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 Summer 2024 medal winners on the quality of your submissions!
Gold Medal
Huahui Chen. University of Toronto Schools. “Left and (the far) Right: The Growing Role of K-pop Activism in the Digital Age”
Hyunjoon Shin. John Guyer High School. “Overcoming Corruption: The Power of Blockchain and Collective Action”
Raymond Kwon. Seoul International School. “Bitcoin Colonization: How Chinese Bitcoin Miners Are Taking Over the World”
JiaYing Chen. Guang Dong Country Garden School. “The Chinese Child Suicide Crisis and Policy Implications”
Leyi Jiang. The High School Affiliated to Renmin University of China. “The Looming Precarity Faced by the Platform Domestic Workers: Assessing the Collective Actions of Reclassification and Unionization”
Connor Mi. Colonel By Secondary School. “The Digital Tower of Babel: Technology and Endangered Language Revitalization”
Alyssa Katsuyama Wang. Taipei American School. “Cleaner, But Still Not Clean: How the Paris Olympics made the Games more sustainable—and why they still have a long way to go”
Jiayi Shen. Germantown Friends School. “Sustainable Beef Production—An Ongoing Battle of Demand, Health, and the Environment”
Mohan Wang. Forest Ridge School of the Sacred Heart. “The Next Scramble for Africa: How Carbon Credit Policies Are Fueling Another Round of Colonialism in Africa”
Siyue Wang. The Taft School. “Hope for Sale: How the Growing Market for Ethnic Minority Handicrafts in Yunnan is Impacting Women in the Province”
Zhang Tianyao. Gezhi High School Shanghai. “Public Infrastructure: Comparing Attitudes toward Access to Public Toilets”
Chloe Laing. Mundaring Christian College. “For the Children by the Children: Inside South Korea’s Courtroom Campaign against the Climate Crisis’ Threat to Posterity”
June Myint. Bergen County Technical High School Teterboro.“Green With Envy: How Jade Mine Exploitation is Funding Myanmar’s Military Regime”
Zhou Yiyang. Shenzhen Middle School. ““Runren” Culture and Increasing Chinese Immigrants in the United States: From Phenomenon to Post-COVID Global Landscape”
Yihan Chen. Shanghai Vanke Bilingual High School. “The Geopolitical Battle for AI Microchips”
Ian Yim. Chadwick International. “Code of Inequality: Unmasking Algorithmic Bias”
Yi An. Basis International School Park Lane Harbour. “No Blood Left to Shed: Lack of Protection and Security for Migrant Workers in the United Arab Emirates”
Jackson Barr. Lakeside School. “The Future of ECOWAS and West African Inequality: Solving or Joining the Past?”
Qiran Ma. Keystone Academy. “Independence Movement and Conflicts in Bougainville”
Wan Jinyu. Basis International School of Park Lane Harbour. ““Urban-rural Gap”: Unequal Access to Mental Health Services in China”
Silver Medal
Zexi Chen. United World Colleges, Changshu, China. “Gleaming Stadiums, Grim Realities: The Dark Plight of Bangladeshi Migrants Behind Saudi Arabia’s World Cup Bid”
Daniel Kim. Korea International School Jeju Campus. “Family Time vs. Screen Time: Managing the Effects of Digital Devices on Family Dynamics”
Advika Rapolu. Vandegrift High School. “Cyber Slavery: Unmasking the Global Network of Cybercrime in Myanmar”
Zihan Zhuang. International Department, The Affiliated High School of SCNU. “Socioeconomic Disadvantages and Ineffective Policies: Inequality in Global Wildfire Mitigation”
Zirui Wang. BASIS International School Shenzhen. “Polynesia’s Sinking Future: A Fight to Stay Afloat”
Zhenxuan Tu. Richmond Hill High School. “Apartheid and Economic Division: Its Impacts 30 Years Later”
Jinzhen Qian. Malvern College. “Transforming the Olympics into an Economic Powerhouse”
Haoning Yin. No. 2 High School of East China Normal University. “Environmental Tax Threatens Brazilian Equity”
Zilong Wang. Wuhan Britain-China School. “Brazilian Underinsurance & Low Insurance Penetration Rates in the Era of Climate Change”
