The Harvard College in Asia Program (HCAP) has resumed its annual conference in-person for the first time in two years. The 2022- 2023 Boston Conference started off on the Harvard campus where Ewha delegates traveled for a week from Jan. 15 to Jan. 21.
HCAP, a program designed to promote academic and cultural exchange between the United States and Asia, serves as a bridge between Harvard College and eight prestigious universities across Asia.
Ewha remains the one and only partner in South Korea since the Ewha- Harvard partnership was established in 2007. Each annual HCAP conference consists of a Boston Conference held in early January, followed by a Seoul Conference hosted by Ewha in late March.
This year’s theme for both the Boston and Seoul conferences was “Starting Small, Thinking Big: Changes Starting from our Local Community,” where delegates from each nation presented different aspects of their community’s culture.
Yelynn Oh, a rising junior majoring in computer science and engineering serving as the Vice President of the 2022-2023 HCAP Ewha delegation, conceded that it was not the easiest process to organize the events, especially the upcoming Seoul Conference. Its return to the in-person format after the two-year pandemic hiatus meant that each department of the Ewha HCAP delegation was busy with various responsibilities, including booking high-profile guest speakers and organizing local, cultural events through multiple preliminary trips.
When asked about her most memorable moments from the Boston Conference, Oh named the event “HCAP X,” where all present delegations of nine different countries gave examples of their own nations making a meaningful movement that had begun with the smallest changes.
The Ewha delegation introduced the overcoming of the 1997 Korean Financial Crisis through the participation of likeminded citizens in the nationwide Gold Collecting Campaign, alongside the establishment and development of Ewha that stemmed from the determination to give women their rightful education and better opportunities in a changing society.
Oh recalled that this was a meaningful opportunity to reflect upon the achievements of our Korean local communities, as well as learn from the examples of other nations.
The HCAP Talent Show was another popular nominee as the most memorable event from the Boston Conference.
Oh mentioned the efforts all Ewha delegates put into their Buchaechum, or traditional Korean fan dance, as well as their K-pop dance performance. Minjung Kwon, a rising junior from the Department of Communications and Media who serves as the head of the HCAP Ewha PR Team, expressed her awe at the performance of the other delegations as well.
Kim Byeol, an Ewha delegate and rising senior double majoring in English education and the Scranton Honors Program, recalled that on the fifth night of the conference, everyone decided to have a movie night at the suggestion of the Taipei delegation. The students ended up huddled together at one of the empty theater rooms on the Harvard campus, watching a film that had been introduced in one of the lectures during the day.
“Although this was not a forced icebreaking activity nor a part of a planned program, all students were able to unwind, bond, and create memories together on a whimsical decision, regardless of school or nationality,” she reminisced.
Following the Boston Conference, the 2022-2023 HCAP Seoul Conference will take place at the Ewha campus from March 11 to March 20.
Dylan Park, a Harvard sophomore majoring in computer science and mathematics, expressed his excitement at visiting Seoul with his peers and being able to enjoy Korean culture and cuisine.
Kwon revealed that the Ewha delegation plans on introducing the visiting delegates to the Gwangjang Market in Seoul, where they can experience roots of local Korean culture. They are also in the works of arranging an excursion to the HYBE Entertainment Company’s headquarters to explore the heart of the globally sensational K-pop scene.
“Although HCAP may appear to be a rigid, strictly academic program, it is also a fantastic opportunity to gain diverse experiences from all across the world,” she explained with a smile. “I recommend joining the HCAP Ewha delegation in the future to all my peers who are ready to explore new cultures and make lifelong friends.”