Harshim Saluja, a computational data science junior at Penn State, has emerged as one of five global winners of the “Forecasting the Future: A Modern Economics Challenge.” The international competition, hosted by Bridgewater Associates in partnership with Global Citizen, invited students worldwide to analyze how shifting economic forces could influence global systems in the years ahead.
Saluja impressed judges with an extensive analytical submission built on advanced computational modeling, rich economic visualizations, and a systems-thinking approach. Her work examined how artificial intelligence, increasing automation, and evolving cross-border trade relationships may reshape geopolitical influence and economic strength by 2035. Drawing on her background in computer science and data analytics, she crafted twenty forward-looking forecasts that explored possible scenarios for the coming decade.
She noted that her inspiration for the project began with her independent research into the stock market. As someone without formal training in finance, she spent months learning market terminology and studying the materials Bridgewater provided on the evolution of mercantilism and modern trade behavior. She said that hours of reading news articles and economic analyses helped her step back and observe global markets from a wider lens.
Once she gathered the necessary data, Saluja relied heavily on mathematical modeling and technical reasoning to build her forecasts. She shared that while she did not initially grasp every complex economic concept, she trusted her analytical capability and problem-solving foundation to guide her through the challenge.
The contest attracted more than 1,000 submissions from participants across 120 countries. Winners were officially announced at the Global Citizen Festival in Central Park, New York City, where Saluja’s achievement was celebrated on stage by Bridgewater CEO Nir Bar Dea along with actor and Global Citizen ambassador Hugh Jackman.
Although she did not attend the event in person, Saluja learned she had won through a Zoom call with representatives from Bridgewater. Along with global recognition, winners received $25,000 and the chance to pursue employment or an internship with the hedge fund—a notable professional opportunity for rising economists and data scientists.
