HIR Academic Writing Contest Prep

In the preparation program, students can choose between two categories of the HIR Writing Contest Prep: Economics and International Relations.
Designed for

Grade 9-12 international or domestic students studying in the U.S or overseas

Level

High school students

Class format

One-on-one and small group (Max. 7 students/class)

Competition Introduction

The HIR Harvard International Review Academic Writing Contest is founded by the Harvard International Review, a quarterly magazine covering insights on international affairs. The magazine has featured commentary by 43 Presidents and Prime Ministers, 4 Secretaries-General, 4 Nobel Economics Prize laureates, and 7 Nobel Peace Prize laureates.

Competition Format

The competition invites high school students from grades 9-12 worldwide to submit a short essay on the topic of international affairs. Submissions will be read and graded by the Harvard International Review academic journal. If selected, students will participate in a virtual HIR Defense Day. On that day, students will give a 15-minute presentation and oral defense to the judges, and the submission/presentation must be in English with traditional American spelling. 

2023 Theme: Technological Advancement and the World

Submission Guidelines

Articles should be around 800-1200 words (not counting diagrams, tables of data, or authorship declaration). HIR does not accept op-eds, otherwise known as opinion pieces.

As a journalist organization, HIR requires submissions to follow the following adapted version of the HIR’s style guide. Submissions are also required to be culturally sensitive, fact-checked, and respectful.

Eligibility

High school students in grades 9-12 attend school in the United States or other countries. 

Deadline :

Summer 2023

  • Submission Deadline: August 31, 2023
  • Oral Defense Date: September 25, 2023

Fall 2023 / Winter 2024

  • Submission Deadline: January 2, 2024
  • Defense Day: February 5, 2024

Prizes

Finalists will receive a medal along with an HIR certificate, an opportunity to publish their work on the HIR website, and win a printed subscription. 

Class Introduction

In this course, students will use college-level economic theory and models to analyze economic issues of major significance today, connected to international affairs. The instruction will provide students with the tools necessary to write an 800-1,200 word essay, which can then be submitted to the Harvard International Review Academic Writing Contest. The class will guide students to integrate their acquired knowledge of economic theory, phenomena, data, and policy. It will also apply this knowledge to studying a topic shaping today’s world, based on the theme of “Technological Advancement and the World.”

Students will gain the analytical tools to make informed policy recommendations for how to best address the economic issues raised in their article.

This course aims to help students learn how to read, critically evaluate, and begin to produce economic articles, with a particular emphasis on empirical evidence. Students will review introductory concepts in international economics and macroeconomics. Students will learn to use graphs, charts, and data to analyze, describe, and explain economic concepts. The primary goal is to develop and then build on your understanding of the analytical tools and approaches used by economists, and to use those tools to develop an original article. By the end of the course, students will produce an essay suitable for submission to the Harvard International Review Academic Writing Contest. In addition to helping students prepare for the Harvard International Review Academic Writing Contest, this course will also provide a strong foundation for students who want to continue on with the study of college-level economics.

Outcome

By the end of this course, students should:

  • Understand major international economic, financial, and political-economic issues
  • Understand how economists use data and theory to write analytical papers.
  • Understand how to produce sophisticated articles on economics issues, and what makes for effective writing in economics
  • An 800-1,200 word article ready to submit to the Harvard International Review Academic Writing Contest.
Class Content
LessonTopics
1Competition overview
AP style writing
How to do economics research
2Critically reading through example papers
Analyzing what makes for effective writing about issues in international economics
3-8One-on-one classes centered around guiding students through writing their articles to submit to the Harvard International Review Academic Writing Contest
Feedback

Students and their parents will receive brief feedback after each class regarding the student’s general participation in class. Students will also receive feedback on graded assignments via email. 

2024 Spring Group Classes: Open for Registration

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