Fineberg Schedules Holiday Trip to Asia

During the past year, Harvard received Chinese President Jiang Zemin, established its first international office--located in Hong Kong--and sent its president to Asia twice.

This time it is Provost Harvey V. Fineberg '67 who is traveling to East Asia over the week of Thanksgiving.

Last year, in a whirlwind eleven-day tour, President Neil L. Rudenstine stopped at many of the major cities of East Asia, including Beijing, Hong Kong and Taipei. In June, he returned to China and Japan and made his first visit to Korea.

Following a similar tour format, Fineberg will meet with alumni and "friends" of the University in the Philippines, Taiwan and Hong Kong to further develop Harvard's contact base in the area and to strengthen the University's connection to Asia.

"We are re-emphasizing Harvard's global outreach," Fineberg said. "It's an opportunity to gain support of friends and alumni."

The University refers to parents of alumni and students and others affiliated with Harvard as friends.

Although the University has developed resourcesfor Asian research and was a pioneer in Asianstudies, it has not yet created a network ofcontacts as extensive as those it has in Europeand some other areas, Fineberg said.

This series of trips helps in "strengtheningthe connection between the University and ourgraduates and friends in Asia," Fineberg wrote inan e-mail message. Targeting Harvard graduates whohold high positions in the Asian business worldwill mean better contacts for Harvard professorsand students further down the road.

While the focus of the visit is more on makingpersonal contacts than soliciting alumni and"friends" for money, Director of InternationalCapital Initiatives at Harvard Kristin E. Sorensonsaid the purpose is "in some cases aboutfundraising."

Fineberg will meet individually with mostHarvard supporters--mainly, according to Sorenson,"people the University has known over time."

He will attend one alumni reception in Manilla,the Philippines--where he arrives on Nov. 20--andone in Taiwan--the last stop on the tour.

This is Fineberg's first trip to thePhilippines, and he and his wife, AssistantClinical Professor of Medicine Mary E. Wilson,will also spend time being ordinary tourists.

Professors involved in Asian studies weresupportive of the University's efforts andemphasized the need for Harvard to increase itsinfluence in Asia, especially as the numbers ofAsian students at the University grow.

"Harvard is so large in Asia now," said Ezra F.Vogel, director of the Fairbank Center for EastAsian Studies. "We have a good base of support,but we need to strengthen that."

Vogel said he travels to Asia at least once ayear to keep in touch with contacts. But visits bythe Provost and President indicate a high level ofsupport from the University that Vogel cannotconvey.

"They can often open doors," he said.

While the Harvard Business School (HBS) hasparticular interest in Asia as a testing groundfor specific case studies, Fineberg's trip willbenefit the entire University. Sorenson saidFineberg will not be visiting the newly-createdHBS research office in Hong Kong which is set toopen officially in January.

Fineberg took a brief trip to China about ayear ago and has been planning this trip for overa year.

"I anticipate there will be additional trips inthe future," he said.

Despite Harvard's recent interest in Asia,Director of Global Initiative Karen E. Wilsonemphasized that Asia is just one area on theagenda.

"We feel it's important to be active all aroundthe world," Wilson said

Although the University has developed resourcesfor Asian research and was a pioneer in Asianstudies, it has not yet created a network ofcontacts as extensive as those it has in Europeand some other areas, Fineberg said.

This series of trips helps in "strengtheningthe connection between the University and ourgraduates and friends in Asia," Fineberg wrote inan e-mail message. Targeting Harvard graduates whohold high positions in the Asian business worldwill mean better contacts for Harvard professorsand students further down the road.

While the focus of the visit is more on makingpersonal contacts than soliciting alumni and"friends" for money, Director of InternationalCapital Initiatives at Harvard Kristin E. Sorensonsaid the purpose is "in some cases aboutfundraising."

Fineberg will meet individually with mostHarvard supporters--mainly, according to Sorenson,"people the University has known over time."

He will attend one alumni reception in Manilla,the Philippines--where he arrives on Nov. 20--andone in Taiwan--the last stop on the tour.

This is Fineberg's first trip to thePhilippines, and he and his wife, AssistantClinical Professor of Medicine Mary E. Wilson,will also spend time being ordinary tourists.

Professors involved in Asian studies weresupportive of the University's efforts andemphasized the need for Harvard to increase itsinfluence in Asia, especially as the numbers ofAsian students at the University grow.

"Harvard is so large in Asia now," said Ezra F.Vogel, director of the Fairbank Center for EastAsian Studies. "We have a good base of support,but we need to strengthen that."

Vogel said he travels to Asia at least once ayear to keep in touch with contacts. But visits bythe Provost and President indicate a high level ofsupport from the University that Vogel cannotconvey.

"They can often open doors," he said.

While the Harvard Business School (HBS) hasparticular interest in Asia as a testing groundfor specific case studies, Fineberg's trip willbenefit the entire University. Sorenson saidFineberg will not be visiting the newly-createdHBS research office in Hong Kong which is set toopen officially in January.

Fineberg took a brief trip to China about ayear ago and has been planning this trip for overa year.

"I anticipate there will be additional trips inthe future," he said.

Despite Harvard's recent interest in Asia,Director of Global Initiative Karen E. Wilsonemphasized that Asia is just one area on theagenda.

"We feel it's important to be active all aroundthe world," Wilson said