The Harvard International Review is a quarterly magazine offering insight on international affairs from the perspectives of scholars, leaders, and policymakers. Since our founding in 1979, we've set out to bridge the worlds of academia and policy through outstanding writing and editorial selection.
The quality of our content is unparalleled. Each issue of the Harvard International Review includes exclusive interviews and editorials by leading international figures along with expert staff analysis of critical international issues. We have featured commentary by 43 Presidents and Prime Ministers, 4 Secretaries-General, 4 Nobel Economics Prize laureates, and 7 Nobel Peace Prize laureates.
Inspired by our growing high school readership around the world, we created the Harvard International Review Academic Writing Contest to encourage and highlight outstanding high school writing on topics related to international affairs.
Congratulations to all Spring 2024 medal winners on the quality of your submissions!
Gold Medal
Jiayuan Zhang. Chongqing Yucai Secondary School. “Shining a Light on the Scrapheap: The Toxic Colonialism Faced by Ghana and Multifaceted Responses”
Ding Yuan. The Affiliated High School to Hangzhou Normal University. “The Bitter Aftertaste of Wine: Unveiling the Exploitation of Immigrant Labor”
Harhim Kim. St.Mary's School. “Lurking Danger: The Global Health Pandemic of Child Cyber Sexual Abuse”
Mu Rongfei. Beijing World Youth Academy. “From Luxury Real Estate to Coffin Cubicles:How Inequalities Drive Hong Kong’s Housing Crisis”
Zihao Wang. La Salle College Preparatory. “Great Power Competition to Supplement Collective Climate Actions for Pacific Island Countries”
Vladislav Grizin. The Comprehensive School of the Pedagogical Skills Center. “The Obesity Epidemic in the Pacific: Origins and Solutions”
Liu Jiarui. Shenzhen College of International Education. “The Last "Dzud": How Climate Change is Threatening Mongolia's Last Nomads”
Ikon Kim. St. Marks School. “A Mirage of a Stronger Body Presented by Fitness Influencers: How Anabolic Steroids Have Become a Major Health Issue for Young Adolescents”
Michael Noh. Korea International School. “A Double-Edged Sword: Quantum Computing in the 21st Century”
Andy Yi. The Cambridge School of Weston. “Mosquitoes Bite Back: Will Mosquito-borne Diseases be the Next Global Epidemic?”
Aaron Bai. Independent Schools Foundation Academy. “Among the Shifting Sands - Collective Intervention in the Sahel and Why it Failed”
James Haoming Ge. Nanjing Foreign Languages School. “A Rising Tide: Urgent Global Action to Mitigate the Impact of Sea-Level Rise”
Zixuan Wang. Chinese International School.“Beyond Boundaries: Natural Resources Management for Peaceful Coexistence”
Yisu Ding. Shenzhen College of International Education. “The Invisible Front Line: How Russia’s War With Ukraine Disproportionately Harms Russian Minorities”
Tim Wang. Deerfield Academy. “Tides Below the Waves: Subsea Cables in the Tug-Of-War Between the United States and China in the Pacific Islands Region”
Michelle Kim. Korea International School. “From Pixels to Peril: How AI Advancements Exacerbate the Scourge of Child Sexual Exploitation”
Silver Medal
Wenqian Xue. Shenzhen College of International Education. “Ebeye Island: How US Foreign Policy Created a Forgotten Slum in the Pacific”
Jinyi Zhang. Shanghai World Foreign Language Academy. “Shanghainese Renaissance: AI, Media, and Policy Driving a Linguistic Revival”
Yi-Ning, Chen. Kang Chiao International School - XiuGang Campus. “The Global Energy Crisis: Is A Sustainable, Secure, and Equitable Energy Future Achievable?”
