About Us
About Us
OUR PURPOSE AND APPROACH
Who we are
Applied Ethics
International Relations
Political Philosophy
Diplomatic Policy
Macroeconomics
Shaping the Next Generation of Global Thinkers and Diplomats
The International Policy Olympiad is a premier academic competition connecting ambitious high school students with pressing global challenges across geopolitics, economics, ethics, and diplomacy.
Applied Ethics
International Relations
Political Philosophy
Diplomatic Policy
Macroeconomics
Our purpose
Moving Policy from Abstract Theory to Global Action
Real-world governance isn’t theoretical — it demands critical nuance, evidence-based reasoning, and actionable solutions.
The Olympiad provides an intellectual stage where students step beyond traditional high school curricula to debate systemic challenges, defend original ideas, and master the language of international policy.
“Olympiads give students opportunities to show depth in their academic interest outside of the classroom and help admissions officers recognize the applicant's passion for their area of study. At highly selective universities, it is increasingly common for the top admitted applicants to boast multiple international and national honors which can be harder to find for humanities students.”
— Ria Jagasia, Former Johns Hopkins Admissions Officer
Engage in live, moderated debate rounds alongside high-achieving peers representing over 30+ countries.
Global Discourse
Institutional Value
Demonstrate undergraduate-level analytical writing and primary research capabilities to top-tier university admissions boards.
Scholarly Distinction
Intellectual orginality
An International Policy Olympiad victory is a mark of scholarly distinction that stands out on any university application
Dialectical Debate
Defend policies in live oral rounds, respond to counter-perspectives, and articulate positions under structured time pressure.
Actionable Policy Design
Propose realistic, ethically grounded solutions to contemporary economic and geopolitical crises.
Judges Panel
Judging panel
Brenna Salkin
MPhil - Politics and International Studies - University of Cambridge BA - Human, Social, and Political Sciences, Politics and International Relations - University of Cambridge
After completing her undergraduate degree in Human, Social, and Political Sciences Brenna earned her MPhil degree in Politics and International Studies, during which she worked for the undergraduate admissions office at King’s College, and was the managing editor of the Cambridge Journal of Political Affairs.
Judges Panel
Dr. Hope K. McCoy
Ph.D. in Education, University of California, Los Angeles M.A. in Education, University of California, Los Angeles Division of Higher Education & Organizational Change B.S. in Psychology, Northwestern University Two-time Fulbright recipient
Hope McCoy is a Lecturer in International Relations and in the Civic, Liberal, and Global Education program at Stanford University. McCoy’s research agenda focuses on the sociocultural dimensions of development studies, with an emphasis on international education, global citizenship, and the role of cultural diplomacy in geopolitics. Dr. McCoy's first book (2023) entitled: "From Congo to GONGO: Higher Education, Critical Geopolitics, and the New Red Scare '' was one of the winners of the Peter Lang Emerging Scholars Competition in Black Studies.
Anna Mark
B.S in Political Science, University of Utah M.Ed. in Social Foundations of Education, University of Virginia Education Policy Fellow Alumna, Institute for Educational Leadership Professional Certificate in Data Science Essentials, University of California, Berkeley
Anna Mark’s research centers on improving educational outcomes for children with disabilities and their families. She has led initiatives at some of the nation’s leading nonprofits, authored 11 white papers and implementation guides, and presented across 15 national, state, and local conferences on special education, instructional quality, and the power of data to drive equitable outcomes.
