HONOLULU (June 26, 2011) -- The United States and China held their inaugural round of U.S.-China Asia-Pacific Consultations at the East-West Center on Saturday, June 26, with delegations headed by U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs Kurt M. Campbell and Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Cui Tiankai. The consultations are an outcome of the third U.S.-China strategic and economic dialogue that was convened in May.

By Charles E. Morrison

(Note: This commentary first appeared in The Honolulu Advertiser on July 31, 2011.)

The East-West Center is a Hawai‘i-based, federally-supported institution, long a key part of U.S. outreach to the countries of the Asia and the Pacific and a fixture in Honolulu.

When a House committee recently voted to eliminate the 1960 authorizing legislation for the Center, friends and alumni were alarmed, even though few observers believe the bill has any likelihood of becoming law.

Maya Soetoro-Ng, daughter of Ann Dunham, shares insights about her mother's handicraft collection.The mother of President Barack Obama, EWC alumna S. Ann Dunham (1942-1995), is recognized in her own right for her outstanding work in anthropology, which focused on the small craft industries in Indonesian villages. “This exhibit shows how much she really valued the labor of the people,” noted EWC Curator Michael Schuster.

HONOLULU (Nov. 4, 2011) -- EWC President Charles E. Morrison participated today in a videoconference with about 80 students and teachers at Scarsdale High School in New York, focusing on issues related to the APEC Leaders Meetings in Honolulu next week. Also participating in the discussion was Robert Koepcke, Deputy Director of the U.S. State Department's Bureau for East Asia and Pacific Affairs.

Video of the discussion will be posted soon as part of the launch of a new online school exchange program called "Open Channels," which will connect more than 60 schools in the U.S., Australia, China, Indonesia, Japan, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam and elsewhere.

As the leaders of 21 economies gathered in Honolulu to take part in APEC meetings and activities, the East-West Center ramped up into high gear.  The EWC hosted three public speeches by Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, Vietnam President Truong Tan Sang, and Malaysia Prime Minister Najib Razak (click link to view video/transcript) and cosponsored a business symposium.Secretary Clinton p

The East-West Center community was saddened to learn of the sudden death on Nov. 29 of Adjunct Senior Fellow Jon Van Dyke, a University of Hawaii law professor and longtime associate of the Center. He was a leading authority on constitutional, international and maritime law, as well as indigenous and environmental issues. Recently, he participated in an EWC-organized meeting of supreme court justices from ASEAN countries.

Our thoughts and deepest condolences go to Jon’s wife Sherry, his family and his many friends, students and colleagues. The University of Hawaii’s William S. Richardson School of Law has created a tribute page, where those who wish to do so may share their condolences and memories.

By M. Osman Siddique
Member, EWC Board of Governors 

Note: This commentary originally appeared in Singapore's Straits Times on Dec. 23, 2011.

As President Barack Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton recently observed, a major focus of American attention in the coming decades will be to expand and deepen American relationships with the Asia-Pacific region. Approximately 40 per cent of America’s export earnings are generated in Asia, and the region is poised to be the United States’ fastest growing market. The economic growth in Asia is shifting the overall architecture of the global economy – and the U.S. must play a decisive role in shaping Asia’s direction and significantly increase America’s participation in this new global economy.

The EWC’s AsiaPacificEd Program for Schools launched the AsiaPacificEd Crossings Website and educational initiative. This online resource, established just prior to the APEC Summit in Honolulu, has already enabled more than 1,400 K-12 students and educators from 48 schools in eight APEC economies (Australia, China, Indonesia, Japan, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam, and United States) to explore and connect with the Asia Pacific region. 

Lee Howell of the World Economic Forum presents the keynote address at the International Graduate Student Conference.IGSC co-chairs Apinya Jantunyarux & Asmatullah Junejo (center) with presenter Lee Howell and EWC directors and board members.

EWC President Charles E. Morrison (center) and EWC Foundation VP Mangmang Brown with Island Pacific Energy President Joseph Saturnia and members of the EWC Sustainability Task Force.

