HPAIR 2010 Harvard Conference

Introduction

Harvard Project for Asian and International Relations (HPAIR) is a student-run organization of the Harvard University Faculty of Arts and Sciences. Since 1991, HPAIR has continuously gathered a growing pool of international students from top universities, renowned academics, business professionals, and political leaders to engage in our rigorous educational events. Since 2008, HPAIR has expanded to include an academic conference on the Harvard University campus-the HPAIR Harvard Conference. In 2010 HPAIR Harvard Conference, each delegate will closely examine 2 specific case-studies designed by Harvard graduate students and faculty members, select an interest group to represent, and together with 20 other delegates, tackle real-life issues from different perspectives and make suggestions incorporating inputs from different interest groups.

HPAIR 2010 Harvard Conference: Asia Ascendant: Seizing New Heights

Dates: February 18-21, 2010
Location: Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA

With the American war on terrorism in Afghanistan and Iraq hardly forgotten, internal strife in Pakistan, Thailand and Sri Lanka in the back of our minds, earthquakes in Kashmir and Sichuan commemorated, global financial crisis and a world-wide epidemic impacting lives of almost everyone, the first decade of the twenty-first century is drawing to a close. Do these difficult years mark the beginning of a triumphant "New Asian Century"? Or is it too early to draw such a conclusion?

We are to acknowledge the advances made amidst these years of hardship; not a single country, even the United States, can make important decisions alone. Communication, cooperation, and collaboration are vital to solve the world's problems today and tomorrow. At the same time, we are to recognize the ascendance of Asia because of its growing economic importance. Its increased role in trade and international security makes its members indispensable stakeholders in today's global society. The increasing dialogues among Asia's and the world's leaders convey an important message: collective decision-making via negotiations and compromises are inevitable for leaders of tomorrow.

The HPAIR 2010 Harvard Conference provides one such platform of exchange, discourse, and collaboration among these future leaders. We believe that new heights will only be seized by those willing to create synergy through mutual understanding.

For additional information, please refer to our list of speakers, fact sheet, plenary descriptions, panel descriptions, tentative schedule, and past conferences. A general brochure on HPAIR can be found here.