Justin Koo. Seoul Foreign School. “Eradication of Guinea Worm Disease: A Lesson in Neglected Tropical Disease Suppressionon of Guinea Worm Disease: A Lesson in Neglected Tropical Disease Suppression”
Zhang Ai Yuan. Aurora International Academy. “Understanding the Geopolitics Behind Türkiye and Somalia’s Deal to Police the Horn of Africa”
Tong Su. Shanghai World Foreign Language Academy. “Impacts of Diglossia: Education in the Arab World”
Jingxian Li. Shenzhen College of International Education. “Child Marriage in the 21st Century: Why the World is Not on Track to End this Pernicious Problem”
Wang Xin Yi. Basis International School Park Lane Harbor. “Forgotten Thrice: The Plight of LGBTQ+ Refugees in a Post-Pandemic World”
Junseo Yu. North London Collegiate School-Jeju. “Dangerous and Inequitable E-waste Cycle: Young Workers’ Exposure to Health and Environmental Risks”
Shenyu Yin.Lexington High School. “Never Retiring East Asia: The Growing Epidemic of Senior Unretirement”
Ruiqi Xie. Basis International School of Guangzhou. “The Disappearance of Cultures: A Colorless Future”
Han Xinen. Experimental High School Attached to Beijing Normal University. “Nietzsche’s Two-way Gaze: Space Debris and Climate Change Addressed at Once”
Shih, Pei-Yan. Taipei Wego Private Senior High School. “Recovering While Poor: The Toll of Disparities in Health and Social Care”
Eric Sheng-Yan Jin. Shanghai American School Pudong Campus. “Living in a Minefield: Lasting Impacts of the Secret War on Laos”
Chen Cong Ling. Mercersburg Academy. “The Impact of Income Disparities on Dietary Health: A Study of Developed Nations”
Ningyue Sun. St.Stephen's Episcopal School.“A Future Without Growth: Addressing the Global Birth Rate Crisis and Its Consequences”
Shengen Feng. Guangdong Shunde Desheng School.“Behind the Veil: Women's Education Under the Taliban Regulation”
Motivala Aarav. Ridgewood High School. “A Practical Approach to Reimagining Universal Basic Income”
Junqi Zhao. Shanghai Southwest Weiyu Middle School - Int'l Division. “French Economic Exploitation of West Africa: An Image of Neo-colonialism in the Age of Globalization”
Jingxuan Zhu. Shanghai Soong Ching Ling School. “In the Shadow of the Babel: Unheard Voices of African Migrants in North Africa”
Zongxiao Li. Tsinglan School. “Navigating the future: AI, Automation, and the Future of Taxi Drivers”
Bing-Jen, Hsi. Chingshin Academy. “Inequalities in the Intersection of Geopolitics and Climate Change in Island Countries: An Ebeye Story”
Harry Tong. Auckland Grammar School. “Fragile Farming: What Hong Kong Can Learn From Singapore on Expanding Urban Agriculture”
Xiangyu Li. The Stony Brook School. “Defying Destruction: Reconstructing Historical Relics Amid Modern Warfare”
Tingshuo Zhang, Huachen Qin. High School Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University. “Medical Corruption in China: Deeper Problems in Developing Countries Lie Ahead”
Allison Zhang. Polytechnic School. “Sri Lanka's Fertilizer Ban Backfires, but Organizations Continue Cultivating Hope”
Colum Chen. City of London Freemen's School. “Heavenly Ambitions: The Shifting Balance of Power in Space”
Jiaqi Peng. Shanghai Southwest Weiyu Middle School - Int'l Division. “Thai Bhikkhunis Resist Abuse of Patriarchal Power in Buddhism”
Mariyah El Dada. Collège du Léman. “Health Disparities in a VUCA World: The Pandemic's Hard Lessons”
TszYin Cheung, Sitong Li. ULink College Guangzhou. “Riding Viral Fame to Tackle Inter-city Income Inequality: A Tale of Small Chinese Cities in a VUCA World”
Jiaqian Zhang. Keystone Academy. “How Polarized Beliefs Are Shaking Up the Economy”
Jinan Wang. Kunshan High School of Jiangsu Province. “The Invisible Black Sheep of Southeast Asia's Economic Development——The Street Vendor Economy.”