The East-West Center joins many in the international relations community in mourning the April 15 passing of EWC Board of Governors member Tadashi Yamamoto, a strong advocate of the development of a vibrant, internationalized civil society in Japan and of deepened Japanese ties with other countries.

As part of his recent visit to Hawai’i, the Dalai Lama participated in an April 15 panel discussion with Native Hawaiian cultural leaders Nainoa Thompson and Pualani Kanahele at EWC’s Hawai’i Imin International Conference Center. The private event was organized by the Hawai’i Community Foundation through a grant from the Omidyar Ohana Fund.
Photo: PillarsofPeaceHawaii.org.

The East-West Center community has been saddened to learn that former EWC President Everett “Ets” Kleinjans passed away on April 30 at a care home in Michigan.

A linguist who taught in China and Japan before joining the Center in 1967 as Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs, Kleinjans then became EWC’s Chancellor from 1968 to 1974. After helping to guide the Center through independent incorporation, he became its first President in 1975, serving until 1980. Subsequently, he taught at Hawai’i Pacific University and worked for a number of years in Cambodia before returning to his home town of Holland, Michigan.

On April 29, the Government of Japan conferred the Order of the Rising Sun, Gold and Silver Rays on EWC Adjunct Project Specialist Robert Toshio Nakasone in recognition of his contributions to the promotion of friendly relations and mutual understanding between Japan and the United States.

EWC Obuchi Project Specialist Robert NakasoneNakasone founded the Hawaii Uchinanchu Business Group in 1993, and later went on to establish the Worldwide Uchinanchu Business Association in 1997, expanding the network to 22 chapters around the world.  In doing so, he successfully brought together global entrepreneurs and small Okinawan-ancestry business owners, promoting not only U.S.-Japan exchanges but exchanges worldwide.

USTL and USSP student fellows meet with Julia Findlay in the U.S. State Department’s Office of Academic Exchanges.

The East-West Center expresses its sadness over the passing of Emeritus Senior Fellow Meheroo Jussawalla following a long illness. After a very distinguished career in her native India, Meheroo joined the East-West Center’s Communications Institute in 1977 and was a pioneer in developing the field of information economic. After she formally retired, she remained active in East-West Center projects and activities.

By Charles E. Morrison

(Note: This commentary originally appeared in the Honolulu Star-Advertiser on Sept. 12, 2012)

It may not compare to APEC or the G-20 for global economic weight, but for the Pacific island nations, the annual Pacific Islands Forum summit is the premier regional meeting. It brings together heads of the island nations (including Australia and New Zealand) with representatives of international organizations and “dialogue partners,” including the United States, China, Japan and many others. For the Cook Islands, with less than 15,000 residents, hosting last week’s PIF was a rare event made especially significant by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s unprecedented stop to attend the post-meeting partner dialogue ­– the highest level U.S. participation ever.

Governor and Mrs. Ariyoshi with Rick Tsujimura, EWC Board of Governors' Chairman, at the EWC award banquet.The East-West Center honored the Honorable George R. Ariyoshi, former Governor of the State of Hawai'i, with the presentation of the Asia Pacific Community Building Award for his dedication to strengthening the bonds of understanding among the peoples and nations of Asia, the Pacific, and the United States. The Award recognizes outstanding leaders whose vision and professional and personal accomplishments exemplify the mission of the East-West Center.

APLP fellows gather with the White House social media team.On the first day of their Washington, D.C. field study, EWC’s Asia Pacific Leadership Program (APLP) fellows met with the White House Office of Digital Strategy (a.k.a. the Twitter Team). They discussed how for the first time, a U.S. President is using social media platforms to amplify the Administration’s message and directly interact with the American public. “Being from Indonesia, this is very new for me,” remarked Ismail Sulaiman, APLP fellow and head lecturer of communications at the State Islamic College Cot Kala in Aceh.  “Of course we are online, but this is actively exchanging information with the U.S.

The East-West Center community was saddened to learn of the Nov. 4 passing of former EWC Board of Governors member Tai Yu-Lin (also known as Wu Yu-Lin), a pioneer in bilingual education. Serving from 1978 – 1984, she was the first Asian woman elected to the EWC Board.

