Initiated by two visionaries, Mr. Senen Pineda and Ms. Grace Vera-Cruz, UP HPAIR is designed to be at the forefront in fostering cross-cultural awareness among student leaders in the university by providing venues for intellectual exchange and student dialogue. It is an organization basically composed of young and dynamic leaders concerned with the present social, economic and political issues faced by the country and by the international community.

The UP HPAIR is part of the international network of HPAIR clubs based in top universities. In the Philippines, there are clubs also in the Ateneo de Manila University (ADMU) and University of Asia and the Pacific (UA&P).

All students enrolled in the University are eligible for membership. However, since UP HPAIR desires to maintain its standards of excellence and integrity, membership is strictly by invitation.

The Internal Affairs and Recruitment Committee is responsible for presenting the list of qualified applicants, who are chosen based on their academic and extra-curricular performance.

Qualified applicants are required to accomplish the following: membership application form (30%), essay on previously assigned topic(s) (30%), and a formal interview (40%).

Only applicants with at least 85% total (grade) from all three criteria may be subject to deliberation and official membership.