, visit ARES Philippe Maystadt Prize 2025 webpage

Application Deadline

October 15, 2025

Application Link(s)

• Apply for ARES Philippe Maystadt Prize 2025