Harvard Summit for Young Leaders in China
The Harvard Summit for Young Leaders in China (HSYLC) is an annual conference for Chinese high school students organized by the Harvard Association for US-China Relations (HAUSCR). The eight-day conference, conducted by Harvard College undergraduates, faculty, and prominent leaders from both nations, seeks to expose 600 Chinese high school students to liberal arts education. The conference includes Student Seminars led by 60 Harvard College undergraduate students, a Distinguished Speaker Series, and an entrepreneurial program organized in connection with China Thinks Big.
History
HSYLC's parent organization, HAUSCR, was founded in the fall of 2005 by seven Harvard College freshmen. HSYLC became the organization's flagship program, and the first conference was held in the summer of 2006. HSYLC 2006, supported by the Goldman Sachs Foundation and American Airlines, recruited 37 Harvard students to create and teach a curriculum at a school in Shanghai. The program received extensive media attention across China, bringing approximately 600 high school students from among thousands of applicants to participate. By 2008, the Chinese high school students at HSYLC represented 120 high schools from across China. By HSYLC 2016, the program consisted of separate sites in three cities, Beijing, Shanghai, and Hangzhou. HSYLC Hangzhou 2016 was organized in partnership with the 2016 G20 Hangzhou summit.
Student Seminars
At the heart of HSYLC's aim to foster Scholarship, the Student Seminars provide an enriching educational experience for Chinese high school students. Structured after Harvard College's own Freshman Seminar Program, seminars at HSYLC are designed and led by Harvard undergraduates who have extensive knowledge in a particular area of interest which they are passionate about teaching.
Through a competitive application process, ninety to one hundred Seminar Leaders (SLs) are selected to lead week-long seminars in either Beijing, Shanghai, or Hangzhou, and are aided by a Teaching Assistant, a Chinese college student who undergoes a similarly rigorous application process. Each high school participant can explore a total of six seminar topics from a diverse array. In the past, seminars have ranged from the academic, such as The Game Theory of International Relations, Your Brain on Computers, and V.2.0: Present and Future Possibilities in Electronically Enhancing the Human Mind, to less conventional ones, including The Social Psychology of Love and Attraction and A History of Chocolate. Seminar leaders and students employ a holistic approach to exploring these topics, using historical, economic, literary, anthropological and ethnographic lenses of discipline. Beyond exposing students to new perspectives and new knowledge, these seminars introduce students to a new style of learning that incorporates active and collaborative research, critical analysis of sources and ideas, and Socratic discussions among peers.
Distinguished Speakers Series
Throughout the conference at least one speaker event is offered each day, providing students with an intensive experience and a rare opportunity to interact with some of the most distinguished figures around the world in a short period of time. Lectures place great emphasis on audience interaction. In the past years, HSYLC has been fortunate to host Mr. Jack Ma Yun, founder of Alibaba.com and CEO of Yahoo! China as well as Mr. John L. Thornton, former president of Goldman Sachs. Other past speakers include: Kai-Fu Lee, founding president of Google China; Lawrence Summers, former President of Harvard University; Yuanli Liu, Assistant Professor and Founding Director of the China Initiative from Harvard School of Public Health; Johnny Depp, famous actor; Yao Ming; and Nancy Barry, former president of Women's World Banking.
China Thinks Big
China Thinks Big is a separate event organized by HAUSCR that spans from September to March of each year. It is designed to promote social entrepreneurship among young leaders across the world united by their interested in China. Involving project design, problem solving and presentation skills, participants of this competition are asked to identify a societal problem, research and develop a comprehensive solution, anticipate possible obstacles and draft a sustainable budget. Preliminary rounds are completed online, while successful teams are invited to participate in a final round of presentations in Shanghai. Judges include prominent figures in industry and academia both from China and from the United States. A condensed version of China Thinks Big has now been incorporated as part of HSYLC.
Press Coverage
New York Times: <https://www.nytimes.com/2007/04/01/magazine/01China.t.html?pagewanted=1&n=Top/Reference/Times%20Topics/Organizations/I/Ivy%20League&_r=1> 2007, April 1
Ron Tian News <http://rt.xaonline.gov.cn/xw/show.asp?id=658> 2007, March 14
Sohu News <http://sh.sohu.com/20070806/n251434963.shtml> 2007, Aug. 6
致意HSYLC(哈佛大学中美中学生领袖峰会) http://zx.china-b.com/hfdx/zixun_77124.html
中美学生领袖峰会今年将继续举行 http://www.shjubao.cn/eastday/edu/jyxw/u1a2739703.html
中美优秀学生领袖沪上聚首交流互动 http://old.jfdaily.com/gb/jfxww/xlbk/xwcb/node27909/node27910/userobject1ai1749238.html
学生粉丝用思想"叫板"易中天 http://edu.people.com.cn/GB/6079350.html
中美学生领袖峰会端出明日行动计划 http://edu.chinanews.cn/edu/xyztc/news/2007/08-13/1000644.shtml
中美学生领袖峰会易中天首讲 学生领袖要读诸子 http://edu.chinanews.cn/edu/xyztc/news/2007/08-07/996567.shtml
哈佛学生峰会 “明日行动计划” 进入决赛 http://web.xwwb.com/wbnews.php?db=2&thisid=102840
未来精英们：大声说出你们的梦想 http://www.china-cbn.com/s/n/000005/20070830/000000077351.shtml
中美学生领袖峰会第一课学习"失败" 哈佛教授 http://edu.qq.com/a/20060808/000317.htm
李开复马云激情对碰话成功http://news.chinamedia.com.cn/news/news_view_1929.htm
Morning News (新闻晨报) “200 Harvard student leaders at the US-China Summit proposed a brilliant challenge for students, namely ‘Challenge’ Yi Zhongtian" 2007, Aug. 7
Chinese Education News Online (中国教育新闻网) “Harvard student leaders and student participants at US-China Summit have a lively debate with Yi Zhongtian” 2007, Aug. 7
China News Website (中新网) and Youth Newspaper (青年报) “Yi Zhongtian, the keynote speaker at HSYLC, emphasizes that student representatives should be well-read” 2007, Aug. 6
Regarding Cultural Exchange/Developing Student Leaders:
Morning News (新闻晨报) “Outstanding Chinese and American student leaders interact in Shanghai” 2007, Aug. 6
News Exchange Medium (文新传媒) “China and the United States strengthen exchange at 2007 student leaders summit opening” 2007, Aug. 6 Youth Newspaper “Harvard leaders to train and teach high school students” 2007, Aug. 6