HCAP

Harvard College in Asia Program

Cambridge

Harvard University

Bangkok

Chulalongkorn University

Istanbul

Boğaziçi University

Mumbai

St Xaviers College

Hong Kong

The University Of Hong Kong

Seoul

Ewha Womans University

Tokyo

University of Tokyo

Apply to be a Staff Member

IMPORTANT DATES:
1. THE STAFF APPLICATION IS NOW CLOSED. If you’re interested, consider applying for the 2013-2014 HCAP Conference!
2. 2012-2013 Conference dates: January 18th-27th, 2013 - Cambridge
3. Spring Break March 16th -24th, 2013 - one of 7 amazing places in Asia.

Dear Applicants:

The purpose of the Harvard College in Asia Program (HCAP) is to provide meaningful international experiences by connecting Harvard undergraduates with students from the top universities in Asia. Our exchange conferences promote cultural immersion and foster close academic, cultural, and social interactions. Discussions with professors, special workshops, and student-led presentations are important elements of the HCAP experience. Additionally, all conferences include a variety of site-seeing excursions, city and campus tours, as well as meetings with top government and business leaders. The social portion is no less vital and includes nightlife exploration, restaurant visits, karaoke evenings, market shopping, and more.

A series of exchange conferences form the crux of HCAP. Staff members organize an intense and enriching eight-day program of academic lectures, Boston field trips, and social events for about 60 Asian delegates in January. In exchange, we send about 70 students to six simultaneous overseas symposia in Asia over Spring Break. HCAP and its partner universities cover all on-the-ground conference expenses including food, lodging, transportation, tickets for attractions, etc. Staff members are expected to pay for their own airfare and visa, though the finance committee will be working to raise funds to subsidize some of these costs.

HCAP’s Partner Schools for the 2012-2013 school year are the following (details about each conference are listed below):

  • Boğaziçi University – Istanbul, Turkey
  • St. Xavier’s College – Mumbai, India
  • University of Hong Kong – Hong Kong, China
  • Ewha Womans University – Seoul, South Korea
  • University of Tokyo – Tokyo, Japan
  • Chulalongkorn University – Bangkok, Thailand

HCAP is conducting only one round of recruiting this year; all applicants must apply by September 16, 2012 for staff positions. Staff work involves being a member of one of our five committees, which are explained in detail on the application.

HCAP staff members are guaranteed positions on trips to Asia assuming that they meet all requirements throughout the year. However, we also accept applications from individuals who do not want to travel abroad yet still want to organize and take part in the HCAP conference held at Harvard.

Applicants should be aware of the following expectations we have of staff:

  • HCAP staff members are expected to attend organization-wide HCAP meetings.
  • There will be additional committee work or meetings outside of the regular meetings. You should be prepared to commit several hours each week to this.
  • Staff must be willing to dedicate a SIGNIFICANT amount of time to the HCAP Harvard conference, which will take place from January 18th-27nd, 2013.
  • Staff members must house an Asian university student in their dorms during the January conference.
  • HCAP staff members travel to Asia for 9-10 days during Spring Break.
  • Staff must be willing to pay the full cost of airfare (and visa if required) in order to travel to/from the conference. Please note that Harvard Funding is available for this. Also, the finance committee will be working all year to defray some of these costs, but until money is ‘in the bank,’ we cannot commit to providing subsidies.
  • Every accepted member must submit a deposit of $150 before December 1, 2012. Staff members who consistently do not meet the above expectations will, by majority vote of the executive board, lose their deposit and their spot on the delegation. Otherwise, the deposit will be returned in the Spring after the Asian conferences.

Failure to contribute or meet these expectations will result in the participant’s removal from the staff and the forfeiture of their deposit.
Creativity and leadership are essential qualities in potential applicants. The most important dedication, however, is commitment: staff must be willing to commit themselves wholeheartedly to host the Asian delegates during the HCAP Harvard conference. No experience with Asia is necessary, but a sincere curiosity and enthusiasm for the region is required. To apply, please answer the questions below. The application is designed for us to learn more about you. We will use these applications to build diverse and interesting student delegations. Please take the time to visit our website and decide if the goals of our organization meet your own expectations. We are looking for committed HCAP members for whom a trip to Asia would be particularly powerful.

If you have any specific questions regarding HCAP, please visit HCAP’s website. Committee-specific questions should be directed to the chair of each committee. You can also contact any board member or email us at hcap2013@gmail.com.

Please note that the deadline to apply is Sunday, September 16th at 11:59PM. Within a few days, you will be notified by email regarding whether or not you have been selected for an interview. Please let us know if you have any questions. We wish you the best of luck and look forward to reading your application!

Best,
The Harvard College in Asia Program

For more information about the service trip, click here.