HPAIR On-Campus Conference at Harvard
Program
The On-Campus Conference will be consisted of plenary sessions, panels, and interactive sections. In addition, accepted applicants who register early may choose to stay in Harvard dorms with local hosts; however, spaces are limited.
Plenary Sessions:
Headed by Weike Wang, Tami Kim, and Yichen Chen
Plenary Topic I: Voices of Rising Authority- Mass Media in Contemporary Asia
Mass media in Asia is assuming an increasingly more important role in public sphere. Not only does it convey the current affairs of the time, but also it gains sociopolitical influence through its distinct voice of opinion. Mass media in Asia often assumes itself the responsibility of evaluating and executing justice where the judicial and administrative organs fail to do so; it is often perceived as a complement to judicial justice. As its power often comes directly in conflict with the interest of government, mass media in Asia often finds itself in an embarrassing position. Despite its claims to uphold free speech and unbiased reportage, in many Asian countries its very establishment-and in some its every day operation-is dependent on government approval. Does the rising authority of mass media predict sociopolitical liberalization, or does it foreshadow the increase of government control in every aspect of life?
The role of mass media in Asia has become more ambiguous with the advent of internet. Asia has witnessed a trend of individuals actively participating in spontaneous information sharing via online forums, blogs, chat rooms, and advanced tags that characterized the birth of Web 2.0. This trend has challenged the former perception that information could only be distributed by government-endorsed media, and thus has shaken the old world order of mass media oligopolies. This trend gives rise to many interesting phenomena, and can serve as a special lens through which an examination will yield new perspectives on Asia's future in the era of information.
Plenary Topic II: Global Constitutionalism and its Origins and Consequences in Asia
Across the globe today, there is remarkable expansion of constitutionalism and judicial review. Constitutional supremacy - a concept that has long been a major pillar of the American political order - is now shared, in one form or another, by over a hundred countries across the globe. Most of these countries have a recently adopted constitution, or have undergone a constitutional revision in order to incorporate a bill of rights and introduce some form of active judicial review. Many Asian countries have also been quick to endorse principles of modern constitutionalism upon their transition to democracy. This plenary focuses on the origins and consequences of constitutionalism in Asia within the context of the global trend towards constitutionalization and seeks to offer participants a platform for discussing issues the implications of which are critical but not limited to the Asia Pacific region. Topics that will be addressed include law and economic development, relationship between domestic jurisprudence and international and supranational norms, international migration of constitutional concepts, judicialization of politics, and extra-judicial impacts of constitutionalization.
Panel Topics:
The conference is spread across five program "tracks" or broad subject areas. Program tracks offer discussions arranged along specific theme. Participants may choose to follow the programming in a specific track or mix and match any event in any of the other tracks. The tracks we will be offering are:
Economic and Social Development:
Panel Leaders: Rebeca Hammann and Prajakta Jaju
Asia is a booming market; many Asian countries are tremendous growth for the past few decades. The concept of economic development in Asia has become a standard subject of inquiry within and beyond academia. However, the inquiry of Asia's development must be extended to its social structure and social phenomenon. This track seeks to examine Asia's development from both economic and social aspects, to include topics such as sustainable growth, human rights, social conditions, humanitarian work, microfinance, and civil society.
The Global Economy:
Panel Leaders: Tami Kim and Manuel Rincon-Cruz
During the past couple decades, the world has witnessed a remarkable advance in Asia, as its countries began to emerge collectively as the global power. Led by economic powerhouses of Japan, China, and Korea, the future of Asia looks more than optimistic. Such mood of optimism, however, tends to overlook the struggles that many developing countries face in order to remain competitive in the world market. Installing effective economic and financial policy poses a serious challenge for governments in these developing countries. How can governments overcome these challenges? Does the international community hold any responsibility in improving the economic welfare of Asian countries? We examine these questions along with the issues of current challenges that face monetary policy and business environment in Asia.
Culture:
Panel Leaders: Jade Le and Weike Wang
This "track" will examine the diversity and integration of Asian culture. The beginning of twenty-first century saw an integration of East Asian popular culture and South Asian popular culture; both of which are continuously developing in their own course. Asian cinema, art and literature have become popular outside of their borders; they appeal to the western audience now as works of critical examination rather than objects of exotic fascination. Such a transformation has given new scholarly attention to and understanding of Asian culture. Additionally, with Asia as an emerging power in the international arena, there is the inevitable clash between the new and the old, the modern and the traditional. Asia's traditional culture is undergoing dynamic transformation leaving many Asian countries with a choice, no longer simply between westernization or conservatism, but rather between elements of both the traditional and the modern in the integration of a new culture.
International Relations:
Panel Leaders: Daniel Metzel, Yifan Li, and Zhongrui Yin
Asia has always had a significant impact on global affairs, but as the phenomenon of globalization has intensified, Asian nations have taken a greater role in shaping the fates of other countries. Ever-expanding economies and growing economic links between the rest of the world and Asian nations have granted regional powers the ability to project their influence beyond their borders and beyond Asia. This has often been coupled with a political drive within nations to expand their influence abroad, both politically and culturally.
In our examination of Asia's current and future role in world affairs we will discuss the interactions between established powers and up and coming Asian nations. We will also consider the active and passive influence Asia is beginning to exert on under-developed countries around the world, especially on the African continent and in Latin America. Issues within Asia and the unique tensions that have developed among nations will be examined, as well as how economic and political influence translates to soft power as well as military power. We will also talk about inner-Asian conflicts and cooperation and their impact on Asia's expansion of its role abroad.
Health, Technology, and the Environment:
Panel Leaders: Gerald Tiu and Yi Huang
This track examines the development of health care, technology, and protection for environment in Asia. As developing countries, many Asian nations saw the benefit of technology, experiencing a rapid transformation to "information societies". Beyond the impact of technology in improving communication and other key factors of these societies, however, consideration must be given to the sustainability of using technology. Attention will be paid to the environmental problems and the search for renewable energy in Asia.
In addition, issues in medicine, biotechnology, and health issues will also be discussed. This track will explore the technological and social aspects of combating infectious diseases such as AIDS and tuberculosis as well as investigate policy issues pertaining to health systems, socioeconomic inequalities in access to health providers, and financial issues related to health.