Zihan Jia. The Experimental High School Attached to Beijing Normal University. “Amidst the Global Lithium Boom: Unequal Gains in Chile’s Atacama Desert”
Zihan Xu. Hangzhou Foreign Languages School Cambridge A-Level Center. “From Sacred Journey to Tragedy in the Desert: The Perils of Unofficial Hajj”
Elise Zhang. Phillips Academy Andover. “Reweaving the Fabric of Fast Fashion: The Overlooked Benefits for Marginalized Individuals”
David Yang. University of Toronto Schools. “Defending the Digital Frontier: Navigating Threats and Building Alliances”
Zimo Wang. WLSA Shanghai Academy. “High Maternal Mortality Rate in Sierra Leone”
Rex Shen. Beijing National Day School. “A Delicate Balance between Cybersecurity and Profit: A Case Study of CrowdStike”
Adora Elizabeth Yin. German Swiss International School. “Promises and Pitfalls: The Impact of China's Presence in Laos”
Yijia Liu. Wuhan Britain China School. “China's Marriage Law Revisions: A Step Toward Marriage Stability or a Catalyst for Deepening Gender Tensions?”
Guancheng Wu. Beijing Academy. “Platform-Seller Conflict Behind the Scenes: Aggressive TEMU vs. Desperate Merchants”
Aaron Yutong Zhu, Muying Zhu. Shanghai High School International Division, Dana Hall School. “Fertile for Exploitation: A Case Study of Commercial Surrogacy in Southeast Asia”
Zhiyuan Zhang. The Stony Brook School. “The Digital Battlefield: How Misinformation Fuels the Gaza Conflict”
Chenzhi Zhang. Hangzhou Foreign Language School Cambridge A-level Centre. “Thailand's Role in the Global Space Race: Bridging Challenges Through Collective Action”
Jingcheng Hou. George School. “Beyond Borders: The Comradeship of Astronauts and the Imperative of True Global Cooperation in Space Exploration”
Yawen Zhu. Basis Park Lane Harbour, Huizhou, China. “New York City’s Unexpected Digital Divide”
Yuheng Xiong. Shenzhen College of International Education. “Where does this Road Lead? China’s Infrastructure Investments in Africa: Economic Impacts and Strategic Implications”
Bronze Medal
Isabella Dinh. Del Norte High School. “Aging in the Right Place: Addressing Population Aging with Dignity”
Hanna Ye-in Cho. Yongsan International School of Seoul. “Colonial legacy of disparities: South Africa’s Housing Crisis”
Kai Sheng. Dehong Shanghai Chinese Internationals School. ““Trouble in Paradise: Bali’s Over-tourism Problem and Solutions”
Zhu LiLingJie . United World College Changshu China. “VUCA Challenges and Educational Inequalities in Sub-Saharan Africa”
Zunyao Wang. Shenzhen College of International Education. “Economic Inequality and Mangrove Conservation: Who Bears the Costs?”
Ping Yuening. Georgia School Ningbo. “Technological Development and Educational Inequality in a VUCA World”
Joanna Mao. Laurel Springs School. “Israel and its Paradoxical Battle against Climate Change”
Xinqi Li. Shanghai Pinghe School. “Education Inequality in South Africa: Navigating through Language Policies and Norms”
Youcheng Li.Shenzhen College of International Education. “The Ice Stupas of Ladakh: Can Artificial Glaciers Solve South Asia’s Growing Water Crisis?”
