The Harvard Project for Asian and International Relations is better known as HPAIR, the largest annual student conference organized by Harvard University in the Asia-Pacific region. Those of you who have been fortunate enough to be delegates will know that the sentence was repeatedly recited during official events. It aims to create a stage where students from all over the world can engage in a dialogue about Asian issues and its place in the international community.
In 2018, the host university is Sunway University in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. I’ve been to Malaysia several times, but never to experience the multicultural atmosphere in a professional setting. For me, going to HPAIR is about 3 things:
- Reinforcing old connections
- Creating new social networks
- Learning to engage important matters on a real level
My love for learning and making real, genuine connections to authentic people has brought me to become close to those in my project group and late-night snacking sessions. There’s a lot of things happening “out there” in the world with HPAIR speakers ranging from the Malaysian royal family to seasoned American diplomats to big bank executives, but I feel that effective changes cannot be made without the close connections made at these kinds of events. We can’t make changes “out there” if we don’t have lasting relationships “right here”.
Trust, like a bridge, takes a concerted effort to build and is easy to blow up, that’s why it should be treasured and respected. I thoroughly enjoyed the full and frank discussions that I engaged in throughout the event. It is so important to come to a mutual understanding of each others perspectives and understanding doesn’t always mean an agreement. The mutual respect and exchange of ideas is the moderation we need to combat extremism.
The “liberal” intolerance trending in western democracies is stifling diversity. If we only listen to voices we want to hear, only read articles we agree with, and surround ourselves only with people similar to us, we will become extremists. Diversity is our strength, there is no “in here” versus “out there”, only “in here” working together to change the world “out there”.
