HCAP Opens New Asia Site

The Harvard College in Asia Project (HCAP) continues to expand its spring recess programs, adding a cultural exchange with Hong Kong University with funding from the Crimson China Cultural Exchange Foundation (CCCEF).

HCAP, which is entering its third year, hosted 22 students from Beijing University and National Taiwan University at Harvard last February, and sent 21 Harvard students to Beijing and Taipei during spring recess last year. This year, HCAP will host 40 students from top universities in Beijing, Taipei, Bangkok, Singapore, and Hong Kong at Harvard, and send 95 Harvard students to those cities in late March, according to Jonathan D. Einkauf ’06, the president of HCAP.

CCCEF provided $3,000 to allow 10 students from Hong Kong to attend HCAP’s February conference. Chen said that Einkauf contacted her this year after HCAP was unable to raise the funds on its own.

CCCEF, a non-profit organization founded by Harvard graduates in Hong Kong, brings students and alumni from top universities around the world to China to teach two three-week English courses to disadvantaged high school students. The majority of the program’s teachers are Harvard undergraduates, and CCCEF hopes to fill 60 of the program’s 75 teaching slots from Harvard this year.

The Asian students coming with HCAP will attend academic dinner discussions and cultural events while in Cambridge, and Harvard students will do the same in Asia, Einkauf said. Last year, the visiting students from Harvard met with the Beijing Olympic Committee and were given a private tour of the Taiwanese Parliament.

During the upcoming summer program—running from July 17 to August 25—Harvard students will teach English during the day and attend cultural activities at night. Airfare, food and lodging are provided by CCCEF and students incur almost no costs associated with the program.

Einkauf said that the program does not offer “a traditional, go-to-the-beach spring break. It is a profound experience that hopefully will affect people emotionally and intellectually.”

HCAP Vice President Daniel Mejia ’07 observed the increasing amount of cultural exchange between the two continents when he traveled to Beijing last spring.

“One Beijing University student started spewing Eminem, and proceeded to teach us Chinese rap,” said Mejia, who is also associate business manager of The Crimson.

Yale University is also expanding its reach in China. In November, it announced a study abroad program at Beijing University.

—Staff writer Alex M. McLeese can be reached at amcleese@fas.harvard.edu.