Harvard Learns from NYU: Harvard’s HAUSCR group talks on U.S-China Relations On Mar. 18, a group of 17 undergraduate Harvard students arrived at NYU Shanghai to present their initiatives on US-China relations and engage their delegation in a cultural exchange opportunity. The visiting students were from the group Harvard College Association for U.S.-China Relations (HAUSCR), which is defined by member Andrea Liu as, “a nonprofit organization dedicated to bridging the gap between the U.S. and China through cross-cultural exchange programs.” The group came to Shanghai for their annual flagship program, the Harvard Summit for Young Leaders in China (HSYLC), a conference held for over six hundred Chinese high school students. The conference is a ten-day long competition for local Shanghai high school students and aims to connect Harvard business leaders, faculty, and students from both China and the United States. However, the non-profit has also partnered with other reputable organizations, such as the 2008 Beijing Olympics Committee and the 2010 Shanghai Expo Bureau, to host both cultural and political events for Chinese citizens. As this organization's primary interest is the relationship between the U.S. and China, they were fascinated by NYU Shanghai and its extremely diverse student body. Accordingly, Bridget Sang, NYU Shanghai sophomore student and friend of the founder of the HAUSER, Yiming He, planned for a delegation of Harvard students to visit our campus. During their visit, the students were first given a brief tour by NYU Shanghai students, and then presented their initiative to mend U.S.-China related social problems to the NYU Shanghai community. Afterward, the Harvard students listened to our students explain the cultural atmosphere and global dynamic of our school. The Harvard students were enthusiastic to hear how the multicultural environment of NYU Shanghai affected students’ educations and engaged in personal conversations with students to gain a mutual understanding among student leaders on global education. According to Bridget Sang, "The students were really nice. They have different educational backgrounds, some are computer science majors, some are social science majors. Harvard is one of the best universities in the world, so it was really interesting to bring them here.” The participating students not only take part in this NGO, but are also engaged in other extracurricular activities such as the Harvard Model UN, Harvard Financial Analysts Club, Harvard College Consulting Group, and Harvard International Relations Council. This event served as an important exchange for both NYU Shanghai and Harvard. While the Harvard students learned more about our university’s contribution to both U.S.-China relations and education in China, NYU students were able to network with undergraduates equally passionate about global connections. This article was written by Zoe Jordan. Send an email to [email protected] to get in touch. Photo Credit: Kylee Borger