Originated from Harvard —— HUGEM Innovation Challenge

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Qualifier Round

Registration & Submission DDL: December 7th, 2025

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HUGEM创新挑战
(哈佛站)

2026年(美国哈佛大学)

沉浸式创新体验

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Harvard Round

February 26th - March 2nd 2026 · Harvard University

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Welcome letter

Welcome Lettter

Esha Ahmad
President of the Harvard Undergraduate Global Education Movement

To the pioneering Gen Z & Alpha creators from China:

*Gen Z (born 1995-2010) | Gen Alpha (born 2010-2024)*

Over the past two summers, the creativity and inspiration of HUGEM Innovation Challenge participants have left a lasting impression—and we can't wait to meet again!

HIC Harvard Round will take place at Harvard from February 26 to March 2, 2026! You'll gain an unparalleled academic and social experience, including networking with Harvard alumni, brainstorming innovation proposals with Harvard scholars, and attending Harvard application workshops.

As always, you'll need to earn your "entry pass" through innovation and action. This process may be challenging, but it's also exciting: identify a real-world problem, design a creative solution, and submit it to the HIC Qualifier Round Outstanding proposals will receive an official invitation to HIC Harvard Round!

We believe the possibilities of HIC are limitless. Looking forward to seeing you in 2026!

HUGEM

Introduction

Founded at Harvard University, the Harvard Undergraduate Global Education Movement (HUGEM) has their work spaned over a dozen countries across three continents, uniting numerous strong educational partners in a shared commitment to empowering the next generation. In previous years, HUGEM has hosted summer camps and organized innovation-themed conferences in various Asian countries, while also conducting after-school STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) workshops across European regions.

● HUGEM Official Webiste: https://hugemovement.org

HUGEM Innovation Challenge

HUGEM Innovation Challenge

HIC (HUGEM Innovation Challenge) aims to shape the next generation of innovators across various fields, inspiring students worldwide to draw inspiration from daily life and social issues, explore relevant domains of knowledge, and develop practical skills essential for their future careers. At HIC, you will have the opportunity to build an academic network with Harvard scholars, connect with outstanding students from across the country, and transform knowledge into personal creativity—becoming a catalyst for impactful change.

In March 2023, ASEEDER entered into a strategic partnership with a Harvard-affiliated global education innovation organization to introduce HIC to China. The 2025 HUGEM Innovation Challenge is open to students in grades 4–9. Participants may choose a research topic within designated tracks and submit their work online by December 7, 2025. Students will tackle real-world challenges using "innovative thinking", to propose solutions for their chosen topics. Through a series of challenges, they will expand their thinking abilities and enhance skills in independent thinking, critical analysis, and problem-solving.

Outstanding participants will have the chance to be invited to Harvard University, where they can engage in a dynamic and inspiring exchange of ideas with other talented young innovators from around the world.

Student Interviews & Moments

Why HIC

Why Participate in HIC?

HIC recruits all curious elementary and middle school students who love asking questions. HIC encourages any student who wonders 'why' or 'how' to participate. Regardless of language or area of interest, all students can start from their passions, identify a research question for the Qualifier Round, find inspiration, and get involved.

Inclusive Participation

Academic Support

After registering for the Qualifier Round, each student receives a Study Guide. This guide provides comprehensive academic support, including theme introduction, inspiration sourcing, and research methods, enabling even complete beginners to create their own innovative project.

HIC offers a broad, engaging space for innovation, aiming to help students identify problems and use their creativity and imagination to solve them. This cultivates abilities like critical thinking, challenging conventions, adapting to the unknown, and innovating skills highly valued by top universities worldwide and essential for 21st-century talent.

Skill Development

Straight to Harvard

Students who win awards in the Qualifier Round will be invited to the Harvard Round. They will visit Harvard's campus, learn from Harvard scholars, collaborate, and take on advanced interdisciplinary projects, turning their innovative ideas into reality!

