SWT’s Chaturvedi attends Harvard conference in Singapore

SAN MARCOS, TEXAS — Venkat Chaturvedi, a graduate student in the Health Administration Department at Southwest Texas State University, has been chosen as one of 53 students in the United States and the only student from Texas to participate in the Harvard Project for Asian and International Relations (HPAIR) Conference, August 27-30 at the Suntec City Convention Centre in Singapore.

According to information provided by HPAIR, the conference, in its 10th year, was organized by Harvard faculty and representatives of various international agencies “. . . to foster international exchange and dialogue on political, economic and social issues that impact the Asia-Pacific region.”

This year’s conference, hosting nearly 500 top students from around the world, will address “Asia and the Knowledge Economy: Opportunities for Progress.”

Chaturvedi, originally from Hyderbad, India, has been studying for his second master’s degree at SWT since the fall of 2000. He received his undergraduate and first master’s degrees in India. He said he chose SWT because of the high quality of the Health Administration program and its course content. He said he expects his degree and experiences to further a career in international health care and consulting. His ultimate goal is to work for the World Health Organization (WHO).

His acceptance into the Harvard project may be a step in the right direction. He will participate, specifically, in the workshop regarding “Health Systems Development in Asia: Rising to the Challenge of ‘Health for All’.”

Chaturvedi explained how the workshop would focus on the discrepancies in health care among Asian regions. Workshop participants will try to answer questions such as, “How do we align health systems to address the health needs of the population; how do we allocate limited resources in an efficient, equitable manner, and what is the role of governments in health policy making?”

The HPAIR conference is touted as the premier student academic symposium on business and international relations.