2024-2025
High School International Economics Essay
Competition (HIEEC)
HIEEC provides students the opportunity to demonstrate an accomplished level of writing and understanding of economic theory. Through the contest, students hone their academic and professional skills and exhibit their knowledge.
The 2023-2024 Harvard International Economics Essay Contest is sponsored by the Harvard Undergraduate Economics Association (HUEA). This essay competition is open to high school students of any year and is a fantastic opportunity to demonstrate an accomplished level of writing and understanding of economic theory.
HIEEC 2024-2025 Final Judge
Pushpam Kumar
Pushpam Kumar is the Chief of the Programme Management Unit (Ecosystems Economics) at the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) in Nairobi. An expert in environmental economics, sustainability science, and planetary health, he has led UNEP’s integration with the UN Network of Economists and partnerships with the World Bank on initiatives like Beyond GDP, nature-based solutions, and climate finance.
Previously, he served as Chief of the Ecosystem Services Economics Unit and Coordinator of the Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services Branch at UNEP, playing a key role in the foundation of The Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity (TEEB). Pushpam has contributed to major global initiatives including the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment, IPCC’s Fourth Assessment Report, and the Wealth Accounting and Valuation of Ecosystem Services (WAVES) Programme.
He holds a Ph.D. in Environmental Economics from the University of Delhi and has held academic positions at the University of Liverpool, Boston College, Columbia University, and the University of Pretoria. Pushpam has authored over eight books and published extensively in top journals such as Science, Nature, and The Lancet. He is a recognized speaker featured by outlets like BBC, Forbes, and Nature Sustainability.
Outside of his professional work, Pushpam enjoys classical music and exploring global cultural histories.
Winners
Allen Xu: "Minutes to Midnight"​
​Allen Xu is a junior at Naperville North High School, passionate about economics, policy, and social innovation. His interest in environmental economics began through congressional debate, where he competed in tournaments nationwide—including at Harvard—on topics like subsidies and carbon taxes. These conversations sparked a curiosity that led him to conduct research at the University of Michigan and Purdue University Fort Wayne, publishing a paper linking government-induced economic failures and democratic backsliding to carbon emissions. Eventually, these experiences inspired his essay for this year’s contest! Believing advocacy and policy alone cannot fully address challenges like climate change, Allen spends much of his time bridging economics with entrepreneurship.
He runs businesses focused on accessibility for visually impaired athletes and educational technology, and leads a nonprofit organization equipping young entrepreneurs with business education through free camps and “Fish Tank” competitions.
Cemil Türk: "From Wages to Baskets: Breaking the Social Contract"​​​
Cemil Türk is a junior at KabataÅŸ High School in Istanbul, one of Türkiye’s most selective high schools, where he studies in the IB program. He has conducted research under professors from Koç University and the University of Cambridge, having authored independent research papers on behavioral economics and international politics under the mentorship of Cambridge Faculty. He has chaired international European Youth Parliament (EYP) committees on foreign affairs, legal affairs, and human rights in sessions across Europe. After placing first nationwide in the 29th Turkish Philosophy Olympiad, he was selected to represent Türkiye at the 33rd International Philosophy Olympiad (IPO). He is currently researching AI and large language model (LLM) ethics at Non-Trivial. His academic interests center on the intersection of economics, politics, and philosophy.
Haokai Gui: "Carbon Tax - Fighting for the Environment"
Finalists
Amy Jia
Joshua Hong
Ho Ka Chun
Xiyuan Chen
Sharanya Yashasvi
Sin Eike
Yichen Wang
Melody Zou
Zhirou Fang
Aditya Swamy
Alexei Varah
Samuel Cao
Sonal Setty
Aryaveer Towar
Ran Gu
Highly Commended
Iris Cao
Jimin Yeo
Siddharth Sofin
Samara Patel
Kaavya Jain
Adhor Ahluwalia
Su April Aung
Shivansh Gupta
Zihang Ding
Ping-Yi Chang
Li Chen
Yangfei Chen
Ziyu Chen
Dev Goyal
Meng-Yu Chang
2024-2025
Key Dates
-
​November 2nd – Essay Prompts released
-
January 5th, 11:59 PM EST, 2025 – Essay submission deadline
-
January 24th, 9PM EST, 2025 - Extended Essay Deadline
-
Mid March 2025* – Highly Commended and Finalists notified
-
End of March 2025* – Winners notified, results published on the website​
*We received a high volume of submissions, therefore we anticipate that it will take us a couple more weeks to release the results.
