This year’s Writer’s Paradigm is over. You cannot submit now. See you next year! If you are interested in reading who won this year (scroll to the bottom) and what 2023’s guidelines were, please keep reading:
Paradigm Shift proudly presents to you, The Writer’s Paradigm – our All-Pakistan writing contest. All Pakistanis, aged 18-35, are allowed to participate! This year’s contest is in collaboration with the prestigious Air University!
We would STRONGLY ADVISE you to read ALL the guidelines to ensure your submission is NOT rejected and that you have a real chance of winning!
100% Free
There is no registration or registration fee. The contest is free.
Age Limit
Contestants must be between the ages of 18-35. If you are shortlisted, we might require a picture of your CNIC.
Word Limit
We are looking for a 2000-2500 word article. Details on what kind of article will be explained below.
Judgment Criteria
The article will be judged based on the following:
- Grammar, language, & vocabulary
- Adherence to the word limit
- The originality/creativity of the submission
- The quality of the analysis
- The references and sources used
Judgment Method
Pieces sent to The Writer’s Paradigm will be initially judged and shortlisted by our editorial team. The shortlisted pieces will be sent to a panel of expert judges who will grade the articles based on the aforementioned criteria. Three winners from Pakistan will be selected based on their ratings.
Judges Panel
The esteemed judges of The Writer’s Paradigm for this year are:
- Mr. Ali Shahab, CSS Instructor & Mentor
- Former Ambassador Mr. Irfan Yusuf Shami
- Ms. Amna Baig, Superintendent Police
- Michael Kugelman, Deputy Director of the Asia Program and Senior Associate for South Asia at the Wilson Center
- Mr. Sarmad Ishfaq, CEO Paradigm Shift
Timeline
You can send in your articles from April 7th until May 7th, 2023. We will not entertain any contest submissions sent to us after 11:59 PM on May 7th, 2023. Results will be announced in around the first week of June, 2023.
Winners of The Writer’s Paradigm
1st place: Rs 50,000 and a note of appreciation from all our judges!
2nd place: Rs 30,000
3rd place: Rs 10,000
The best contestants will:
- Receive a Digital Certificate of Excellence.
- Get their article published on the website and the monthly PDF magazine.
- Be celebrated on our website (around 200,000 visits per month) as well as our social media platforms (50,000+ people).
What Kind of Articles Are We Looking For?
Entrants have the choice to write their piece on any one of the six themes (mentioned after this section).
Articles must be analytical and NOT simply state current or historical events. We want you to dig deeper and use creative arguments to captivate the audience. In other words, we are looking for pieces that go beyond the surface level and delve deeper by providing a research-backed analysis.
For example: Do NOT write an article titled “Pakistan’s Economic Crisis” and then simply discuss what our current GDP and external debt is. That’s boring! Instead, you could write an article titled “How Pakistan Can Save Itself From Economic Peril”. In such an article, the writer should briefly mention the terrible economic scenario in the country but the main research and argument should focus on policies the country needs to adopt to rid itself of this crisis. Facts, statistics, and certain arguments should be backed by research and cited via hyperlinks in the body of the article. If you do not know how to add hyperlinks, please click here.
All articles will undergo a plagiarism check. Plagiarism should not exceed 10%.
All articles will also undergo an AI check. We will NOT tolerate the use of any AI software/website such as Chat GPT. This will result in an instant blacklisting of the author.
For more examples of the kind of articles we are looking for, check the following examples:
- Sultan Mehmed II’s Ottoman Empire Compared to Atatürk’s Secular Turkey
- Reality Check: Economic Crisis in Pakistan
- A Short Essay on the Energy Crisis in Pakistan
- Pakistan’s Energy Crisis and its Solution
- Russian Influence Operations: Disinformation Campaigns
- Parliamentary System vs Presidential System: What’s Better for Pakistan
- Pakistan’s Inflation Curse: Causes & Recommendations
- A Guide to Becoming a Civil Servant in Pakistan
Themes
Your article sent to The Writer’s Paradigm MUST be based on one of the following six themes. Under each theme are several examples that are there to stimulate your thinking. It is completely up to you if you want to use these examples, modify them, or completely devise your own specific topic as long as it aligns with the theme that you have chosen.
- Pakistan’s Current Economic Crisis
Examples:
- Design an economic policy that can help Pakistan avert this crisis.
- Comparing Pakistan’s economic collapse to another country’s (lessons to be learned).
- Is IMF a tangible solution or an economic hitman for Pakistan?
- What is the Future of the Russia-Ukraine War?
Examples:
- Russia’s win is assured and NATO’s influence will decrease in the region.
- Ukraine and the West will prevail and Putin will be overthrown.
- The global impact of the Russia-Ukraine war (economic, food supply, etcetera)
- The importance of propaganda in this war and who is winning.
- Which Bloc Will Dominate in 2023 and Beyond?
Examples:
- Which bloc (allied countries) do you see dominating the global markets and why?
- The West’s influence is stagnating due to a new Chinese-Russian-led bloc.
- Will BRICS become the next big thing?
- Is the world bipolar, multipolar, or still in the shadow of America?
- Energy Crisis in Pakistan
Examples:
- Why does Pakistan have an energy crisis and how do we solve it?
- Hydro solutions to Pakistan’s energy problems.
- Lessons for Pakistan from countries that overcame their energy issues.
- How CPEC can change Pakistan’s energy network.
- Will an investment in clean energy be beneficial to Pakistan?
- Enabling Education in Pakistan
Examples:
- Can online education drive academic research in Pakistan?
- Frame a curriculum that would replace the Single National Curriculum (SNC).
- Is the SNC a suitable/unsuitable curriculum for Pakistan? Why?
- What educational reforms are needed in Pakistan?
- Comparing Pakistan’s education system to another country’s (lessons).
- Pakistan’s Digital Roadmap
Examples:
- What is needed for Pakistan to have its own Silicon Valley?
- Can digitalization make way for greater trade relations with other countries?
- How can Pakistan replace India as a global freelance juggernaut?
Submission Format
All submissions must be in Times New Roman with a 12-point font size for the body text and a line spacing of 1.25. Submissions MUST be submitted in PDF format. Submit your article using the form below.
Submit Your Article
Submissions are CLOSED.
Winners
1st place: The World’s Power Distribution from Pax Americana to Asianization: A New Geopolitical Landscape – Maria Mansab
2nd place: Raising the Bar – Improving Legal Education in Pakistan is the Key to Ensuring Justice – Ali Anwaar
3rd place: The Anatomy of Poverty Traps: Pakistan’s Quest for Economic Liberation – Hajra Zahid
