International Essay Writing Success

Hilmi M, 4F, Teme House, has entered several high-profile, out-of-college essay competitions and seen great success. Including the Harvard Crimson Global Essay Writing Competition, which is a prestigious opportunity that provides a platform for young, ambitious writers to compete with students across the world. Thousands of young people enter, but only a handful make the later stages.

Hilmi’s essay was limited to 500 words and argued which approach to space exploration he believed would be most effective: international collaboration or private endeavour. Hilmi was one of the regional winners and his essay made it into the finals, in the top 75 essays, and he was the only finalist from the United Kingdom. Entrants were given only seven days to research and write their arguments, before being judged by the expert panel, with finalists being invited back to expand on their thoughts up to 1500 words. 

Hilmi’s argument maintained that space exploration is most effectively pursued by private companies rather than by government-led collaborations, however, the field must be regulated by international committees and legislation. He explains that international collaborations are far too easily influenced by politics and “as such, the world cannot rely on international collaborations to be at the leading edge of humanity’s monumental quest to unravel the mysteries of our universe.” He notes that when Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022, they announced plans to withdraw from the ISS. He further highlights the constant rivalry between the United States, the United Kingdom and China, which has significantly ostracised China from pursuing effective space exploration alongside other Western nations. On the other hand, Hilmi presents the merits of an entrepreneurial approach, and “the transformative potential of private aerospace companies to make space exploration more affordable, which can ultimately accelerate scientific progress.” Unfortunately, his essay did not win the finals but Hilmi, with his characteristic verve, remarked, “It was a disappointment, but that’s all. I’ll dust myself off and continue to write. And with even more fervour.” His essay can be read in the Lent Issue of Lancing’s student-written Newspaper, View From the Hill, which Hilmi also writes for.

Hilmi described the experience as a ‘great thrill’, and relished the opportunity to deep dive into a topic that was not previously of much interest to him. He found himself going down research rabbit holes and watching entire documentaries on space to feed his newfound interest in the topic. His passion for academics, “like the cosmic world itself” knows no bounds. Recently, he participated in the Immerse Essay Competition and was offered a Scholarship to attend their Summer Schools at Oxford and Cambridge, for his essay on Philosophy, grappling with the question “Are Humans Superior to Animals?”. 

Most recently Hilmi was awarded Highly Commended in the OxBright Essay Competition 2024. Hilmi wrote a brilliant essay answering the question “How does collaboration in Philosophy support social impact and innovation?" The panel of judges were very impressed with Hilmi’s essay, ranking it within the top 20% of a competitive field of over 1000 entries. Hilmi received a Certificate of Achievement and has won a free place at an OxBright academic conference. OxBright, by the Oxford Scholastica Academy, exists to inspire students to succeed, find their purpose and make a difference in the world.