Different ‘voices’ and multiple perspectives shed new light on the impact World War II had on the Pacific, when 75 college professors from nine nations participated in workshops as part of the East-West Center’s Asian Studies Development Program (ASDP).

The East-West Center expresses its deep sympathy to the family and friends of Mau Piailug as we mourn his recent passing. Piailug, a humble, traditional navigator from the Micronesian island of Satawal in Yap, is hailed as the catalyst for launching the cultural renaissance in the Pacific.   

In 1976, Piailug sat at the helm of the replica ancient Hawaiian voyaging canoe, the Hokule‘a, as it completed a historic journey, sailing 2,300 miles between Hawai‘i and Tahiti without modern-day navigational instruments.

More than 250 journalists and media experts from across the Asia Pacific region and the U.S. gathered in Hong Kong April 25-28 to discuss the latest news and media-industry issues in the region.

In honor of the East-West Center’s 50th anniversary, the commemorative video, “A Priceless Legacy,” was featured at the recent dinner launching the year’s celebrations.  In the video, the Center’s history unfolds through a series of interviews with key leaders and current East-West Center participants who share their reflections.  

His Majesty King George Tupou V of the Kingdom of Tonga recently visited the East-West Center, meeting with leaders from the Center and planting a native Hawaiian ‘Ohia tree in the Center’s courtyard as part of the 50th anniversary year celebration. His Majesty was joined by East-West Center President Charles E. Morrison, who noted the Center’s close ties with the Kingdom through the EWC’s Pacific Islands Development Program (PIDP).

A strong growth area at the East-West Center in recent years has been the Center’s journalism fellowships and exchanges. Since 2005, the range of EWC programs for journalists has doubled, to 10 programs serving about 100 participants per year, with many more attending the biennial international media conferences.

Between raising funds for victims of the 2004 Asian tsunami, helping support educational programs for street children, and forging a sister-chapter relationship with alumni in Australia, the EWCA Nepal Alumni Chapter in Kathmandu has been busy carrying out the Center’s mission in South Asia.

After 25 years of devoted service as a program officer and participant services officer assisting East-West Center’s international students, Rose Nakamura didn’t slow down.  Her retirement from the Center in 1989 opened up new avenues of service.  As Hawaii’s senior population continues to grow and many are isolated, living far away from family on the U.S. mainland, Nakamura saw a need in the community to create a program that provides volunteer assistance to homebound frail elderly and disabled persons to ensure their independence and dignity.

As gas prices soar in the U.S., concerns about energy security take center stage in the international dialogue on economic development. Editors of “ Asia’s Energy Future: Regional Dynamics and Global Implications ,” EWC Senior Fellows Fereidun Fesharaki and Kang Wu, examined this issue in light of Asia’s sharply increasing energy demands, during an EWC briefing in late April on Capitol Hill.

A new book resulting from the East-West Center’s International Forum for Education 2020 project has received a warm review in Comparative Education Review, the leading academic journal in the field.