Harvard Project for Asian and IR

What Harvard Project for Asian and IR does

HPAIR (Harvard Project for Asian and International Relations) is a student-run, non-profit organization at Harvard College founded in 1991 in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Its mission is to create a forum of exchange for university students and young professionals to discuss and learn about economic, political, and social issues facing the Asia-Pacific region. The organization serves three primary customer segments: university students/young professionals (the primary segment for HCONF and ACONF), high school students aged 14-18 (HYLS), and corporate sponsors that gain access to pre-screened resumes and recruitment opportunities. HPAIR also engages Host Country Organizing Committees (HCOCs) in Asia-Pacific as venue and logistics partners.

The organization operates four core conference products: the HPAIR Conference (HCONF) held annually at Harvard University; the Asia Conference (ACONF), a 5-day, 300-600 delegate event held in a rotating Asian city (2026 in Hanoi, Vietnam); the Virtual Conference (VCONF) for online global access; and the High School Youth Leadership Summit (HYLS) (2026 in Samarkand, Uzbekistan). Supporting programs include the Impact Challenge (case-competition with partners such as the World Bank, UNHCR, Schwarzman Scholars, Deloitte, TetraPak, and Patagonia), Executive Seminars, HPAIRx speaker platform, Delegate Policy Debate, International Night, and a merit-based Scholarship Program. The technology stack is modest: a Squarespace-hosted website (hpair.org), an Airtable-based application portal (apply.hpair.org), and a delegate management portal (my.hpair.org); no proprietary platform, no app, and no public API.

HPAIR's revenue model is dual-stream: (1) one-time delegate participation fees, with two published 2026 tiers — Early Bird (discounted, with scholarship eligibility, deadline March 31, 2026) and Regular (standard, deadline May 15, 2026) — and (2) corporate sponsorships, where sponsors pay for access to delegate resumes, career fair presence, and Impact Challenge participation. Delegate fees cover event programming, lunches, and opening dinner; lodging and travel are not included. HPAIR does not publicly disclose financial figures, has no parent company, no PE/VC/venture backing, no funding rounds, and no M&A activity. Leadership consists of three Co-Presidents (Lucia Gallo, Caroline Gao, Noah Plattner) supported by functional directors and a Board of Advisors drawn from Harvard faculty and senior industry figures.

Name

Harvard Project for Asian and IR

Legal name

Harvard College Project for Asian and International Relations

Website

https://hpair.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1991

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

HPAIR is a 34-year-old student-run non-profit at Harvard College that organizes international conferences connecting 40,000+ students and young professionals from 42+ countries with global leaders across business, government, and policy.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Conference and Leadership Development Programs

NAICS

Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813), Business Associations (813910), Professional and Management Development Training (61143)

SIC

International Affairs (9721), Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Executive Summits & Invitation-Only Forums (MPAGAGAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

Sponsorship, Exhibitor & Partnership Management Services (THAHACAK), Executive Leadership Summits (C-Suite, Board, Strategy Offsites) (THAHAMAA), Executive Education & Corporate Programs (Non-degree) (EDAHAHAN)

Keywords

• International student conferences
• Leadership development programs
• Asia-pacific affairs forums
• Youth leadership summits
• Case competition workshops

Headquarters

HQ city

Cambridge

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Conference Participation Fees: HPAIR generates revenue through delegate participation fees for conferences. The conference fee covers event programming, lunches, and dinner on opening ceremony day. Delegates are responsible for their own lodging and transportation costs.
2. Corporate Sponsorships: Corporate sponsors gain access to pre-screened resumes from top young professionals, ability to share company stories and engagement opportunities at career fairs, and the opportunity to support students attending the conference.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

HPAIR is a student-run non-profit organization at Harvard College that designs, markets, and delivers multi-day international conferences and summits bringing together students and young professionals with globally recognized leaders. Its core portfolio includes the Harvard Conference (HCONF) on Harvard's campus, the Asia Conference (ACONF) held annually in a major Asian city, a Virtual Conference (VCONF), and the Youth Leadership Summit (HYLS) for high school students. Programming centers on keynotes, panel discussions, executive seminars, Impact Challenge case competitions with organizational partners, and cross-cultural exchange activities such as International Night.