Zihang Ding. Woodberry Forest School. “Beyond Uncertainty: Strategic Innovations for Advancing Women's Rights in Yemen”
Yiyin Xu. Xi’an Tie Yi High School International Curriculum Center. “Been in the Wars: The Children of the Russo-Ukraine Conflict”
Dawen Zhong. The Affiliated High School of South China Normal University. “An Elegy to Fertile Lands: An Examination of Brazil’s Hunger Crisis”
Yu Han Wang. Basis International School Shenzhen. “The Importance of Collective Planning: the Crisis of Ilisu Dam”
Boxin Wang. Guangdong Experimental High School. “Beneath the Surface: Uncovering Macro-Problems Caused by Microplastics in Yunnan’s Agriculture”
Juntong Zhou. YK Pao School. “Addressing Global Healthcare Inequality: The Indian Transition from Patent to Generic-Branded Medicine”
Hwang Chaebeen. Korea International School Jeju. “Will Women Be the Losers of the AI Revolution?”
Ruoyu Gu. Veritas Collegiate Academy. “Drawback on Climate Change: EV Trade Policies”
Chennuo Cao. Shanghai Starriver Bilingual School. “Climate Change and the Sámi: An Indigenous Culture at Risk”
Xiao Bo Zeng. Collingwood School. “Europe’s Challenge with Irregular Migration: The United Kingdom’s Solution of Sending Them to Rwanda”
Yunjin Xie. Shanghai Pinghe School. “Emergence of Inclusive Museum Design: Addressing Accessibility Challenges”
Shaokun SHI. Dulwich College Beijing. “Sustainability Initiatives in Africa: Cultural Roots for Green Future”
Xien Huang. Dulwich College Shanghai. “Racism Never Left Schools: A Continuing Global Crisis”
Yu Ting. Zhenhai High school, Ningbo, Zhejiang. “The “Bad Kids” Left Behind: Navigating Dyslexia in India”
Adya Jain. United World College of South East Asia (Dover). “Fighting Patriarchy with Microcredit in Rural Bihar”
Zhangxi Xia. Shanghai Starriver Bilingual School. “Uncharted Waters: Nigeria’s Environment-Economy Tradeoff and the Blue Economy”
Ju Wang Hong. Seoul Scholars International. “Health as a Human Right - Is it fulfilled?”
Michelle Zhou. Cranbrook Kingswood Upper School. “Period Poverty: A Hidden Issue”
Joanne Sabrina Chen. Shanghai American School Puxi.“Seeding Sovereignty: Challenging the Corporate Grip on Global Agriculture”
Brandon Wang. Dulwich College Beijing.“The World Is Getting Older. Who’s Left to Work?”
Saifeiya Abudukelimu. The Experimental High School Attached to Beijing Normal University. “From Eco-Anxiety to Collective Action”
Yuxuan Fei. Shanghai United International School Wanyuan Campus. “The Dire Situation of the Rohingya Crisis: Challenges and Solutions”
Zihao Ye. International School Bangkok. “Thailand’s Struggle for Clean Air”
Sirui Wu. WLSA Shanghai Academy. “Left Behind: COVID-19’s Toll on Ethnic Minority Education”
Andy Wang. Shanghai High School International Division. “Shadow of Sovereignty: The Continual Colonization of the Chagos Islands and its Lost Potential for Mauritius’ Economy”
Jianing Wu. YK Pao School. “The Gaming Gender Gap: How Sexualization of Female Characters in Video Games Perpetuates Sexual Abuse”
Hanning Xia. Huili School Shanghai. “The Tip of the Iceberg: Inuit Inequality in a Warming World”
Bowen Tan. Shenzhen College of International Education. “El Salvador: The Balance of Freedom and Security”
Muhan Yao. The Hill School. “Polarized Economic Disparities: Wealth Gap Reach a New Climax in Hong Kong”
Minjun Liao. Shenzhen Middle School. “The Gap Widens: Inequality in the Age of Climate Change”
Chenxinyi Tian. The Experimental High School Attached to Beijing Normal University. “Time to Rethink Civil Aviation Safety”
Brandon Shin. Hoosac School. “The Fight for Life in Gaza: The Disabled Community's Perspective”
Chan Lim. Korea Kent Foreign School. “North Korean Defectors in the South: Struggles of an Invisible Minority”
Ryan Hsu. Crystal Springs Uplands School. “The Algorithmic Teacher: Transforming Education for a More Equitable Future”
Xinran Song. The Experimental High School Attached to Beijing Normal University. “Modified Seeds that Modified: Brazil’s Economic and Environmental Plights”
Qiu Zhaozhen. Shanghai High School International Division. “Africa’s Debt Troubles: Rethinking Colonialism and Austerity”
Bronze Medal
Juan Lim. Korea International School, Jeju Campus. “The Physical Barrier is Gone, but an Invisible One Still Blocks Impoverished Peruvians”
TAE KUN KANG. Cornerstone Collegiate Academy of Seoul. “Sold Souls: Southeast Asia’s Human Trafficking Crisis”
Yueer Hu. Abbotsleigh. ““Now is (not) All”: Labor Plight under the Glitz of FIFA 2022”
Bohao Yang. Basis International School Guangzhou. “Balancing Space Exploration: Addressing the Inequities in Global Access to Space”
Xingyuan Chu. YK Pao School. “The Rote Education Crisis in An Age of AI.”
