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Administration

General Information

Advising

Undergraduate Programs

Graduate Programs

Instructional and Research Facilities and Programs

Center for Chinese Studies

Center for Hawaiian Studies

Center for Japanese Studies

Center for Korean Studies

Center for Pacific Islands Studies

Center for Philippine Studies

Center for South Asian Studies

Center fo Southeast Asian Studies

Committee for the Preservation and Study of Hawaiian Language, Art and Culture

Asian Studies

Hawaiian Studies

Pacific Islands Studies

College of Hawaiian, Asian, & Pacific Studies

Instructional and Research Facilities and Programs

Center for Chinese Studies

The Center for Chinese Studies aims broadly at an increased understanding of contemporary China in light of its history and its hopes for the future. The center pursues this goal through instruction from 45 faculty members in 23 departments who teach more than 200 China-related courses; research by faculty, who publish an average of six books and a score of articles on China each year; service publications, such as its semiannual journal China Review International, which provides an overview of current world wide scholarship on China, a website (www.chinesestudies.hawaii.edu) that provides access to databases for national resources on China; and community outreach, conferences, and national and international linkages with institutions such as Peking University in Beijing, the National Taiwan University in Taipei and the Chinese University of Hong Kong.

By interdepartmental cooperation and by creating a stimulating environment for the faculty and the 150 students specializing in Chinese studies, the center actively supplements the offering of the basic scholarly disciplines at both undergraduate and graduate levels and focuses attention on the University’s significant resources for the study of China. These include the Asia Collection in Hamilton Library, the Wong Audiovisual Center in Sinclair Library, and the multimedia collection of the Language Telecommunication Resource and Learning Center.

Kamakakuokalani Center for Hawaiian Studies

The Kamakuokalani Center for Hawaiian Studies is committed to perpetuating the legacy of Hawaiians through instruction, research, community outreach, and student services. Established in 1970 and made a center in the School of Hawaiian, Asian, and Pacific Studies in 1987, it is the only academic program in the world focusing on the history, culture, and traditions of the Hawaiian people. The center offers a BA in Hawaiian studies; promotes research in Hawaiian language, culture, history, and politics; offers a wide array of student services to all students of Hawaiian ancestry; and coordinates an active program of outreach to the out-of-school Hawaiian community. On-campus resources include the Kanewai taro garden and the Hawaiian and Pacific Collections at Hamilton Library. Off-campus resources include the State Archives, Bishop Museum, other private collections, and the unique availability of an ancient and rich native culture still present from Ni‘ihau to the Big Island of Hawai‘i. The native Hawaiian view is emphasized in the major.

Center for Japanese Studies

The Center for Japanese Studies seeks to promote a deeper understanding of Japan within a global context. Faculty include 40 professors, 16 language instructors, 2 library specialists and a chanoyu instructor who offer approximately 150 courses in 15 departments. An integral part of the center is the Dr. Sen Soshitsu International Way of Tea Center, established in 2001, which serves to perpetuate tea culture by offering tea practicum courses and coordinating tea-related outreach projects. Other important activities include the administration of student-exchange program with Doshisha University (Kyoto), Nanzan University (Nagoya), Sophia University (Tokyo), Hiroshima University and the University of the Ryukyus; coordination of the Japanese Studies Endowment which makes grants to support faculty and graduate student research; and publication of the newsletter J-Current and the Guide to Japanese Studies at the University of Hawai‘i. In addition, the center acts as a coordinating body for Japanese studies on campus and as a clearinghouse for inquiries related to the field; sponsors visiting colleagues; and arranges lectures and performances for visiting scholars and artists.

Center for Korean Studies

The Center for Korean Studies coordinates and develops the UH’s resources for the study of Korea. The 18 faculty members affiliated represent the disciplines of history, language and literature, economics, political science, sociology, communication, urban planning, theater and dance, and ethnomusicology. The center promotes interdisciplinary and intercultural approaches to Korean studies; conducts scholarly conferences; sponsors research projects; presents specialists and visiting scholars in colloquia; publishes scholarly works and an interdisciplinary journal, Korean Studies; and coordinates UH resources on Korea and researches the activities of Hawai‘i’s Korean community. The center maintains a special collection of personal libraries and private papers of distinguished scholars on Korea. It also has a small collection of books, journals, audiovisual materials, and other documents as an adjunct to the UH library’s Korean collection.

Center for Pacific Islands Studies

The Center for Pacific Islands Studies coordinates aspects of the Pacific-related activities within the UH and promotes further study of the region. The center sponsors an annual conference and a seminar series that features a variety of visitors en route to and from other Pacific Islands. The program publishes a bimonthly newsletter, a series of occasional papers, and, in collaboration with the UH Press, the Pacific Islands Monograph Series, South Sea Books, and The Contemporary Pacific: A Journal of Island Affairs.

Center for Philippine Studies

The Center for Philippine Studies at UH Manoa is the only university center offering a comprehensive academic program for Philippine studies in North America. With an interdisciplinary faculty based in various departments, it promotes a broad understanding of Philippine society and culture, including Filipinos overseas, through course offerings, library resources, lectures and seminars, scholarly conferences, research and publications, visiting faculty, international academic exchanges, cultural presentations, outreach with the Filipino community in Hawai‘i, and other professional activities. UH Manoa has the largest concentration of internationally known Philippine specialists and experts in various disciplines. The center serves as the Secretariat for the International Committee on Philippine Studies.

Center for South Asian Studies

The Center for South Asian Studies supports courses, provides opportunities for intensive study of societies and cultures of South Asia, and promotes faculty research and interaction across departmental lines to foster comparative and interdisciplinary research in the region. This area includes contemporary Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, the Maldive Islands, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and, for some purposes, Afghanistan and Tibet. The center initiates and supports outreach activities to UH Manoa, as well as to the wider Honolulu community.

Center for Southeast Asian Studies

The Center for Southeast Asian Studies supports one of the largest Southeast Asian programs in the country. Approximately 55 resident and visiting faculty teach a wide range of courses on Southeast Asia, which include an exceptionally strong program in languages. In addition, the library collection on Southeast Asia is among the largest in the world. The center administers FLAS fellowships available for graduate students and organizes faculty and student exchanges with other universities. It maintains an active seminar and conference schedule and works to maintain cross-campus and inter-disciplinary communication. Center publications include the Southeast Asia Paper Series and Explorations, a student journal. The outreach program oversees conferences, public lectures and develops education materials. Further information is available at www.hawaii.edu/cseas/.

Committee for the Preservation and Study of Hawaiian Language, Art and Culture

The committee was established in 1959 to protect and encourage a deeper knowledge of the language and culture of the native people of Hawai‘i. Through the resources and efforts of the committee, more than two hundred projects have been funded in part or in whole over the past 40 years. Examples range from the groundbreaking Hawaiian Dictionary; Hawaiian-English and English Hawaiian, by Mary Kawena Pukui and Samuel H. Elbert, to the Na Kanikau Aloha O Hawai‘i, a project currently in progress that documents the adaptation of Hawaiian to the written language in the 19th century, focusing on the kanikau, a chant of mourning and lamentation.

Campus Events and Community Programs

SHAPS and its centers sponsor lectures, colloquia, teacher workshops, conferences, film festivals, concerts, and special events, such as the Grand Kabuki performance, Chinese martial arts performances, and the Southeast Asian Studies Summer Institute. The centers’ outreach programs take UH expertise into the community and secondary schools, and the Center for Hawaiian Studies provides support services for native Hawaiian students.