Harvard International Economics Essay Competition.
A clear, independent guide to HUEA’s flagship economics essay contest — what the prompts ask, how it is judged, and how high-schoolers worldwide take part.
A focused, high-bar contest
An economics writing contest, run from Harvard.
The Harvard International Economics Essay Competition (HIEEC) is the autumn essay contest of the Harvard Undergraduate Economics Association (HUEA), run together with the Harvard College Economics Review (HCER). It asks high-school students anywhere in the world to take a position on a real economic question and argue it in a short, rigorous essay.
Each cycle, entrants choose one of four prompts spanning the environment, inequality, labour and education, and finance. Essays are capped at 1,500 words and written in a formal academic style — Chicago or APA — with references that fall outside the word count. A panel of Harvard faculty reads the strongest submissions, and award-winning essays can be published by the Harvard College Economics Review, giving students a genuine academic credit to point to.
This site is an independent resource for students and families preparing for HIEEC. We summarise the format, the prompts, the judging, and how to enter — and we link back to the organisers for anything official, so you always know where the authoritative information lives.
Four themes, one essay
Entrants answer a single prompt. These were the four themes in the most recent (2025–26) cycle — the organisers set fresh prompts each year.
Environment
Carbon-offset markets and emissions reduction — how governments and firms can price and cut carbon credibly.
Inequality
Universal basic income and “data dividends” as responses to technological disruption and concentrated gains.
Labour & Education
The economic implications of remote and hybrid work for productivity, cities, and skills.
Crypto & Finance
Tokenised sovereign bonds and blockchain-based public finance — promise, risk, and policy design.
Read by Harvard faculty — and a Nobel laureate
HIEEC is judged on the quality of economic reasoning, not on how advanced the topic sounds. Reviewers look for a clear thesis, evidence used honestly, an argument that anticipates the strongest objection, and writing that a non-specialist can follow. A strict word limit rewards precision: the best essays say one specific thing well, rather than surveying everything.
The panel is drawn from Harvard’s economics community. In the 2025–26 cycle, essays were adjudicated with Oliver Hart, the 2016 Nobel laureate in Economics, among the readers — a signal of the bar the contest sets. Award-winning essays can be selected for publication by the Harvard College Economics Review, turning a contest entry into a citable piece of work for university applications and beyond.
Pick the prompt where you can say something specific — not the one that sounds most impressive.What strong HIEEC essays have in common
What judges reward
- A clear, arguable thesis
- Evidence used honestly
- Anticipating the strongest objection
- Prose a non-specialist can follow
Four steps — and the cycle to watch
Pick a prompt
Choose one of the four themes — the one where you have a specific, arguable point.
Write
Up to 1,500 words, formal style (Chicago or APA). References sit outside the word count.
Submit
Enter through HUEA before the deadline — or before the 600-submission cap is reached, whichever comes first.
Results
Finalists and winners are announced in spring; top essays may be published by HCER.
HIEEC runs once a year, in the autumn. In the 2025–26 cycle, prompts were released on 28 October 2025, the submission window closed on 5 January 2026, finalists were notified in mid-March, and winners were announced in late March 2026. At the time of writing, the 2026–27 cycle has not yet been announced — the contest typically follows a similar autumn-to-spring rhythm, but always confirm the current dates and rules with HUEA before you plan. Because entries are capped, the window can also close early once the cap is reached.
Common questions
Who can enter HIEEC?
Any high-school student, in any grade, anywhere in the world. No prior economics coursework is required — the contest rewards clear reasoning, not credentials.
How long should the essay be?
Up to 1,500 words, written in a formal academic style such as Chicago or APA. Titles, headers, footnotes and references do not count toward the limit.
What are the essay topics?
Each cycle offers four prompts. In 2025–26 they covered the environment (carbon-offset markets), inequality (universal basic income and data dividends), labour and education (remote and hybrid work), and finance (tokenised sovereign bonds). You answer one.
Who judges the contest?
A panel from Harvard’s economics community. In the 2025–26 cycle, 2016 Nobel laureate Oliver Hart was among the readers. Award-winning essays can be published by the Harvard College Economics Review.
When is the deadline?
HIEEC runs each autumn. The 2025–26 submission window closed on 5 January 2026. The 2026–27 dates had not been announced at the time of writing — check HUEA for the current cycle before planning.
Is there a submission cap?
Yes. The 2025–26 cycle capped entries at 600 submissions; once the cap is reached, submissions can close before the stated deadline, so it pays to enter early.
Is this the official HIEEC website?
No. This is an independent educational guide. It is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Harvard University or the Harvard Undergraduate Economics Association. For official rules and submission, always refer to HUEA.
Preparing for HIEEC?
Have a question about entering, the prompts, or preparation? Message us and we’ll point you to the right resources.