Global Youth Science Writing Competition
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Think deeply.
Research
boldly.
Write the
future.
A global stage for young minds who can turn scientific curiosity into clear, rigorous, and consequential writing.
Humanoid Robot Playoff
The 2027 Awards Dinner will feature a new centerpiece: the Humanoid Robot Playoff, presented in partnership with Hitch Open Junior. In front of the full dinner audience of finalists, families, judges and guests, selected teams will program a humanoid robot (PrimeBot) to present their research live on stage — the robot delivers the talk, demonstrates the ideas, and interacts with the audience, all scripted and controlled by the student team. It is the moment where a year of research steps off the page and onto the stage.
Hitch Open is a global Physical AI open-source platform co-founded by UC Berkeley Professor Allen Yang, and Hitch Open Junior is its youth program. Together, GYSH and Hitch Open Junior are building the next generation of STEM science writing: research + AI, AI-native from day one — where students don’t just write about science, they turn their ideas into something a machine can perform.
The Playoff is optional. Teams that opt in will be supported by a Hitch-led online bootcamp covering robot setup, programming, motion and speech choreography, and full rehearsal, so every team is stage-ready by dinner night. Details on format, timing and robot access will be announced with the 2027 competition guidelines.
Meet leading journal editors face-to-face and learn from world-class scientists.
Spanning key cutting-edge scientific fields, the program is open to young people around the world and aims to inspire a spirit of inquiry.
Through scientific reasoning and written expression, it cultivates research-oriented thinking and provides an international platform
for young people with scientific potential to showcase their academic abilities.
9 Scientific Tracks
Starting from real-world observations, students are guided step by step to break down problems,
develop critical reasoning, and build scientific logic and rigorous writing skills.
Biology
Chemistry
Engineering
Computer Science
Mathematics
Economics and Financial Technology
Psychology
Environmental Science
Advisory Board
Sohail Z. Husain, MD
Professor, Stanford University School of Medicine
Current President, American Pancreatic Association (APA)
Michael Milanovic, Ph.D
Current Chairman of the Board, LanguageCert
Former Chief Executive Officer, Cambridge English Language Assessment (University of Cambridge)
Pioneering Developer of IELTS, widely recognized as the "Father of IELTS"
Founder, Association of Language Testers in Europe (ALTE)
Key Contributor to the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR), Council of Europe
Visiting Professor, University of Bedfordshire
Senior International Advisor to Ministries of Education
Orlando C. Kirton, MD, FACS, MCCM, FCCP, FCPP, MAMSE, MBA
Chair, Department of Surgery, Jefferson Health–Abington
Vice President, American Association for the Surgery of Trauma (AAST)
Michael DeBaun, MD, MPH
Professor of Pediatrics and Medicine, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine
J.C. Peterson Endowed Chair in Pediatrics
Member, National Academy of Medicine and American Academy of Arts and Sciences
Ashok K. Saluja, PhD
Professor and Vice Chair, Department of Surgery, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine
Editor-in-Chief, Pancreas
Associate Editor, Gastroenterology
Pramod Kumar Garg
Fellow, Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow, United Kingdom
Associate Editor, Pancreatology
Manfred Schwab
Head, Division of Tumor Genetics, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ)
Former Editor-in-Chief, Cancer Letters
Murray Korc, MD
Professor, University of California, Irvine
NIH MERIT Award Recipient
Jason Chen, MD, PhD
Editor-in-Chief, Drug Resistance Updates
Editor-in-Chief of multiple international SCI-indexed journals
Kate Lee
Chair, Wharton School Alumni Interviewers, University of Pennsylvania
Regional Interview Director for Ivy League institutions for eight consecutive years
Steven Ahn
MBA, The Wharton School
Part-Time Lecturer, Oxford College of Emory University
Author of Global Cash Management; contributor to the Financial Times, McKinsey Global Institute, NPR, and other media
Expert in international finance and corporate strategy
Min Li, Ph.D
Current President, International Association of Pancreatology (IAP)
First Chinese-American President of the American Pancreatic Association (APA)
Deputy Director, Peggy and Charles Stephenson Oklahoma Cancer Centre
Editor-in-Chief, Cancer Letters
Senior Deputy Editor, Gastroenterology
Recipient of the Palade Prize, the highest award of the International Association of Pancreatology
5 Evaluation
Criteria
Designed for explorers, innovators, and curious minds ready to experience the future beyond Earth.
- Scientific Accuracy
- Academic Standards
- Logical Reasoning
- Language Expression
- Innovative Thinking
Awards Dinner at a Top U.S. University
Meet leading scientists and experience a world-class academic environment. Top performers may be considered
for laboratory internships or opportunities to pursue publication in prestigious journals.
Scientific Writing Masterclass
Learn scientific writing from world-leading scientists-from research and analysis to argumentation and build communication skills for life.
Combining core methodology with track-specific practice, the course covers literature research, logical structuring, and academic writing, with in-depth analysis of exemplary papers across 9 scientific fields.
Receive an official certificate of completion, with opportunities for top students to engage directly with leading scientists worldwide.