Edison Ye. Basis International School Hangzhou. “Ghana’s Inferno Modern-Day Sodom and Gomorrah”
Duan Yuxin. Beijing 21st Century School. “China's Cobalt Rush in Congo: The Dark Side of Its Lead in Global Green Transition”
Yixin Chen. United World College of South East Asia. “When Technology Meets Livelihood: Challenges of and Actions Against Autonomous Taxi”
Zhenzhe Tong. Beijing Haidian foreign language Tengfei school. “Heat and Hypocrisy: The Ironies of Gulf Petrostates Amid Climate Change”
Tianshu Ju. Nanjing Foreign Language School Xianlin Campus. “Inequality in Online Learning: The Crisis Yet to Arrive”
Jade Wang. Western Canada High School. “Tuberculosis Care in Least Developed Countries: Socioeconomic and Clinical Inequality”
Edward Kim. Seoul International School. “Space Militarization: A Growing Source of Power Inequality”
Siyuan Wu. Hangzhou Foreign Language School. “The Neglected Generation in the Unequal Economy: Burdened Young in China”
Minghao Liu. Nanjing Foreign Language School. “Olympic Dilemmas: Balancing Tradition, Costs, and Sustainability in the Modern Games”
Yuanchiao Chiang. Dominican International School Taipei. “A Silent Battle: The World Against Capital Punishment”
Hannah Kim. St. Catherine of Siena Academy. “The Untold Story behind the Saharan Tragedy: the Long Procession of Migrants Leading to Miserable Deaths in the Desert”
Yixuan Dong. Nanjing Foreign Language School. “Relaunching the Great Green Wall：Global Action Based on a Paradigm Shift”
Yune Hur. Seoul Foreign School. “Agroforestry: The Revolution Against Deforestation”
Ziying Li. SSAL. “Melting Boundaries: The Arctic Frontier in a New Cold War”
UYoung Jun. Daegu International School. “Escalation of Educational Inequality in a Post-COVID VUCA World”
Jiaxuan Cui. Zhengzhou Foreign Language School. “The Threat of Antimicrobial Resistance in India and Beyond”
Zixuan Wang. UWC Changshu China. “The Global Sand Crisis: Unveiling the Hidden Costs of Illegal Extraction and the Path to Sustainable Solutions”
Kevin Ye. Wellesley High School, Massachusetts. “The Unmanned Revolution: How Drones are Changing Warfare in the 21st Century”
Yuehan Huang. Shanghai GuahuaQidi. “Is Equal Pay the Solution to the Gender Pay Gap? – A Comparative Study Between the UK and Iceland”
Xiaoran Yu. Harbin No.9 High School. “The Cause, Consequence, and Solution”
Qingyang Li. Branksome Hall. “Pirates and El Niño: How Disruptions in Maritime Shipping Routes Could Collapse the Economy”
Zehang Wang. Beijing Number 8 High School. “Food Safety: Mixing Cooking Oil with Chemicals”
Taiwoong Jeong. Salisbury School. “The Fallout of Dollar Dominance: Dollars, Credit, and Inequality”
Terra Li. Interlake High School. “From Crisis to Collaboration: Harnessing Technology to Combat Human Trafficking in Cambodia”
Shi Wenhan. Shenzhen Middle School. “How Global Inflation and Inequality Are Fueling Nigeria’s Growing Kidnapping Epidemic”
Eric Chen. The Lawrenceville School. “Right Wing Populism: Inequality Induced Conservative Gender Politics”
Yimeng Zheng. Experimental High School Attached to Beijing Normal University. “From Breaking to Breaking Free: Predicaments and Dangers Afghan Women Face”
Joy Kim. Korea International School Jeju. “Open Source Software Utilization in African Governments: Democratizing the Internet”
Andrew Li. West Point Grew Academy. “A Quantum Revolution: The Uncharted Risks in the Future of Computing”
Haokun Yang, Xiangyang Luo. The High School Affiliated to Renmin University of China, No.8 Middle School of Beijing. “Some More Equal than Others: The Paradox of Modern U.S. Democracy”
Yu Tung Chen. Kang Chiao International School Xiugang Campus. “Envisioning A Fair and Competitive Tech Ecosystem: Global Adoption of the EU’s Anti-Gatekeeper Policies”
Hsu (Claire) Chia-Wei. Shanghai American School Puxi Campus. “The birth of AI: A threat to the female population, the "New Nth Room"”
Wang Nanxi. WLSA Shanghai Academy. “Orphans of Justice: The Hidden Cost of Parental Incarceration”
Shawn Choi. Ruben S. Ayala High School. “ Neglected Tropical Diseases: Unmasking a Silent Epidemic”
Lihao Wang. United World College of South East Asia. “NATO's Role in Mitigating Space Debris: Analyzing Collaborative Efforts and Future Prospects”
Dharshwana Muralidharan. Gyeonggi Suwon Internation School (GSIS). “The Green Revolution in India: Whither Nutrition?”