Ang Dong, Zonghan Li. Beijing 101 Middle School. “Childhood in Flames of War: Inner Plights of Refugee Children”
Mengnan Sun. Cosumnes Oaks High School. “Neijuan: The One Competition That We Should Eliminate”
Ethan Tian. Boston Latin School. “A Quiet Global Bankruptcy Crisis: Should We Be Worried?”
Aaditya Sengupta Dhar. Ecole Mondiale World School, Mumbai. “Degrees of Disillusionment: the Unemployment Crisis Among India’s College Graduates”
Tianyi Liang. Livingston High School. “Chile: Democracy, Foreign Influence, and Class-based Economic Disparities”
Yuxin Jia. YK Pao School. “In the Wildfire: Problems, Analysis and Solutions to the spread of Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever (CCHF) in Africa”
Max Min. Episcopal High School. “Global Challenges and Collective Actions: Impact of the Ukraine War and Public Health Challenges on Children”
Peace Jin. Beijing No.2 Middle School. “Teenage Suicide Unaddressed: A Global Challenge”
Tsang Chi Wu. Shenzhen College of International Education. “An Unhealthy Heaping of Heavy Metal: E-waste and the Promise of Circular Economies”
Si-Kei Chiu. International Bilingual School at Tainan Science Park. “The Hourglass is Running Low: The Illegal Sand Trade”
RUIXI ZHENG. Guang Dong Country Garden School. “Walking in their Shoes: Combatting Racial Discrimination with Virtual Reality”
Megan Zhang. Branksome Hall. “The Spillover of the Rwandan Genocide to the Democratic Republic of Congo: An International Responsibility”
Siyu Chen. Shanghai Weiyu High School. “Cooperative Recycling: Reframing Battery Electric Vehicles and Eco-Friendly Driving”
Wanxin Wang. Shanghai American School Puxi Campus. “The Impact of the Digital Divide on Education in Developing Countries”
Hermes Yen. Morrison Academy Campus. “Collective Action to Combat Energy Justice: How”
Ethan Jin. The Peddie School. “Relief or a Warning: Fukushima and the Comeback of Nuclear Energy”
Ziyun Zhou. Western Reserve Academy. “The Fukushima Daiichi Controversy”
Zikun Chen. St. George's School. “Culture, Colonialism, and Collaboration: Challenges and Agreements in Artifact Repatriation”
Luo Han. Shanghai High School International Division. “The Rise of Myopia in China: Balancing Academic Excellence and Eye Health”
Wenxi Weng. International Department, The Affiliated High School of SCNU. “A Looming Disease Demanding Action: The Diabetes Epidemic”
Chaewon Joung. Shanghai American School. “From Global Protectors to Predators: The Crisis of Abuse within UN Peacekeeping”
Shuhan Liu. YK Pao School. “Global Warming Fighting Satellites: A Game Changer or Overhyped Technology?”