Qualifier Round Timeline

September 2025

• Elementary Division: Grades 4-6
• Junior Division: Grades 7-9

• Each division offers Chinese and English tracks (Only the English track allows advancement to the Harvard Round. Track selection is final)

September - December 2025

Problem identification, background research, idea generation, utilizing academic support, and project creation.
• Choose a real-world problem or challenge
• Complete an Innovation Idea Form detailing the solution (60% of score)
• Submit a creative expression, e.g., video/poster/article/PPT (40% of score)
Registraation & Submission Deadline: December 7, 2025
Awards Announcement: Late December 2025

Late December 2025

● First, Second, and Third Places, along with Honorable Mentions (top 70%), will be selected in each division and track.
● Top 70% (Honorable Mention and above) in the English track of each division will advance.

About HIC

HUGEM Qualifier Round Academic Tracks

【Basic Info】

  • Suitable For: Students in Grades 4-9
  • Participation Format: Online Submission
  • Advancement: Top 70% (Honorable Mention and above) in the English track of each division will
  • advance to Harvard Round.

【Participation】

  • Scan to register
  • Successful registrants will receive the academic support guide via email.
  • Submission Deadline: December 7, 2025
  • Awards Announcement: Late December 2025

 

【Submission】

  • Complete an Innovation Idea Form detailing the solution (60% of score)
  • Submit a creative expression, e.g., video/poster/article/PPT (40% of score)
  • Students must independently complete the conception and production of their proposals, and cheating behaviors such as plagiarism, content reproduction, or AI-generated writing are strictly prohibited.
  • The submission should include an innovative idea proposal and supplementary work (optional), with specific requirements as follows:

 Innovative Proposal

Requirements: Complete the Innovative Proposal Template. Follow the prompts in the first column of the table to answer the questions. Please note that the word count for each section must not exceed the specified limit. After completing the template, submit it in PDF or Word format.

Creative Expression Work

(1) Requirements: Participants must choose one of the four formats below to create a piece of creative expression work that showcases their innovative solution.
(2) Formats:
•Article (Chinese: 600–1000 characters; English: 600–1000 words)
•Poster
•PowerPoint presentation (maximum 20 slides)
•Video (maximum 3 minutes)
(3) Content: The work must reflect the innovative solution proposed in the Innovative Proposal Template.
(4) File Format: Submissions must be in pdf / word / jpg / mov / mp4 / ppt format.

Note

  1. Participants can select one or more themes to take part in the challenge. Please do not upload duplicate submissions for the same work.
  2. Please complete and submit the innovative proposal and creative expression work within the specified timeframe. Submissions after the deadline will not be considered for evaluation.
  3. If a student’s submitted file cannot be opened, ASEEDER will contact the student to resubmit. The resubmission must be made within the required time frame; otherwise, it will be deemed a waiver of participation.
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【Awards】

Individual Awards

• First, Second, and Third Places, along with Honorable Mentions (top 70%), will be selected in each division and track.
*Top 70% (Honorable Mention and above) in the English track of each division will advance to HIC Harvard Round.

 Participation Certificate

• All Students who turned in the required works will be presented with official participation certificate

【Academic Tracks】

In the Qualifier Round, students identify real-world problems and challenges, think about solutions, and submit their creative ideas, focusing on problem discovery and creative exploration.

Annual Theme

Resilient Futures: Innovating for a Sustainable World

Low-carbon Life

From breakfast ingredients to your commute, daily life is full of opportunities for a green transition. Join the low-carbon lifestyle as an eco-enthusiast! Your will spot high carbon footprint in your clothing, food, living, and travel, and 'apprehend' them with innovative ideas. Whether designing a fun waste-sorting game or planning a zero-waste campus initiative!

Poverty and Inequality

Poverty isn't just about wealth disparity; it's a gap in opportunity and hope. This track invites you to become a social detective and creative pioneer, exploring issues of fairness near and far. Whether designing a project to help vulnerable community members or devising an innovative tool to bridge the digital divide, your ideas could shine a light on someone's life!

AI and Innovation

AI is more than a sci-fi superbrain; it's a powerful partner for solving real problems! Have you considered using AI to protect endangered species, design a companion for the elderly, or create a system predicting natural disasters? Let's explore AI's potential together, turning it into a super-tool for building a better future!

