The B.R. Ambedkar Essay Prize awards an undergraduate student who has produced work of exceptional scholarly merit that speaks to intersections of social thought and social justice that challenge dominant frames of identity and experience in Asia (East, Southeast, South, and Inner Asia). Inspired by the critical anti-caste discussions of esteemed Columbia alumnus B.R. Ambedkar, the Columbia Journal of Asia will partner with the Ambedkar Initiative to celebrate innovative, multidisciplinary undergraduate scholarship featured in a larger thesis or a standalone article. For information on how to submit a piece, please see the criteria below:
Submit here: https://bit.ly/AmbedkarEssayPrize2025
Submission Deadline: March 1st. Decisions to be released April 1st
Award: $500 prize and publication in upcoming Columbia Journal of Asia’s annual publication along with author feature
Submission Materials:
- A thesis excerpt or standalone article between 5,000 to 10,000 words
- Must be Times New Roman, 12 pt. font
- Chicago
- An abstract between 200-300 words with 5-6 key words
- Contain your name, year of graduation, and department, grade/comments by professor
Notes:
- Manuscript must be unpublished and discuss race and caste in Asia. The work does not have to be related to Ambedkar himself.
- Pieces previously published with CJA can be under consideration given author’s explicit written permission.
- Optional: A short faculty endorsement sent to columbiajournalofasia@gmail.com explaining the circumstances behind the project (i.e. for a class, fellowship, independent study)