McMaster student named one of five winners in the Magna Charta Observatory 2026 international essay competition
Banmeet Sangha, a third‑year student at McMaster in combined Global Peace & Social Justice and Society, Culture & Religion, was named one of five winners of the Magna Charta Observatory 2026 international essay competition. Her entry on identity, belonging and the intellectual value of the humanities was selected from 228 submissions across 44 countries.
Banmeet Sangha, enrolled in a combined honours program at McMaster, argued in her prizewinning essay that humanities study reshaped her understanding of intelligence and fostered a sense of belonging in higher education. The Magna Charta Observatory panel chose her work among 228 submissions from 44 countries, awarding five student prizes in 2026. Sangha credits campus diversity and extracurricular leadership for supporting her perspective; she has been active in student groups and Welcome Week planning. The recognition gives international visibility to her interests in culture, identity and social justice.