HARVARD UNDERGRADUATES
IN ASIA PROGRAM
WHO WE ARE
The Harvard Undergraduates in Asia Program (HUAP) is Harvard's premier student-run organization for US-Asia academic, cultural, and social exchange.
Learn, engage, and be inspired by hundreds of leaders from around the world, in a conference like no other.
In the winter, we host the Harvard Conference and invite our partner schools to Harvard to engage in meaningful dialogue, network, and build community. In the spring, our partner schools each host conferences in their country and invite us to learn more about their culture and their interpretation of the HUAP theme.
Applications are currently open! If you are a Harvard College student, you can apply here by September 11th.
9
CITIES
9
CONFERENCES
1
FAMILY
2024 WINTER CONFERENCE SPEAKERS
PROF. ROBERT LANGER
Institute Professor and Professor, Chemical Engineering and Biological Engineering of MIT
He is a prominent biotechnologist and chemical engineer.
DAVID ATHERTON
Assistant Professor of East Asian Languages and Civilizations
He is a scholar of literature, focusing primarily on Japan’s early modern period (also known as the Edo or Tokugawa period, ca. 1600-1867).
BRIAN YU
Software developer, engineer at Byteboard
Harvard CS50 course head
Brian played a pivotal role in the Harvard Computer Science department, where he designed and taught courses on artificial intelligence and web programming.
DAO JENSEN
CEO, Oak Rocket, Inc.
Dao Jensen, a tech industry leader with over two decades of experience, founded Kaizen Technology Partners, now known as Oak Rocket, in 2013.
LISA HAUEISEN ROHRER
Professor of the Practice, Boston University Questrom School of Business
Her academic and teaching experience centers around the leadership and strategy of professional service firms, with a particular focus on law firms.
ALEN JUGINOVIC
Medical Doctor; Postdoctoral Fellow, Lab of Dragana Rogulja; Department of Neurobiology; Harvard Medical School
He is a medical doctor and postdoc at Harvard Medical School’s Department of Neurobiology, currently working in the field of sleep medicine.
PALOMA VALENZUELA
Screenwriter, playwright and filmmaker
She is the founder of the production company La Palomita Productions and the writer/producer/creator of the comedic web series "The Pineapple Diaries".
.jpeg)
GORDON HARTOGENSIS
16th Director of the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation
Hartogensis left a brief career on Wall Street to build a startup software company called Petrolsoft Corporation.
PARKER QUARTET
String quartet
One of the preeminent ensembles of its generation, dedicated purely to the sound and depth of their music. Inspired performances and exceptional musicianship are hallmarks.
REBECCA XIONG
Managing Director, Programs and Engagement at the Harvard Innovation Labs
Becca brings two decades of experience in the MIT startup ecosystem.
DEAN ROBIN KELSEY
Dean of Arts and Humanities, Faculty of Arts and Sciences; Shirley Carter Burden Professor of Photography
A specialist in the histories of modern art and photography, Professor Kelsey has received various awards for his scholarship and teaching
HUAP 2025 CONFERENCE
CONNECTED BY COMPASSION
Bridging Cultures to Reimagine Tomorrow
As we learn to navigate through a world increasingly intertwined yet fragmented by socio-cultural differences, our 2025 HUAP theme invites us to harness the power of empathy and shared understanding. From global insecurity, environmental challenges, or economic downturns, issues that once affected only a few now have global repercussions. By fostering compassionate dialogue across cultures, we hope to highlight strengths of individual cultures woven into creating a stronger, resilient international community. Through compassionate engagement across cultures represented by each of our HUAP member nations, we will delve into strategies for developing collaborative, creative solutions. Featured speakers have gone above and beyond to deliberately include open-mindedness and empathy in their efforts to solve global problems. Through their experiences, we aim to educate attendees on how they can similarly cultivate meaningful cross-cultural partnerships and embrace open-minded leadership to build a better tomorrow.
9
UNIVERSITIES
200
DELEGATES
20
YEARS
PAST NOTABLE SPEAKERS
TIM DANKS
VP, Risk Management & Partner Relations at Huawei Technologies
He is responsible for​ understanding and managing business risks in the context of cybersecurity and privacy.
ANANT AGARWAL
Founder and CEO, EdX
Professor of EECS, MIT
He is the CEO of edX, a worldwide, online learning initiative of MIT and Harvard.
WENDY KOPP
Founder and CEO, Teach for All
Founder, Teach for America
She hosted and co-produced a Refinery29 documentary series titled Style Out There.
DARCY PAQUET
Translator, Parasite
Creator of Wildflower Film Awards
Paquet was awarded the Korea Film Reporters Association Award at the 15th Busan International Film Festival.
ROBIN CHASE
Founder, Zipcar
TIME's 100 Most Influential People 2009
She is an American transportation entrepreneur and has led multiple startups in transportation.
MARIA POONLERTLARP
Miss Thailand 2017
Founder of SOS Earth Campaign
She represented Thailand at Miss Universe 2017, and now leads environmentalist efforts in Thailand.
GREG MANKIW
Robert M. Beren Professor of Economics, Harvard University
He is known for his work in New Keynesian economics, and is the author of several best-selling textbooks.
MARK ELLIOT
Vice Provost for International Affairs, Harvard University
He is also the Mark Schwartz Professor of Chinese and Inner Asian History at Harvard University.
SHANE GREENSTEIN
Martin Marshall Professor of Business Administration, Harvard Business School
He teaches in the Technology, Operations and Management Unit.​
​
OUR PARTNERS
University of Hong Kong
University of Tokyo
St. Xavier’s College in Mumbai
Ewha Womans University in Seoul
National University of Singapore
National Taiwan University
Chulalongkorn University in Bangkok
BoÄŸaziçi University in Istanbul