1. What is the Harvard International Review Academic Writing Contest?
What is Harvard International Review (HIR)?
Founded in 1979, Harvard International Review (HIR) is a quarterly magazine on international affairs by a journalist organization of Harvard University students. The magazine is recognized worldwide due to its trustworthiness analysis from Harvard students, faculty, and experts in the field. HIR’s journal articles are written from the perspective of scholars, leaders, and policymakers, and “each issue has exclusive interviews and editorials.” HIR has featured 43 Presidents and Prime Ministers, 4 Secretaries-General, 4 Nobel Economics Prize laureates, and 7 Nobel Peace Prize laureates.
HIR Academic Writing Contest (AWC)
Among its impressive reader base of prominent world leaders, HIR also has a significant number of high school readers. To engage and inspire the next generation of thinkers in international affairs, HIR launched the HIR Academic Writing Contest (HIR AWC) in 2020. Open to high school students, the competition challenges participants to craft short-form articles in the style of those published by HIR. Each school year, the contest features 3 rounds: Fall/Winter, Spring, and Summer, and topics/prompts are provided for each round.
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2. Everything about HIR Academic Writing Contest 2025
What’s new?
Building on last year’s competition, which featured only two themes, the 2025 HIR Academic Writing Contest introduces three new themes for students to explore:
- Theme 1: Global Commons and Stewardship of Shared Resources
- Theme 2: Emerging Powers in a Changing Global Order
- Theme 3: Resilient Cities and Urban Futures
These themes encourage students not only to express their perspectives on global issues but also to expand their knowledge through research and analysis. You can approach your chosen theme from various fields recommended by HIR, including:
- Agriculture
- Cybersecurity
- Defense
- Education
- Employment & Immigration
- Energy & Environment
- Business, Finance & Economics
- Public Health
- Science & Technology (include Space)
- Trade
- Transportation
- Law & Diplomacy
For further information on each theme and examples of how you can apply the theme on a specific topic, you can review this contest submission guide from HIR.
Competition format & requirements
The competition is open to all high school students in grades 9–12 from the United States and around the world.
Your article must be between 800 and 1,200 words (excluding figures, data tables, or authorship statements) and should focus on topics relevant to current international affairs. For full details, refer to the HIR AWC Submission Guidelines.
Articles must take a global perspective, rather than centering on the United States.
This year, HIR has implemented a stricter ban on AI tools, including ChatGPT and other generative AI software. Judges will closely evaluate all submissions, and articles flagged by multiple AI detection tools with high AI-generated scores will be disqualified.
Another change in this year’s contest is the new resubmission policy, allowing students to resubmit another article exploring a different theme from the previously submitted one in the same contest year.
Other requirements are basically the same as in previous years, such as:
- Submissions must be well-researched, well-informed, and written in a formal style.
- Op-eds (editorial articles) are not accepted.
- Submitted articles are required to follow the latest version of the Associated Press style (AP Style).
Prizes
According to the Evaluation Rubric outlined in the submission guidelines, each submitted article will be scored on a scale of 0 to 60. Submissions that achieve a passing score will be eligible for individual awards. This year’s prizes include:
- Commendation Prize: HIR Certificate
- Outstanding Writing Content / Style Prize: HIR Certificate
- High Commendation Prize: HIR Certificate
- Bronze Medal: HIR Certificate and name listed on website (global top 20 percent)
- Silver Medal: HIR Certificate and name listed on website (global top 10 percent)
- Gold Medal: HIR Certificate and name listed on website (global top 3 percent)
This year, two new prize categories have been introduced: the Style Prize and the High Commendation Prize. However, unlike last year, Silver and Gold Medal winners will no longer receive a one-year or two-year HIR print subscription as part of their prize.
Important dates for this year's contest
Spring 2025
Submission Deadline: May 31, 2025
HIR Defense Day: June 29, 2025
Summer 2025
Submission Deadline: August 31, 2025
HIR Defense Day: October 5, 2025
Fall/Winter 2025
Submission Deadline: January 2, 2026
HIR Defense Day: February 5, 2026
How do I register for the HIR Academic Writing Contest?
Registration for the 2025 HIR AWC Spring competition is now open and will close on March 31, 2025, Eastern Time . You can register for this year’s Spring Contest from the official site of the competition. To see other related information, please visit the official website of the Harvard International Review (HIR) competition.
3. Expert’s Tips on How to Write a Good Article
Here are the 4 tips from Aralia’s writing expert on how to develop a good article for the HIR AWC 2025:
Tip 1: Write from a global perspective
Since the competition focuses on international affairs, your article should reflect a broad, global viewpoint. Gather information and data from diverse sources worldwide to avoid a narrow or overly localized analysis. Writing solely from your own country’s perspective may limit your article’s impact and make it more subjective.
Tip 2: Do your research
Like a research paper, a strong analytical article relies on credible data to support arguments and insights. One High Commendation Award student shared they spent one month researching and writing their essay.
Tip 3: Analyze data and look for solutions
Research alone isn’t enough—your article should interpret the data, draw meaningful conclusions, and explore potential solutions. Write about a world issue you’re deeply passionate about and offer thoughtful ways to improve or address the situation.
Tip 4: Add images or visualization
To keep readers engaged, incorporate relevant images, graphs, or visualizations every 3–4 paragraphs. Visuals should enhance your argument and add value to your analysis rather than serve as decoration only.
For additional tips and detailed guidance, check out Aralia’s comprehensive instructions in this article.
Aralia HIR Academic Writing Contest Preparation Courses
HIR Academic Writing Contest Prep
In the preparation program, students can choose between two categories of the HIR Writing Contest Prep: Economics & Business, or Politics & History
