In early January, 20 Princeton undergraduates were watching events unfold from across the world. In a weeklong visit to Taiwan and Singapore, they had the opportunity to ask high-level officials – including current and former heads of state – international journalists, and more than 100 Princeton alumni their thoughts on how changing politics in the United States could reshape the Asian Pacific.

The students visited the two nations as International Policy Associates, a selective foreign policy program run by the Princeton School of Public and International Affairs. In past years, associates have visited Poland, Germany, France, Belgium and Austria.

The yearlong program gives students opportunities to meet with practitioners in international affairs and gain real-world professional skills while learning about systems of governance and effective policy strategies. Prior to traveling, the students prepare through readings, discussions, and lectures.

During the trip, they gather in hotel conference rooms every night to review what was discussed and modify their talking points, similar to how staff members traveling with a secretary or head of state may prepare for the day ahead.

“It was a particular honor to travel to Singapore and Taiwan at a moment when the global order is undergoing rapid transformation,” said Katherine Holden ’26, adding that the two states “exemplify how smaller states can leverage diplomacy, economic strength, and strategic positioning to maintain autonomy in an increasingly polarized world.”

Kunsel Subrahmanyam ’26 said he was most struck by the “practicality, ingenuity, and compassion” of the leaders they met on the trip.

In Taiwan, the students met with leaders with a wide range of views, including the vice president, two former presidents, and the U.S. lead diplomat, who spoke with them for two hours. Anting Liu ’12, founder of Teach for Taiwan and advisor to President Tsai Ing-Wen, played a key role in advising the team on the strategic meetings they had in Taipei. The students also had the opportunity to learn about the country’s booming semiconductor industry with a visit to TSMC, where they met with the chief financial officer, the director of strategy and investment, and the deputy head of communications.

“The meetings included practical policy and strategy conversations and serious scenario planning questions in the face of uncertain and complex geopolitical dynamics in the region and globally,” said Nadia Crisan, a Princeton SPIA official. The students also went on guided tours of Taipei’s National Palace Museum, Legislative Yuan, Presidential Office, and other key sites.

“The itinerary was packed with meaningful exchanges, allowing students to engage with key political, academic, and private-sector leaders, providing them with the opportunity to explore Taiwan’s history, its dynamic politics and diplomacy, as well as its economics and security landscape,” Crisan said.

While in Taiwan, Madeleine Feldman ’27 had a chance to reconnect with a family that had hosted her on a previous stay. Talking to them helped her learn more about Taiwan’s evolving political climate from individuals living through the reality.

“As soon as I returned to the hotel, I pulled out my notes, refining my question-asking approach to reflect the lived realities I had just heard,” Feldman said. “This moment underscored the value of engaging with local voices in tandem with policymakers when trying to understand a country’s trajectory.”

In Singapore, the students met with President Tharman Shanmugaratnam, the minister of defense, leading foreign correspondents, and many public- and private-sector leaders. They also met with Princeton alumni and attended dinner at the home of Natalie Tarnopolsky ’95.

“Students enjoyed a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to discuss domestic and foreign policy at length and in confidence with politicians and officials of Singapore – a country known for the superb education and shrewd pragmatism of its public servants,” said Andrew Moravcsik, a professor of politics and international affairs at Princeton SPIA.

In addition to an opportunity for students to engage with policymakers, the trips often lead to lasting connections for the Princeton community. They sometimes result in internship. research and job opportunities or initiate conversations for dignitaries and scholars to visit campus, Crisan noted.

Luke Carroll ’26 said his biggest takeaway from visiting both countries was how differently the U.S. and China are perceived there than they are in the United States.

“Our interlocutors in Taiwan and Singapore rarely expressed a view of U.S.-China competition as one between two 'powers' vying to be sole superpower,” he noted. “It was instead, often, expressed as the struggle between systems of government, cultures, and individual flourishing.”

LISD Event in Singapore - Photo credit Heather Carmichael '00, President