Between March 28 and 30, 2008, Harvard Alumni from Beijing attended the 2008 Harvard Global Series organized by Harvard Alumni Association (HAA) in Shanghai.

The Harvard Club of Beijing sent an official delegation to this yearly global conference. The delegation consisted of 7 delegates, who are joined by dozens of other alumni from Beijing in Shanghai.

The delegation had a meeting with President Drew Faust, which made the Harvard Club of Beijing the only one given such special honor. The delegation and the President discussed a couple of issues of concern of Harvard Alumni in Beijing, in an effort to bring the voice of Beijing alumni to her attention. The delegation expressed their regrets that that no alumni event could be organized during President Faust’s visit to Beijing due to her compact schedule.  The delegates, however, extended, on behalf of all Beijing alumni, an invitation to the President to visit Beijing again and to consider Beijing for the next Harvard event in China. They also raised their concerns for the Chinese marble stele in the Harvard yard, and proposed to collaborate with other China-related clubs to make joint efforts for better protection of the Marble Stele. President Faust echoed the regrets of not being able to meet with Beijing alumni. She said the China trip as her first international trip being the President of Harvard, was very impressive. Harvard University will open two offices in China, one in Beijing and the other in Shanghai. She thanked the delegation to bring the Marble Stele issue to her attention, and promised to investigate and follow up with this matter. President Faust highly recognized the Harvard Beijing Club’s contribution to the alumni society and its efforts in bringing the alumni together and in building up the Harvard brand in China. At the end of the meeting, Beijing delegation gave President Faust a jade seal stand as a gift, which reads Harvard motto in Chinese. The present was very well received by the President, who later wrote in her letter to the Club “Let me also express my deepest thanks for the VE RI TAS stamp. It is such a thoughtful gift and one that I will treasure.” The delegation also had meetings with Vice Provost Professor Dominguez and Kate Ryan Director of International Office of HAA. Leaders of the Club also attended the Harvard Asia Leaders’ Meeting and discussed common issues facing the management of Harvard Alumni Clubs across the Asia Pacific Region.

Two senior Harvard alumni from the Beijing Delegation, Dr. Huang Chang and Dr. Yang Yinhua, who were invited by Vice Provost Dominguez as special guests, became the stars of the Conference with the promotion of the VP Professor Dominguez, who made their story a warm scene of the grand opening reception of the Global Series. Dr.  Huang and Dr. Yang were both Harvard alumni in the 1950’s. They met and fell in love when they were studying in Harvard. After graduation, they came back to China and devoted themselves to the motherland. President Faust and Vice Provost Dominguez met with the couple and praised them as one of the best examples of Harvard connection to China.

The HAA Global Series was attended by more than 600 Harvard Alumni and associates all over the world. The University President, prestigious professors and University officers delivered speeches at the Conference. A series of panel discussions on environmental, culture and political issues about the University, China and the World were also deployed along the Conference and attracted a large amount of Harvard Alumni and audiences from other sources. 

A series of School-specific events were also run in parallel with the general Conference, which included Harvard Real Estate Academic Initiative Panel Discussion; HSPH China Initiative Briefing; Harvard Kennedy School Alumni Receptions in Beijing and Shanghai; GSD Discussion and Reception; Korea Institute Cocktail Reception; Harvard Law School Reception; HBS Alumni Breakfast with Professor Warren McFarla and a breakfast with the GSAS Deans.

Please find below some pictures from the event.

The 2009 HAA Global Series will be held in Cape Town, South Africa March 27-29.

You are encouraged to visit the conference website at http://post.harvard.edu/harvard/globalseries/africa/html/ for updates.

 
Delegation from Harvard Club of Beijing with President Faust

Delegation from Harvard Club of Beijing

Dr. Wan Gang, Minister of Science and Technology

Han Zheng, Mayor of Shanghai