Bicheng Fu. Basis International School PARK LANE HARBOUR. “Diverse Tongues, Equal Opportunities: Unveiling the Impact of Accented Voices on Employment Prospects”
RuoXi Yuan. Veritas Collegiate Academy. “"Soft Life" Trend: Uncovering the Hypocritical Luxury in China - Wealth Inequality”
Anthony Babu. Concord-Carlisle High School. “The Snake, The Tortoise, and the Frog: Facebook’s Role in Genocide”
Xuanjing WU. Shenzhen Middle School. “UNSOLVED TRAGEDY: From Colonialism to Military Government, Where’s The Daybreak for Rohingya”
Callie Wu LIN. Fuzhou No.1 High School. “Employment Hardship—Multifold Challenges for Female Refugees”
Ye Qian. Nanjing Foreign Language School. “Bridging Linguistic Divides: The Case of Francophone in Canada and Global Implications”
Maira Paris. West Aurora High School. “Furtive Forced Labor: An Underlying Challenge of the 21st Century”
Shaohan Qin. The Experimental High School Attached to Beijing Normal University. “The Burning Progress: The Neglected Dangers of Large-scale Lithium-ion Batteries”
Zhitong Yang. Beijing National Day School. “Double-Flow: Population Flows between Russia and the Five Central Asian Republics Amidst Russia’s Invasion of Ukraine”
Yujie Xiang, Jiazhi Kong. WLSA Shanghai Academy; Caterham School. “The Cost of Sweetness: Ingrained Plight of Female Workers in India’s Sugar Cane Industry Under VUCA Pressures”
Zihan Zhou. Shanghai Pinghe School. “Rediscovering Nature in an Era of Nature Deficit Disorder”
Zhang Yuyan. Guangzhou Foreign Language School. “Drip Irrigation: Shaping the Future of Agriculture in Southern Africa”
Yiming Wei. Kunshan Kang Chiao International School. “Bridging the Gap: Tackling Health and Healthcare Inequality in Europe”
Rao Yarui, Zihan Xu. United World College- USA (UWC-USA), Basis International School Guangzhou (BIGZ). “An Urban Paradox: The Costs of India’s Growth”
Guanchen Liu. BASIS Bilingual School Shenzhen. “The 21st Century - An Age of Artificial Intelligence”
Jerming Lu. Taipei Fuhsing Priavte School. “Scorched Labor Rights: A Modern Slavery toward Migrants of the Global South”
Shaohang Tong. Auckland Grammar School. “The Red Rust Belt: Northeastern China's Reversible Path to Economic and Social Disparity vis-à-vis Coastal Regions”
Jin Zhou. Shanghai WLSA Academy. “The Next Major Cholera Outbreak is Festering in South Asia”
Zihan Yuan. United World College Changshu China. “Where to Go for the “Witches”? The Closure of Ghanaian Witch Camps”
Nanxin Zhang. Hangzhou Foreign Language School. “From Pens to Syringes: A Crisis for Diabetes Patients Amidst Corporate Profits and Market Monopolies”
Yuyan Lu. The Affiliated High School of South China Normal University, International Department. “Otaku and the Plight of Subcultures in a VUCA World”
Michael Lin. Northwood High School. “Sportswashing: The Use of Financial Power to Obscure Ethical Violations”
Huiqiao Ji. Basis Independent Mclean. “Breaking the Dilemma of Myanmar Female Workers: Domestic Fight and International Support”
Qizhen Huang. Beijing National Day School. “Switzerland Freezes Russian Assets Because of Russia's War with Ukraine”
Jihoo Bae. Cheongna Dalton School. “The Brain Drain: A Global Headache”
Hana Arevalo. UP Rural High School. “How Racial Disparity May Have Lead to the Death of Fiji’s Sugar Industry”
Yang Jiadong. Shenzhen Middle School. “Distorted Futures: Ideological Mind Control over Youth from a Global Perspective”
Xingyu Zhu, Ziyan He. The High School Affiliated to Renmin University of China. “A New Dawn: Chinese Feminism and the COVID Pandemic”
Xiaolu Song. Shenzhen College of International Education. “Breaking The Ceiling: The Persistent Challenge of Workplace Inequality for Low-income Women”
Yifei Song. Adcote School Shanghai. “Food Safety and Development: Political Choices among Different National Regulations”
Jihyun Jeon. Chadwick School. “The Environmental Costs of Fast Fashion: How Our Style Strains Our Planet”