Product overview

HPAIR offers a portfolio of four core conference programs: the Harvard Conference (HCONF) held at Harvard University, the Asia Conference (ACONF) hosted annually in major Asian cities, the Virtual Conference (VCONF) for global online accessibility, and the Youth Leadership Summit (HYLS) for high school students. Core programming features include the Impact Challenge case competition, Executive Seminars, and International Night cultural showcase. Additional offerings include HPAIRx delegate speaking platform, Delegate Policy Debate simulations, and a scholarship program. All programs are supported by the HPAIR Delegate Portal for applications and management.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• HPAIR Harvard Conference (HCONF) HPAIR's flagship annual conference held at Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts, bringing together global leaders, professionals, and students aged 18+ for panels, workshops, and keynote speeches on critical global challenges.
• HPAIR Asia Conference (ACONF) Annual 5-day immersive conference held in a major Asian city in partnership with a local Host Country Organizing Committee, offering keynote addresses, panel discussions, executive seminars, and interactive workshops covering economics, technology, sustainability, healthcare, and global policy for 300-600 delegates.
• HPAIR Virtual Conference (VCONF) HPAIR's flagship online conference providing accessible virtual participation to young leaders worldwide via digital platforms, featuring keynotes, panels, and networking sessions.
• High School Youth Leadership Summit (HYLS) Multi-day summit for ambitious high schoolers (ages 14-18) featuring world-class curricula, Harvard-style seminars, keynote speeches, Impact Challenge case study competition, and college admission panels.

Quantifiable outcome

• 40,000+ students and young professionals engaged since 1991
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Harvard UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHPAIR organizes its flagship Harvard Conference (HCONF) in partnership with Harvard University. The organization is a student-run organization at Harvard College. Harvard provides institutional support, venue access, and academic credibility to the conferences.
• World BankminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHPAIR has worked with the World Bank on Impact Challenges - case-competition style workshops where delegates formulate solutions to pressing issues. The World Bank has provided real-world problems for delegates to address.
• Schwarzman ScholarsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHPAIR has partnered with Schwarzman Scholars for Impact Challenges, providing case study competitions that allow delegates to tackle real-world issues and connect with professional opportunities.
• United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHPAIR has collaborated with UNHCR on Impact Challenges, giving delegates the opportunity to work on refugee-related issues and engage with global humanitarian challenges.
• DeloitteminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDeloitte has been a past partner for HPAIR's Impact Challenge program. Delegates work on consulting-style case studies, providing Deloitte with access to top young talent while offering delegates professional development opportunities.
• TetraPakminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerTetraPak has been a past partner for HPAIR's Impact Challenge program, providing real-world business challenges for delegates to analyze and solve during case competitions.
• PatagoniaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPatagonia has been a past partner for HPAIR's Impact Challenge program, offering sustainability-focused case studies that align with the company's environmental mission.
• Host Country Organizing Committee (HCOC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEach year, HPAIR partners with a local Host Country Organizing Committee (HCOC) in the Asia-Pacific region to host the Asia Conference (ACONF). The HCOC provides local organizing expertise, venue partnerships, and cultural connections. Cities must undergo a six-month bidding process to be selected.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Harvard Model United Nations (HMUN): Student-run conference at Harvard that brings together high-school and university students for international relations simulations. Direct comparable in mission, Harvard brand, student-led execution, and Asia-Pacific participation.
• World Model United Nations (WorldMUN): Harvard-affiliated international collegiate Model UN conference held in rotating global cities. Closely comparable to HPAIR in that it is student-led, Harvard-anchored, rotates international host cities, and serves university delegates interested in international affairs.
• Harvard National Model United Nations (HNMUN): One of the largest college-level Model UN conferences in the world, run by Harvard undergraduates. Comparable scale, audience, and Harvard student-run operating model to HPAIR.
• Princeton Model United Nations Conference (PMUNC): Ivy League student-run international relations conference hosting high school and college delegates. Comparable in audience, conference format, and university-affiliated execution model.
• Yale Model United Nations (YMUN): Yale's student-run international relations conference for high-school and university students. Directly comparable as an Ivy League-anchored, student-organized international affairs conference competing for similar delegate and sponsor pools.

Broad incumbents

• Concordia Summit: Non-profit that convenes global leaders across public, private, and nonprofit sectors through summits and year-round programming. Comparable in mission of connecting leaders around pressing global issues, but operates at a much larger, professional scale.
• World Economic Forum (WEF): International organization for public-private cooperation that hosts the Annual Meeting in Davos and regional summits. Overlaps with HPAIR in convening heads of state and Fortune 500 leaders around global policy, but at vastly larger scale and professional staffing.
• Milken Institute: Non-profit think tank that hosts the annual Milken Institute Global Conference, convening global leaders across finance, health, and policy. Comparable in convening function and speaker profile, but institutionally larger and professionally staffed.
• Asia Society: Leading non-profit promoting understanding of Asia through policy programs, summits, and convenings. Direct thematic overlap with HPAIR's Asia-Pacific focus and policy-leadership convening role, but operates with paid professional staff and institutional permanence.

Others

• Schwarzman Scholars: Master's program at Tsinghua University focused on global affairs and leadership, with which HPAIR has a documented Impact Challenge partnership. Comparable Asia/global-affairs focus and elite young-leader audience, but distinct mission as a degree program rather than a conference.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/hpairtweets

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Harvard Project for Asian and IR