Furman students rep U.S. at Asia-Pacific Economic meeting in Peru

In November, five Furman University students and two professors traveled to Lima, Peru, for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation and its Voices of the Future (APEC VOF) meeting.

Introduced to Furman in 2002 through The Riley Institute, the meeting enables Furman students and faculty members to represent the United States at the talks designed to support sustainable economic growth and prosperity in the member economies ringing the Pacific Rim.

Alice Arnold ’25, a politics and international affairs major, gave an overview of the American economy to about 100 youth delegates. The event was important because “As much as we can talk online or listen or learn about our economies, nothing compares to face-to-face communication,” Arnold said. She enjoyed “hearing the viewpoints of students who represent diverse cultures and learning about what they care about, what makes us different, and what makes us the same.”

Sumter Archer ’25, Ori Chambliss ’25, Andrea Valeria ’27 and Jacob Taylor ’25, who helped prepare the Youth Declaration, were also among Furman’s cohort.

Peruvian organizers schooled delegates on their country’s history and culture. Students and educators toured a navy training ship and the archeological site Pachacámac, first settled in 200 A.D. before the Inca Empire reigned supreme.

Cleve Fraser, APEC codirector and a professor of politics and international affairs, said the cultural experiences were as valuable as the official meetings. This was his 13th trip.

“The unscripted moments, like conversations among delegates about different experiences, challenges and hopes for the future, bring the global economy to life in a way no textbook ever could,” said Jessica Hennessey, the John D. Hollingsworth Professor of Economics and interim department chair.

Fostering that kind of global citizenship is a key component of The Furman Advantage, the university’s approach to undergraduate education that creates pathways for students to discover who they want to be and how they want to contribute to the world.

With full access to a CEO summit, delegates heard from trade ministers, heads of state and other officials like the heads of TikTok and JPMorgan Chase. Anthony Blinken, U.S. Secretary of State, stressed the importance of global cooperation, investment in one another and unity.

But it’s the personal connections that students will remember most, Fraser said, noting the “interesting dynamics” that emerged even among political and economic rivals.

“There was a kind of mini détente between our delegation and the Russians. The students and educators spent a lot of time together – it was something to see,” he said. Come time to board planes back home, Fraser said there were some heartfelt goodbyes.

APEC VOF sows seeds for future careers, Fraser said, recalling a 2008 VOF delegate who was recruited to the Foreign Service, and in 2015 arranged for Furman’s delegation to meet with the U.S. ambassador to the Philippines.

Many students “will go on to bigger and better things – becoming government officials, business leaders, advocates for nonprofits. Our hope is that through this experience and the connections students make, the world will be made a better place,” he said.

Arnold, who has her sights set on policymaking in the digital space after graduation, came away from the meeting with renewed hope for the future.

“There are a lot of aspects of our culture that are very different from other economies, but we all really care about our home countries,” she said. “We all want to be connected to make our world better as a whole. I can’t see the future, but I know that if the young people I met at the conference are the ones in charge, I think we have a bright future ahead.”