Global Health

Global health is about more than defeating disease; it's about ensuring everyone can lead a healthy, fulfilling life. From improving mental health dynamic in schools to designing apps for medical resource access in remote areas; from planning for future public health crises to promoting healthy lifestyles – use your wisdom to design a more resilient, healthier future for global communities!

【Advanced Students's Work】


Business & Entrepreneurship

Business & Entrepreneurship

Sustainable Fashion

—Beijing Huijia Private School, Huang
—XIAMEN BINGLANG MIDDLE SCHOOL, Guo
—Kang Chiao International School, Chen
— BEIJING ROYAL FOREIGN LANGUAGE SCHOOL, Liu

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Students' Work

Color-block dresses, polka dot shirts, checkerboard cropped pants... When people talk about environmental pollution, they rarely immediately associate it with the latest fashionable clothing in retail stores. However, the reality is—fueled by the fast fashion trend, the fashion industry has been ranked as the second most polluting industry in the world.

To address this issue, during the summer of 2023, students from the Business and Economics Committee turned their attention to a concept that has gained popularity in both the fashion world and environmental circles in recent years—Sustainable Fashion. The students developed Ecopia, a second-hand clothing recycling and customization platform centered on eco-friendly principles. Through market research and target user analysis, they designed a circular prototype of the product.



Environmental Sciences & Engineering

Environmental Sciences & Engineering

The Green Building: Ivy Green Exhibition Center

— Fuzhou Lakeside International School, Lin
— Hangzhou Dipont School of Arts and Science, Bao
— Canadian International School of Hong Kong, Wang
— International Department of Chengdu No.7 High School, Xu

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Students' Work

With the growing global awareness of environmental protection, the evaluation system for green buildings continues to evolve and improve. Students from the Environmental Engineering Committee have taken green building as their core concept and creatively designed a new structure resembling the "Noah's Ark." The building is divided into three floors (including balconies) and is constructed using eco-friendly materials such as Cross-laminated timber (CLT), a low-carbon innovative material. The team visually presented their conceptual building design through hand-drawn sketches, including feasible solutions that utilize renewable energy systems to support and provide living resources and recreational facilities.




Engineering

Engineering

Automated Drone Delivery

— Yangzhou High School of Jiangsu Province, Wang
— Shenyang No.2 High School, Zhu
— Dulwich College Shanghai Pudong, Yao
— Hiba Academy Hangzhou, Zhang

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Students' Work

Nowadays, people enjoy the convenience of food delivery services but often overlook their potential negative impacts and risks. The issue of delivery transportation is increasingly affecting normal traffic operations and safety.

Students from the Engineering Committee have proposed an idea to use drones instead of electric vehicles for deliveries: the drones would precisely follow mapped routes based on global coordinates, pick up orders at designated locations, and notify customers via mobile phone once the delivery is safely completed. These drones would recharge at reasonably spaced drone bases, with solar panels serving as a backup power source. Through this solution, they aim to effectively curb the rise of traffic accidents and provide truly convenient services for the public.











Psychology

Psychology & Behavioral Economics

Helping Elders Stay Connected

— Huaai School, Xu
— Yaan Beifu Shiyan School, Xiong
— Meisha Bilingual School, Zhou
— Haide Bilingual School Dongguan, Huang
— Zhejiang Hangzhou High School, Wu

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Students' Work

With the rapid development of science and technology, many individuals aged 65 and older face various challenges in communication and interaction due to physical and psychological limitations, making it increasingly difficult for them to adapt to the smartphone era.

Students from the Social Sciences Committee have proposed a "Technology for Convenience Program" — an initiative aimed at meeting the daily needs of the elderly by designing an electronic device specifically for senior users. The device includes an easy-to-understand home screen, intuitive calling functions, secure mobile payment settings, and emergency contact features. The students have also incorporated a support plan, collaborating with mobile phone manufacturers to develop more user-friendly and affordable phone models. Additionally, they are recruiting volunteers in communities across the country, particularly in large cities, to help elderly individuals learn how to use this smart device, ensuring that no one is left behind in the digital age.