Born in Northeast China in the 1920s, she was educated in Shanghai, as well as at the University of Malaya, Columbia University and later at the University of London's School of Oriental and African Studies, where she began her language career.

Sen. Inouye with EWC students in 2007.

The East-West Center community is greatly saddened by the passing of Hawai‘i Senator Daniel K. Inouye, long one of the Center’s most avid supporters. EWC President Charles E. Morrison extended the EWC community’s heartfelt condolences to Senator Inouye’s family and loved ones.

“We are deeply saddened by the loss of a great patriot and statesman who served his nation and state in many different capacities,” Morrison said. “Senator Inouye has always been the staunchest supporter of the East-West Center, not just in Washington, but also frequently interacting with participants and alumni. We will sorely miss him.”

Taiwan Deputy Defense Minister Andrew Nien-Dzu Yang briefed an audience of international relations specialists at EWC on Feb. 27 on current Taiwan security issues, including cross-strait relations with mainland China, U.S. arms sales, regional territorial disputes and more.

The EWC Participants Association held its 2013 East-West Fest cultural fair April 13 on the Jefferson Hall lanai. Themed "Colors of the World," the celebration featured cultural booths and performances from a variety of participants' home countries. View a photo gallery.

HONOLULU (April 24, 2013) -- Last month in Singapore, the East-West Center realized a four-year goal to gather ASEAN-wide young environmental leaders to create collaborative project proposals in what was deemed ““an incredible, innovative, and enriching workshop” by Eric Watnik, the Public Affairs Counselor at the U.S. Embassy in Singapore. 

Fifty-seven alumni from the Study of the US Institutes (SUSI) at East-West Center and University of Montana Mansfield Center (UMT) spent three intensive days crafting proposals for the chance to win $25,000 from the U.S. State Department’s Alumni Engagement Innovation Fund. 

HONOLULU (May 3, 2013) -- East-West Center President Charles E. Morrison met yesterday with the Prime Minister of Papua New Guinea, Peter O'Neill, and U.S. Ambassador to PNG Walter North to discuss the possibility of PNG hosting the next meeting of the Pacific Islands Conference of Leaders, the only U.S.-based organization that convenes summit meetings of Pacific island heads of government. EWC serves as the administrative secretariat for the PICL summits.

EWC Emeritus Scholar Lee-Jay Cho has been awarded Japan’s prestigious Order of the Rising Sun (Gold Rays with Rosette), for his contributions to “the enhancement of economic relations between Asian countries, including Japan, and the U.S., and the promotion of research exchanges in the field of demography."

With doctorate degrees in economics and demography from Japanese universities and a third Ph.D. in sociology from the University of Chicago, Dr. Cho formerly served as director of EWC’s Population Institute, as well as executive vice president and president pro tem. In the 1960s and ‘70s, he was an advisor to the governments of Malaysia and the Republic of Korea on population, human resources and urban issues, and he has long served a Chairman of the Northeast Asia Economic Forum.

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EWC environment researchers Melissa Finucane and Victoria Keener gave a congressional briefing on Capitol Hill Sept. 17 on the findings of the recent Center-led Pacific Islands Regional Climate Assessment, which will be included as regional input to the federal government’s upcoming National Climate Assessment. Hawai‘i Sen. Brian Schatz, who co-hosted the briefing, said that “In Hawai‘i and throughout the Pacific, climate change is not an abstract concept –it is already having very real consequences.”

Sen. Schatz speaks at the climate briefing.

Among the major concerns for Hawai‘i and the Pacific Islands that Finucane and Keener discussed are:

The East-West Center community is saddened by the death former EWC President Victor Hao Li, who passed away on Sept. 18 in Oakland, California, at the age of 72.

Born in Hong Kong, Dr. Li taught Chinese and international law at the University of Michigan, Columbia and Stanford before serving as President of EWC from 1981-1989.

By Charles E. Morrison, EWC President

(Note: This commentary first appeared in the Honolulu Star-Advertiser on Oct. 13, 2013.)

