Students from Harvard University (Harvard) and the University of Hong Kong (HKU) collaborated to host the 11th Harvard Model Congress Asia (HMCA) at HKU. The three-day event (Jan 9-11, 2015) attracted some 550 students from over 80 high schools around the world to HKU to face the challenging global issues together.
At the opening ceremony, HKU Dean of Student Affairs Dr Albert Chau Wai Lap welcomed the participating students, hailing from 18 countries, to the University. In his speech at the ceremony, he encouraged the students to gain knowledge and skills and work together to confront the global challenges faced by humankind.
"HKU, like other leading higher education institutions in the world, nurtures leaders of tomorrow as well as leaders of today. Having a global mindset will enable young people from different cultural backgrounds to work together and tackle problems in a macroscopic perspective. And empathy, the ability to put oneself into other people's shoes, will help future leaders to think from other people's angles. That's why we believe the activities in HMCA are important," Dr Chau said.
During the three-day event, delegates were divided into groups of simulated House, Senate and International Summit, representing committee members or countries. Current affairs were tabled for discussion and students’ passionate participation made the three days full of meaning.
Apart from intellectual discussion and debate, Harvard students and HKU student ambassadors co-organised the Asia Social Night. With the support of the Hong Kong Tourism Board, the event was held to give participants a taste of local culture. Traditional culture featured included Chinese lion dance, fortune telling, traditional food, Chinese calligraphy and fun activities.
Tyler Barringer, Vice President of HMCA Executive Board 2015, said the Asia Social Night was an outside-the-classroom experience for participants where they could mingle with new friends and know different cultures.
It has been the second time HMCA was held at HKU in the cosmopolitan city of Hong Kong, and the first time for HKU and Harvard undergraduate students to host the conference collaboratively. Erik Bakke, HMCA President 2015, said: "We are fortunate to work with the students of HKU who have contributed significantly to this year's programme."
Mingme Yeung Ching, Chairperson of HKU Student Organising Committee, HMCA 2015, said: "This is my first time taking up a core role in this large-scale conference. Working with Harvard students has been challenging, given our differences in cultural background. With the incredible work done by the HMCA board members, fellow student ambassadors and the coordination of HKU staff, things eventually worked out smoothly. I look forward to collaborating with more overseas students in the future!"
About HMCA
Initiated by a group of Harvard students who are passionate about international relations, government and teaching, the first Harvard Model Congress (HMC) was held in 1986 in Boston. As the leading international and government simulation program for high school students, the model was extended to Asia in 2004 and the Harvard Model Congress Asia (HMCA) was formed and has been committed to providing an immersive educational experience for high school students from across the globe. For details about HMC, please visit http://hmcasia.org/.
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