Urban Economics

Urban Economics

The "Dream-Building Project" in First-Tier Cities

— No.2 High School of East China Normal University, Gao
— Shanghai World Foreign Language Academy, Lou
— Beijing No.80 High School, Sun
— No.5 High School Of Changzhou, Gu
— Beijing No.80 High School, Hou

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Students' Work

According to data from the Eighth National Population Census, an analysis of residential land supply in first-tier cities experiencing massive population influx reveals a severe mismatch between population growth and housing land availability. Soaring housing prices have led to a series of issues: widening wealth gaps, increasing homelessness, and more.

Students specializing in urban economics have proposed an innovative solution. Guided by a people-oriented philosophy, they aim to provide "co-living apartments" for middle-income individuals who migrate to first-tier cities but cannot afford the high housing costs. By increasing building height, they seek to maximize spatial utility and offer more affordable housing options. Additionally, they provide job skill training and housing price discounts for unemployed vulnerable groups, striving to make cities more inclusive.



Biology & Medicine

Biology & Medicine

Precise and Thoughtful Medicine Container

— Shanghai World Foreign Language Academy, Zhao
— UWCSEA, Liang
—TASIS Portugal, Wang
— HIBA Academy Shanghai, Hao

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Students' Work

With the continuous advancement of medical conditions, people are paying increasing attention to their own and their families' health. Many working professionals are particularly concerned about elderly family members missing correct medication schedules or confusing medications/dosages due to forgetfulness.

In response to this challenge, students from the Biomedical Committee have proposed some innovative solutions: designing dedicated medication containers (such as boxes, bracelets, necklaces, etc.) for the elderly, equipped with reminders for regular and quantified medication intake (such as refrigerator magnets, medication calendars, and a 30-day medication management challenge). These aids are designed to help seniors adhere to medical instructions and avoid potential health risks.

Harvard Round Schedule

Information

Date: February 26th - March 2nd, 2026
Location: Harvard Univeristy
Language: English only
Format: Individual & Team Challenges (selected on site)

The top 70% in the English track of the Qualifier Round will advance to the Harvard Round. They will have the opportunity to visit Harvard University as outstanding innovation representatives, engage with the HUGEM member, industry leaders, and Harvard mentors, connect with exceptional peers, collaborate, and work towards implementing ideas for a diverse and fantastic innovation experience.

This year's Harvard Round, themed "Resilient Futures: Innovating for a Sustainable World," challenges participants to integrate perspectives from economics, technology, and global health to invent models that redefine value for people and the planet. Through workshops and discussions led by Harvard undergraduates, students will refine their insights.

From an economic perspective, you will explore frameworks for sustainable growth and strategies to reduce inequality. In technology, you'll examine how breakthroughs in AI, clean energy, and data science can solve systemic global problems. In global health, you'll consider how climate change, pandemics, and unequal access to healthcare shape humanity's future well-being.

During the HIC Harvard Round, you will become a sustainable innovator, developing resilient solutions for real global issues!

HUGEM Members

* The list is subject to change.

HIC Harvard Round

Lectures

Lectures

Workshop

Workshop

Seminar

Seminar

HIC Challenge

HIC Challenge

Schedule

Morning Afternoon
DAY1 Arrival in Boston
DAY2 Boston City Tour / Museum of Fine Arts visit / Quincy Market Exploration Opening Ceremony
Ice Breaker and Collaborative Challenge
Guest Speaker Event
Opening Dinner with HUGEM
DAY3 Lecture: The Need for a Sustainable World
Workshop #1 - Research Proposals: Defining a Question and Generating Solutions
Workshop #2 - Designing and Brainstorming Ideas for the Future
Lecture: Introduction to Resilient Future Themes
Seminar #1 - Poverty and Economics
Workshop #3 - The Art of Presentations
Seminar #2 - Technology and Climate Change
Seminar #3 - Health Security and Disease
Workshop #4 - Public Speaking to Lead and Inspire
DAY4 HIC Challenge Work Period
Harvard Campus Tour
Workshop #3 - Mastering Marketing: Elevate Your Brand
HIC Challenge Work Period
HIC Challenge Presentations
Workshop #4 - Harvard and US Colleges
Closing Ceremony
DAY5 Departure

* The schedule is subject to change.

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