Yiwen Cao. Shanghai Pinghe Bilingual School Qingpu. “The Mixed Prospects of Chinese PV Innovation”
Jimmy Sha. Shenzhen Middle School. “Global Health Emergency: Approaching Alzheimer’s Disease from a Collective Perspective”
Yanbo Zhang. The High School Affiliated to Renmin University of China. “Baneful Bargain? Africa’s Choice of Infrastructure over Rare-Earth Metals”
Jia Tong Zhang. Western Academy of Beijing. “Toxic Trade: The Hidden Economic Burden on Global Healthcare”
Junie Kim. The Peddie School. “The Hidden Costs of Prosperity: Youth Vulnerability to Sex Exploitation in South Korea”
Zhiyu Wang. Shenzhen College of International Education. “Global Challenges and Collective Actions: Forging a Path to a Healthier World”
Ian Kim. Saratoga High School. “A Warming Arctic: Innovation? Or The Start of a New Cold War?”
Xiao Wang. Shenzhen Foreign Languages School. “Their Ticket Home Documentation for Refugees”
Hehan Zhou. Shanghai Pinghe School. “Ancient Wisdom Under Bombardment: The Preservation of Cultural Heritage in Timbuktu”
Eric Kim. Seoul International School. “A Welcome Mat to Xenophobia: Korea’s Immigration Dichotomy”
Sze Wing CHEN. BASIS International School Park Lane Harbour. “How War Affects Childhood Education and Psychology”
Yanrong Li. Shanghai New Epoch Bilingual School. “Cuban Protests for a Better Life amidst Economic Turmoil and US Involvement Allegations”
Jiaming Liu. Shanghai Pinghe School. “Environmental Refugees: Illuminating the Disparities in People's Migration Intentions Amid Environmental Challenges”
Xiaoyuan Ma. Experimental High School Attached to Beijing Normal University. “New Energy: New Focus on Environment and Climate”
Felicity Wong. Milton Academy. “Confronting “Period Poverty” in a VUCA World: Addressing Women’s Health Amidst the Gaza Humanitarian Crisis”
Ada Miao. Hefei Thomas School. “Empowering the Future: Addressing Educational Inequality in Malaysia”
Wenxuan Yuan. Shenzhen Middle School. “Tradition and Tension: the Confucian Roots of Academic Stress in East Asia”
Tonglin Zhu. Tsinglan School. “Campus Soft Violence Conducted by Teacher---Reasons,Impacts, and Possible Interventions”
Ziqian Zhu. Suzhou Foreign Language School. “From Curtain Calls to Censorship: The Rise of Foreign Musicals in China”
Zimu Zhou. Zhengzhou Foreign Language School New Fengyang Campus. “The Dilemma of US-China Passenger Flight Connectivity: Intense Regional Conflicts and Airline Deficit”
Junyao Xiao. Yali High School. “Canceling Bonus Marks for Ethnic Minorities: the Gradual Abolishment of Affirmative Action in China”
Yisi Gao. BASIS International School Park Lane Harbour. “Kamishiro Girls, a Case for Gender Inequality”
Feiyang Pang. Minhang Crosspoint Academy at shanghai Wenqi Middle School . “From Exclusion to Inclusion: Addressing Persistent Challenges Faced by Individuals with
Disabilities”
Baoxin Zhang, Haocheng Wu. Dulwich College Beijing. “SpaceX and Space Debris: A Case of Space Environmentalism”
Jing Ling Yu. St. Mark's School. “The Digital Divide and Educational Inequality: Challenges and Solutions in the Age of Artificial Intelligence”
Yufan Wang. Magee Secondary School. “TCRISPR: A Bumpy Path to Genetic Equity”
Jiayin Ge. BASIS International School Hangzhou. “The 'Powder Keg of Europe' Is in a Dilemma”
Jimmy Li. Interlake High School. “Diversionary War: A Means to Distract Attention from Inequalities”