Abbreviation HPAIR Type Non-Profit | Formation 1991 Official language English | |
Purpose International Relations Headquarters Cambridge, Massachusetts | ||
The Harvard Project for Asian and International Relations (HPAIR) is a non-profit organization under the Harvard University Faculty of Arts and Sciences. HPAIR currently holds two annual conferences that bring together international students and eminent individuals in the fields of academia, politics and business - the Harvard Conference and the Asia Conference. Established in 1991 with the goal of enabling distinguished students to participate in an open forum on Asian international issues, HPAIR also promotes long-term relationships among these future leaders and connects them with current leaders in the world.
Contents
- Harvard Conference
- Harvard Conference 2014
- Asia Conference
- Asia Conference 2016
- Notable Speakers
- References
HPAIR is an organization run entirely by undergraduate students. HPAIR's Asia Conference is Harvard University's largest annual student event in Asia. Since its founding in 1991, HPAIR has held over 20 conferences in locations ranging from Mumbai to Kuala Lumpur, Currently, HPAIR holds two annual conferences: the Harvard Conference and the Asia Conference.
Harvard Conference
The Harvard Conference was first held in 2008 on the Harvard University campus. Each year, about 200 international students and Harvard students came together at the Harvard Conference to explore pertinent issues concerning the Asia region, including foreign policy, public health, environmental issues, media and entrepreneurship. Attendees have the opportunity to investigate these issues in-depth through plenary sessions, panel sessions, seminars, and case-studies.
Harvard Conference 2014
Conference Theme: The Many Faces of Asia: Shaping Identities in a Dynamic World
Dates: February 14–17, 2014 Location: Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
Asia has transformed itself into a world superpower in the past decades. The economic success stories of Japan, the Four Tigers, and now China have been used as models worldwide. At the same time, Asia has vibrant history and culture with thousands of years of tradition that reaches far beyond its borders. As Asia spirals into faster development, how will Asia maintain its essence in such a fast-paced world? The HPAIR Harvard Conference 2014 will provide a forum to discuss the many faces of Asia in the 21st century. We will equip delegates with the tools and ideas to have the ability to shape Asia's identity that will accelerate Asia's development moving forward.
Panel Topics for the 2014 Harvard Conference include: TBA
Asia Conference
The HPAIR Asia Conference is a 5-day academic program in mid-August in an Asian city. The conference integrates the contents of the academic and business world to create a hybrid structure. Delegates benefit from gaining a broader exposure to issues spanning multiple arenas, including political, social, economic, cultural, and business.
The Asia Conference started off in 1992 in Taipei, back then known as the Academic Conference. Bringing together a diverse group of speakers and about 300 graduate and undergraduate students from across the world, the Academic Conference takes the form of six workshops that explore, through research and discussion, issues ranging from environmentalism to cultural trends.
In 2004, HPAIR started the Business Conference, which invited many prominent figures from the world of business, government and law to discuss their understanding of Asia and its place in the global economy with more than 300 business students and young professionals. As of 2012, HPAIR has merged the Academic Conference and the Business Conference into a single conference, the Asia Conference. The most recent 2016 Asia Conference was co-organized by The Chinese University of Hong Kong, held from August 19-23 in Hong Kong.
Asia Conference 2016
Conference Theme: EMPOWER
Dates: August 19-23, 2016
Location: Hong Kong
Partnership University: The Chinese University of Hong Kong
Panel topics for the 2016 Asia Conference include: TBA
Notable Speakers
HPAIR conferences are often led by a diverse group of speakers prominent in various areas of society.
Conferences have drawn many top-tier political leaders such as former President of the Republic of Korea Kim Dae-jung, Crown Prince of Perak Raja Nazrin Shah, Finance Minister of the Republic of the Philippines Dr. Jesus P. Estanislao, and President of Singapore S. R. Nathan. The former Foreign Minister of the Republic of Korea and the current Secretary-General of the United Nations Ban Ki-moon has spoken at an HPAIR conference.
Many speakers also hail from influential international organizations, like the United Nations or the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). Speakers from ASEAN include the current Secretary-General of ASEAN Surin Pitsuwan and the former Secretary-General of ASEAN Ong Keng Yong.
HPAIR often invites speakers who are successful in the world of business, like the Chairman and CEO of Ayala Corporation Jaime Augusto Zobel de Ayala (Harvard '81 / HBS '87), CEO of Haier Zhang Ruimin, Chairman of Prudential Asia Victor Fung and President of Goldman Sachs Asia Philip D. Murphy.