Planning for the Hao Ran Summer Workshop program began in 1989, with the first workshop held the following year in Santa Cruz. Attendees and lecturers came from a variety of professional backgrounds, and included entrepreneurs, academics, civil servants, and social workers. The summer workshops were designed to foster communicative learning environments, encouraging critical thinking, cultural awareness, and active participation.
Between 1990 and 2001, seven summer workshops were held around the world. Summer workshop committee members and lecturers also organized Hao Ran Taiwan Workshops, which were held in 2000 and 2003 for young professionals. Lecture and discussion topics were inspired by contemporary issues, including modernization, large-scale issues, and socioeconomic, cultural, and technological development across Asia.
The seventh Summer Workshop welcomed participants back to Santa Cruz for discussions on Chinese culture and the modern world, compassion and faith, and the relationship between science, technology, and the humanities.
The sixth Summer Workshop returned to Santa Cruz, covering regional development, education in the 21st century, and advancements in science, technology, and the humanities.
The fifth Summer Workshop was hosted in both Hong Kong and Singapore. Discussions centered on Hong Kong’s future development and post-1997 regional interactions, the Asia-Pacific region in the 21st century, recent trends in global economic development, and ecological systems and sustainable development.
From 1995 to 1996, lecturers were held in Taiwan and Malaysia. Topics included Taiwanese history and society, regional cooperation in the Asia-Pacific region, the influence of multiculturalism and technological development on the world, and the influence of Asian political, cultural, and economic development on Taiwan.
For the third Summer Workshop, in Macau, presentations and discussions concentrated on the state of East Asian technological and economic development, as well as the growth of the region’s Chinese diaspora.
At the second Summer Workshop, in Tokyo, Japan, presentations focused on modernization in East Asia from economic, cultural, and administrative perspectives, including the influence of global political and economic shifts on the region.
The first Summer Workshop was held in Santa Cruz, with discussion topics centered around large-scale social issues in China and around the world, as well as the state of development in both mainland China and Taiwan.