HCAP

Reflections from HCAP 2012 Conference Attendees

HCAP was an ideal opportunitiy for individuals to become friends and to feel comfortable exchange opinions- not only were we able to discuss social issues pertinent to global problems in our academic events, but we were able to befriend each other through social events and become close enough to exchange honest opinions. Hence, HCAP allowed me to increase familiarity with the world outside my native country and America. This broadening of my horizon will surely allow me to engage in global problems with increased familiarity and to perceive them as issues with personal impact- the next time I open an article on Turkish politics or Hong Kong’s economy in The Economist, I am certain that I will avidly collect information and contemplate upon the issue, which I believe is a powerful change. - Hiroko Yamamoto, Tokyo

HCAP is something that really affects your way of thinking and changes your mind and perspective. It was my honor to be one of the representing delegates from Korea and get involved in this short but unforgettable conference held at Harvard. I got a chance to share not only my own ideas but also hear others’ from different backgrounds which taught me in various ways. - So Jeong Kim, Seoul

 

Reflections from HCAP 2011 Conference Attendees

They were like little pieces of cotton falling from the sky, only they were cold and if you looked close enough, they were indeed little puffs of snowflakes. One of the most precious memories of HCAP was the fresh snowfall that greeted us as soon as we landed. Blanketing the ground and reflecting onto the friendly faces, genuine smiles and diverse conversations that kept us warm throughout our stay. These memories are still vivid in my mind. We’ve met many delegates from very different places in the world, had our own adventures in the streets of Boston, and discovered the piece of heaven wrapped in a paper napkin called the “Grilled Cheese” in Dunkin’ Donuts. As an Emirati delegate, representing my country has been an experience I immediately wanted to repeat. Welcoming the Harvard delegates in the UAE had been the best conclusion to the HCAP experience. We didn’t want them to leave! Thank you for giving us one of the best experiences HCAP 2011! —Hinaya Al Ameri, United Arab Emirates.

The Harvard students we met were totally great! I learned a lot from them and listened to their future views and their majors. It motivated me to study harder. Seeing the people realizing their dreams made me think that every dreams even if they are so big it is never impossible to realize it! It moved me towards my dream as well. Thank you so much to everybody engaged in the conferences!—Rika Watanabe, Tokyo.

Reflections from HCAP 2006 Conference Attendees

Pure magic. No other words could describe how wondrous and enchanting my experience in Bangkok was. I played with a baby elephant in the street. I gazed at the grinning face of the most magnificent Buddha I will ever see. I befriended the most generous people I have ever encountered. I looked into the eyes of an old merchant who smiled while I took her picture at the floating market. We discussed politics in the morning, visited the Grand Palace in the afternoon, shopped ‘til we dropped in the evening, and watched fireflies twinkling in the trees by the river at night. I learned how strong and empowered the voice of young students could be. I was impressed by the strength and activism of our Thai hosts on a daily basis. I laughed with old friends. I cried as I parted too soon from new ones. We all came alive in Bangkok. For this, I must thank the students of Thammasat University and my Harvard friends. I will forever cherish the opportunity and memories HCAP has given me. —Samia Farooqi

I didn’t know how attached I would get to the place and the people, but I did. It’s like the feeling I get after reading a really good book. I reach the last page thoroughly enthralled, eating up every word. Reading the last line over and over I wish the story could last. With a gentle close of the cover, like the departing hugs and waves at the airport, I ask, “Is it really over?” And I sit there alone, like I did waiting in the airport terminal, and sigh, remembering every new friend I had made, and say, yes, it’s over, but it was amazing and I’ll never forget. —Rachel Lau

