South Students Earn Spot in Semi-Finals of National Schuman Challenge
Posted on April 1, 2026
Four University of South Alabama students will travel to Washington, D.C., next week to represent South in the semi-final round of the 2026 Schuman Challenge, a prestigious national competition organized by the Delegation of the European Union to the United States.
This marks the first time the University of South Alabama, with a team that spans four colleges, including the Honors College, is participating in the Schuman Challenge.
"It's a huge privilege to represent the University of South Alabama in our first Schuman Challenge,” said Bryce Smith, computer science and business major and Honors College student. “I was motivated to participate to test my problem-solving skills on a global stage and show the caliber of talent coming from our campus."
Smith is joined on his team by Jordan Foshee (psychology), Rhea Arya (philosophy and Spanish, Honors College) and Karter Baisden (political science).
The Schuman Challenge gives undergraduate students from across the country an opportunity to engage in dialogue on US-EU foreign policy, presenting and defending policy recommendations on a specific theme before a panel of judges. This year’s competition focuses on the 250th anniversary of the US Declaration of Independence and the evolution of the transatlantic partnership.
Only 15 teams from the preliminary round have qualified for the semi-finals, in which they will give a presentation to officials and experts at the European Union delegation’s office.
Three teams will advance to the final round on April 8. The first-place team will win a Victory Tour to Brussels, the seat of the European Union.