2024-2025 Prompts
1) Environment: Carbon taxes have been implemented in many countries, including in Europe and the United States, and are considered to play a significant role in regulating greenhouse gas emissions. However, there are criticisms regarding this approach, such as the argument that it is not effective because enterprises may keep polluting as long as they pay the cost. Additionally, the competitive advantage of imported products from countries without carbon taxes raises questions about its effectiveness. What unique effects can be anticipated from carbon taxes compared to subsidies for renewable energy? To address the concerns currently raised about carbon taxation, what potential alternatives could be considered?
2) Inequality: Consider a country where income taxes are used to address socioeconomic inequality by taxing a portion of citizens' earnings, typically in a way that is proportional to income. Now, imagine that this government is debating a policy shift that would eliminate income taxes for all employed persons, replacing them with a new consumption tax on goods and services, proportional to the value of each item purchased. Analyze the potential short-term and long-term economic and social effects of this policy shift within this country, as well as possible impacts on its relationships with other nations. Would you recommend this approach as a viable alternative to income taxes? Additionally, consider how at least two different groups (e.g., high-income earners, retirees, unemployed persons) might view this policy change. Would they likely support or oppose it, and why?
3) Workforce & Education: As automation and technological advancements continue to reshape industries, the skill sets required in the workforce are rapidly changing. How should education systems adapt to prepare students for a future dominated by automation and artificial intelligence? Evaluate the potential economic impact of reorienting education around STEM fields versus soft skills and critical thinking. What changes can be made at both the policy and institutional levels to ensure a workforce that is resilient and capable of thriving in an automated world?
​
4) Crypto/Finance: With the rise of cryptocurrencies and the potential introduction of central bank digital currencies (CBDCs), the role of traditional central banks may undergo significant shifts. How might the widespread adoption of digital currencies affect monetary policy, financial stability, and global capital flows? Should central banks regulate or embrace these innovations? Discuss the potential benefits and risks of digital currencies for consumers, businesses, and governments, and analyze how monetary systems could evolve in response.
Rules
Entrants must choose one of the four prompts and write a response to it with a strict limit of 1500 words. Submission must be via the HUEA website and entrants are limited to submitting one essay with only the first submission being considered.
Each essay submission will have a reading fee which should be paid upon submission of the essay:
-
For US Applicants: $20
-
For International (non-US) Applicants: $30
​
If this fee will impose a significant financial burden on your family, please email us at thehuea@gmail.com with a brief explanation for any circumstances that impede your ability to pay the reading submission fee. Please title the subject of the email "Firstname Lastname: HIEEC Financial Aid Request". The first and last name in the email should match the ones you provide in the below form.
​
The essays will be judged by the board of the HUEA, with the top 10 submissions being adjudicated by a Economics Professor at Harvard.
​
Please submit essays via this form.
If the above link does not work, use: https://forms.gle/uCEwheK6N4advxBK6.
​
*Be sure to read all the details in the submission form carefully before submitting, as failure to complete any of the steps correctly may result in your submission not being considered.
Cutoff Information
1. The essay submission form will close strictly at 11:59 PM EST on January 5, 2025.
2. We will be capping essay submissions at 200 submissions this year.
Any essay submissions beyond either of these cutoffs will not be accepted.
Prizes
The top three winning essays will be published (with the author’s permission) on our website. A finalists list of the top submissions will be published online and adjudicated by a real-world economist.
A list of names that will receive the "Highly Commended" distinction will also be published online​. The judges' decisions are final.
Terms & Conditions
-
The word limit of 1500 must be strictly adhered to. Any words past the limit will be truncated. This limit excludes references, footnotes, titles, headers and footers.
-
Essays must be written only by the entrant. Any outside assistance must be declared in the beginning or end of the essay.
-
Only your first submission will be accepted. Any further submissions will not be read.
-
References must be included, and any plagiarism will lead to disqualification.
-
References must be in Chicago or APA format. The only accepted document formatting is PDF. Any other format will not be accepted, nor will refunds be given to those who do not follow this rule.
-
No refunds are granted.
-
Grades 9-12 are permitted.
-
The essay must not be entered in any other competition nor be published elsewhere.
-
No individual feedback of essays will be granted.
-
The decisions made by HUEA by the final round of adjudication are final.
-
All winners agree to their names being published on the HUEA website.