Frankly, I don’t envy those classmates who spent their spring breaks tanning in the Bahamas. A week like that seems trite in comparison to the incredibly intense and enjoyable time I spent in Taipei with fellow HCAP delegates and the NTU delegates and staff. Before the trip, I hadn’t been back to Taipei in eighteen years, even though it is the birthplace of my parents. Despite this very limited connection with Taipei, I came away from the trip with a new sense of belonging that I didn’t expect. The NTU students were warm, friendly, and funny, and clearly devoted to making sure the conference was simply amazing. The time (and sleep and academics) that the staff and delegates must have sacrificed on our behalf is mind-boggling. Everything was just so memorable — calligraphy, the Taiwanese wedding re-enactment, shaking hands with the Speaker of the House, having Q&A with the Mayor, hitting up night markets, touring the city, enjoying the night life — the list could go on and on. But I think what I will remember most are the people that I met, the people that I talked/karaoked/debated/joked/ate/took ridiculous pictures with… Within a week, we went from the initially awkward interactions to the rapidly cemented friendships that I hope will last a lifetime. After the conference, I have so many hopes: to return to Taiwan, to keep these friendships, to encourage international relations. NTU has inspired and illuminated a rich world beyond the tiny bubble of an ordinary college student. —Jessica Shang

Reflections from the Beijing 2005 Conference

My travel guidebook on China has it all wrong. It says the Chinese people are “warm and friendly,” when in reality they are generous beyond words. My guidebook said that the Great Wall is “breathtaking,” and the Wall certainly took my breath, but the book didn’t tell me that the views from the Wall would also stretch my soul. My travel guidebook said that the food is “nice, although it takes a while to perfect the art of using chopsticks.” Actually, the food is not “nice” but delicious; every bite of Chinese food is an explosion of flavor in the mouth, and no matter how hard I try, I will never learn to use chopsticks as perfectly as the Chinese do! I send my deepest thank-yous to the members of SICA and their friends at Beijing; without them, our visit would have been harried and difficult, but with their effort, spontaneity, and good spirits, they led us on amazing adventures. Also without them, I would have never gotten my Mao Zedong alarm clock for 35 yuan because I would have paid the full price of 300 RMB. So thank you to everyone who proved my travel book wrong. Until next time, xie xie! —Currun Singh

I love traveling. But usually I enjoy traveling on my own. In fact, before the HCAP Exchange to Beijing, I had already spent over two months studying Chinese in Beijing by myself. Still, in a week’s time with HCAP I was able to have more conversations and direct interaction with Chinese peers than during my entire two months alone in China. The activities and interactions with other top students from universities throughout Asia were experiences that I would never have been able to experience outside of HCAP. When traveling alone, when do you get the chance to meet the 2005 Beijing Olympic Committee, eat at restaurants hand picked by the locals during every meal, or visit a Chinese high school with its own natural history museum? —Lin Ting Li

Traveling to Beijing was one of the most exciting, breathtaking, educational, and memorable experiences. The students at Beijing warmly opened up their homes and hearts and the relationships I made there were ones that I surely will not forget. From learning Chinese Calligraphy, to visiting the 2008 Beijing Olympic headquarters and climbing the Great Wall, my educational and cultural exchange in China opened my eyes to the wonderful possibilities international programs like HCAP can make happen. —Lauren Jackson

The Beijing exchange camp was a blast! The opportunity to meet and interact with Beijing students was wonderful and meaningful. The great effort and resources put into hosting the conference truly made it very special and enjoyable! I look forward to the future interactions of the Beijing-Harvard relationship. —Cheng Gao

Anybody can travel to Asia as a tourist. All they need to do is get a passport and buy a plane ticket. One can visit the Great Wall and travel along the subway. One can even converse with strangers along the way. However, my experience as a tourist has only given me a superficial understanding of the many cultures I have visited. Traveling to China with the Harvard College in Asia Program (HCAP) went way beyond the typical experience any tourist could ever experience. Such experiences include visiting the Beijing Olympic Committee headquarters and living with a local Chinese university student, experiences I would never have had otherwise. Ultimately, Beijings incredible efforts allowed me to really feel like I was gaining a special understanding of Chinese culture. For that and so much more, I am thankful. —Daniel Mejia

Beijing! An amazing city, delicious food (and lots of it), a beautiful campus, and great people. What more could I want from my spring break? Thank you so much for your amazing generosity of time, space, and energy. You have many places to see and people to visit in the US but none of them will live up to Beijing. —Ilana Sichel

