The Harvard Project for Asian and International Relations (HPAIR) 2015 was held in Manila, Philippines, from 20-24 August, 2015 and, Maisha Zaman, one of BRACU bright students from BBS represented BRAC University in that event. BBS advisor Professor Dr. Rahim B. Talukdar and Associate Professor Mr. Mohammad Rezaur Razzak was very influential to support her presence at the event.There were 450 delegates from 50 countries around the world, among whom only 2 delegates were Bangladeshis; Maisha Zaman was the only one who went from Bangladesh. Conferences such as HPAIR provide exposure to students as it collaborates cultural diversity and brings forth various ideologies in one platform. Such exposure is direly needed by Bangladeshi students so that they can gain better knowledge about specific issues besides co-operating with peers. Delegates are able to attain deeper insights on matters of concern in today’s world. For instance, it is a far-fetched thought to meet and speak to a transgender person who is successfully running a business but that has been possible in HPAIR. Such exposure provides perspective. Also, via the networking sessions, delegates are exposed to tremendous business and academic opportunities just in one platform. Maisha Zaman got to tell about her start-up ‘Sneho’ for networking purpose, which is a successful project for Hult Prize 2015. Therefore, BRACU students are encouraged to look for the opportunity to attend HPAIR in coming years to have the opportunity to write their names and the name of BRAC University in the pages of one of the most prestigious universities in the world, Harvard University.
The opening ceremony was inaugurated by the keynote speaker, H.E. Philip Goldberg, US Ambassador to the Philippines. From 21 August, the main event began with panel sessions and seminars on specific subjects. The first seminar was held on “Future of Commerce” by Vvivi Hu, Chief Strategy Officer, eBay China and Senior Director, eBay. The second seminar was held on “Brand Management” by Martin Roll, Senior Advisor, McKinsey & Company. There were 7 panel discussions on topics including, Human Rights, Entrepreneurship, Corporate Leadership, Energy and Sustainability, Finance and World Economy, Health and Social Policy, Security and Diplomacy. Maisha Zaman was assigned the Human Rights panel which was held in three sessions in three days. The topics covered were, Modern Day Slavery: The Many Faces of Human Trafficking, Dangerous Speech, Bending Tradition: BGLTQ Rights. The speakers were, Natalie Jesionka, Program Chair, Human Rights at Rutgers, Founder of the Prizm Project, Nieves Confesor, Chair, Panel Declaration Expert-Advisers to the International Labor Organization (ILO), Sam Inocencio, Field Officer Director, International Justice Mission, Philippines, T. Kumar, International Advocacy Director for AI, Asia, Ravi Agrawal, CNN India Bureau Chief, Sam Gregory, Director of WITNESS, Cristina Cristobal, Project Co-ordinator for Asia and the Pacific, International Gay and Human Rights Commission, Joanne Leung, Chairperson, Transperson Research Center Hong Kong, Jennifer Hsin Chieh Lu, Director of Tongzhi Rexian, Popo Fan, Independent Filmmaker, Director of Beijing Queer Film Festival. Some topics emphasized on Bangladeshi incidents such as the killing of the blogger Abhijit Roy, adolescent marriage of girls. At night, a dinner was hosted by Globe, and an overview of their headquarter was given to the delegates.
On 22 August, the delegates were taken on a tour to De La Salle University, which was the host university in Manila, besides Harvard University. Few seminars were held that day and Maisha Zaman was assigned the seminar on “Brand Management by P&G” the speaker of which was Nicole Villarojo, Brand manager of P&G Philippines. A career fair was held where delegates could submit their CVs for the potential employers. At night, the International Night was held where delegates from each country set up booths to display souvenirs and food items from their respective countries. A booth to display Bangladeshi culture was set up by me and my fellow Bangladeshi acquaintance. Later, some countries performed via dancing and singing to portray their culture at a deeper level. On 23 August, after the panel sessions, some delegates were given the chance to share their personal and inspirational stories. Later, the delegates were given a portrayal of the Filipino culture via exotic food booths and buffets and cultural performances. On 24 August, the last day of the conference, business and academic plenaries were held. Delegates were welcomed in the traditional Filipino style, with garlands, music and dance performances. The speakers were, Dr. Surin Pitsuwan, Former ASEAN Secretary-General, Simon Kahn, CMO, Google APAC, Martin Roll, Founder, Martin Roll Company, Jikyeong Kang, Dean, Asian Institute of Management, Rongrong Hu, Chief Strategy Officer of eBay China, President of Harvard Business School Alumni Club, Gomer ButalaPadong, Beyond 2015 Philippine National Co-ordinator/Secreteriat and Global Executive Committee Member, Claudio Schuftan, Freelance Consultant and Member of the Steering Committee of People’s Health Movement. The 5-day long event ended with speeches from the executive directors of Harvard University and De la Salle University. The delegates were assigned group tasks and the inning groups were handed over with gift hampers and tokens of appreciations. The delegates were also handed over certificates of participation and bids were opened to opt for bringing HPAIR to their respective countries in 2016.