HUGEM Innovation Challenge
Initiated by
The Harvard Undergraduate Global Education Movement (HUGEM)
Hosted
across North America, Europe, Asia
Open to
students in Grades 4-9, in both Chinese and English
Straight to Harvard University
Qualifier Round → Harvard Round
You Be The Chemist Challenge®
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.
Launched and operated by HUGEM, the HUGEM Innovation Challenge (HIC)—a global youth fun innovation competition – has been successfully held in multiple countries and regions including China, Singapore, Dubai, India, Southeast Asia, and Europe. Starting from 2025, ASEEDER will partner with HUGEM to introduce a new competition format in Asia, inviting students in grades 4–6 nationwide to take on creative challenges and unleash their innovative ideas into reality!
Why Participate in HIC?
Development Path
Qualifier Round 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.
Advanced Students’s Work
Harvard Round References
Global Round
Advancement system
Rules
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 Global 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, land work towards implementing ideas for a diverse and fantastic innovation experience.
This year’s Global 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 Al, 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 Global Round, you will become a sustainable innovator, developing resilient solutions for real global issues!
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 Global Round.
Participation Certificate
• All Students who turned in the required works will be presented with official participatior certificate
Includes the exam, grading, proctor fee, past-papers, certificates. (ASEEDER doesn’t provide any trainings)
Registration deadline2 weeks before the competition