Reflections from the Taipei 2005 Conference

This was by far one of my most memorable trips abroad. Though it’s my second time in Taipei, the students at NTU definitely made this a new and unique experience, from the very start of the program, as they welcomed us at the airport to the final farewells. I felt that at each step of the conference, the NTU student delegates and organizers were invaluable in helping me learn more about Taiwan. Their comments and questions fueled discussions during the dinners with professors. Their presentations provided interesting comparisons and generated intriguing discussions on politics, media and education. And just talking with the students provided me with new insights and revealed shared interests that really helped form intellectual and personal bonds. So while the tours, lectures and workshops offered first-hand experiences, the NTU students were the ones to put a distinct, personal face on Taiwan. This brief one-week period has solidified a lifetime of friendships. —David Yuan

I’ve never felt as welcome in a different land as I did in Taipei, thanks to the excellent, heartfelt and hard-working staff and delegates from NTU. I may have been sleep-deprived for much of the week, but the moments along the way never failed to spark my eyes wide open, from a late night at the KTV club, to the legislative yuen, to picking flowers and visiting a science park to learn about the manufacturing of mysterious round wafers. I feel I have a better understanding of Taiwan and new friends and interests (I will never look at Chinese calligraphy the same way) that will stand the test of time. I hope this marks the beginning of a long-term relationship between HCAP and NTU, because there is so much more for all of us and our successors to discover and create together. —Daniel Berdichevsky

Although this was my first time to Taiwan, I was very impressed by the huge amounts of time and efforts that our NTU hosts have put into the HCAP conference. I also had a great time getting to know the NTU students and learning about their perspectives on different aspects of life. In particular, events such as dinners with NTU professors have greatly deepened my understanding of the economic and political issues facing Taiwan today. However, my favorite event during the conference was the Taiwanese opera workshop put together entirely by NTU students. They showed great confidence and professionalism as they demonstrated their stage moves to us. I think it is this commitment to do their best in all of their pursuits that makes NTU students so special and this conference so memorable to me. —Edward Chan

The Harvard College in Asia Program Conference at NTU exceeded my expectations in so many ways. First, I was incredibly impressed by the level of professionalism and organization that the NTU students exhibited. All the events and trips were wonderfully executed, and it was clear that the organizers were passionate about the conference. The labor hours that went into the planning and the executing must have been infinite. Secondly, I was so impressed by the city of Taipei and Taiwanese culture in general. This was my first time visiting Taiwan, and I am certain it will not be the last. The people here are heart-warmingly genuine and friendly. Also, they show a sense of humble sophistication in their interactions. Finally, I found it very easy to relate to all the NTU students I met. We have more in common than I expected, and I developed genuine friendships with many of them after having wonderful conversations. It is no wonder why the term “HCAP syndrome” has been coined after the conference ended. Everyone felt a sense of nostalgia after the two delegations separated, for in these eight days we laughed, questioned, debated, discussed, misunderstood, learned, understood, sang, danced, and bonded. We even did Latin Aerobics together. Indeed, during these eight days we shared a piece of each other’s lives, each other’s worlds and cultures. Beautiful lives, worlds, and cultures blended together in a beautiful place with beautiful people during the HCAP conference. Thank you to all the NTU students and administration for making this such an enormous success! —Liqian Ma

I will never forget this experience. I met some incredible people, and I learned a lot about Taiwan and Taiwanese culture. Every day, I was impressed by the NTU students I met. It was my distinct honor to get to know them better over the course of the conference- to share both ideas and memories. It would be difficult for me to pinpoint my favorite memory: going to the legislature and being surrounded by the press learning how to do calligraphy watching a student opera performance listening to NTU students discuss Taiwan/China relations having dinner with NTU professors Everything was incredible, and it is entirely thanks to the time and energy of the NTU students and faculty. Thank you for your enormous kindness and generosity! —Jon Einkauf

The 2005 HCAP Conference at NTU was truly an amazing experience for me. Although I was born in Taiwan and spent the first few years of my life in Taipei, I was still able to learn so much about Taiwan and its culture, many aspects of which I have never been exposed to before (i.e. the university education system, the historical content of Taipei city etc…). The NTU delegates were an extremely amazing group of people who spent hours and hours organizing the conference, and I really want to thank them for making the trip such a memorable one for all of us. I felt very fortunate getting to know them, and the friendships that we’ve built will last far beyond the week of the conference. Thank you NTU!! —Benjamin Lee