When I arrived in Bali last week for this year’s APEC summit, my van driver asked where I was from. When I told him, his face broke into a huge smile. “Say hello to my brother,” he said enthusiastically, referring to President Barack Obama, who remains enormously popular in Indonesia where he spent several years as a child.

Two days later, the U.S. budget stalemate forced Obama to cancel his trip to the APEC meeting and the subsequent East Asia Summit in Brunei, along with scheduled stops in Malaysia and the Philippines that had already been called off.

The East-West Center community is saddened by the death of former EWC Board of Governors member Thomas S. Foley, a U.S. congressman from Washington State for three decades, speaker of the House from 1989 to 1995, and later Ambassador to Japan.  Foley, who passed away Oct. 18 at age 84, served on the EWC board from 1995 to 1997. 

The East-West Center community is saddened by news of the recent passing of the Center’s first leader, Murray Turnbull, and longtime arts and exhibits coordinator Jeanette "Benji" Bennington.

"Murray Turnbull was the father of the concept of bringing the young people of the Asia Pacific region together, and the East-West Center was established because of him," said EWC President Charles E. Morrison. "And Benji was an incredible, invaluable resource during her decades of service at the Center. She embodied the EWC spirit, and her legacy remains with us all.”

Navigating a Future for the East-West Center

By Charles E. Morrison

Keynote address at the EWC/EWCA International Conference

Naha, Okinawa
17 September 2014

The East-West Center community has been saddened to learn of the sudden passing of former Education Director and longtime community supporter Larry Smith, who suffered a fatal heart attack over the weekend, shortly after arriving in New Delhi to attend a conference.

The 2014-2015 Pacific Islands Women in Leadership (WIL) Program held its capstone workshop in Suva, Fiji, May 17-23, 2015.  The weeklong program allowed the participants to reconnect with each other as well as make new connections within the Pacific Region.

The group reported on the status of the projects they started upon returning home after the initial program workshop held in Honolulu in October 2015.  Two of the participants from Fiji shared their projects with the WIL group with site visits.

WASHINGTON, D.C. (June 25, 2015) – Nine college students from the Pacific Islands and Timor-Leste who are studying in Hawai‘i on East-West Center-administered scholarships are wrapping up six-week internships in Washington, D.C. designed to offer them professional experience and help expand their understanding of American society.

HONOLULU (July 21, 2015) -- The East-West Center has received a second Green Business Award from the state of Hawai‘i, which recognizes organizations for outstanding effort in improving their environmental footprint. In 2011, the Center became the first educational institution to receive the award.

HONOLULU (Aug. 3, 2015) -- With the Hawaiian Voyaging Canoe Hokule‘a now sailing out of the Pacific for the very first time and currently in Bali, Indonesia, for the canoe’s only scheduled Asian stop on its unprecedented worldwide voyage, a number of East-West Center participants, alumni and community members are in Bali with the canoe, or helped plan the visit.

Honolulu (October 12, 2015) – Wyatt Gordon, a current EWC degree fellow in in urban and regional planning, recently returned from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, where he competed in Pidato Antarabangsa Bahasa Melayu , or International Malay Language Speech Championship. The first American to ever to reach the final round of this competition since it was started nearly a decade ago, he took third place overall and won a prize of $3,000 after delivering a speech in Malay on how he found his heritage through language.  The speech contest was broadcast live in front of a studio audience of several thousand people, including the Prime Minister, and was viewed by a television audience of several million viewers across Southeast Asia.

WASHINGTON, D.C. (March 4, 2016) -- In the Philippines Supreme Court’s recent ruling that the nation’s new Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA) with the United States is constitutional, the court cited the policy brief “Implications of the US-Philippines Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement” from the East-West Center’s Asia Pacific Bulletin series. The analysis, authored in 2014 by Dr. Aileen S.P.

Remarks of East-West Center President Charles E. Morrison

Friends of the East-West Center Annual Meeting
Nov. 9, 2016

Thank you Puongpun, for a generous introduction. I also want to thank the Friends of the East-West Center for inviting me to speak and all of you for coming.

The East-West Center, in partnership with Yale University and the Pacific Basin Research Center, launched the new book The Evolution of Development Thinking: Governance, Economics, Assistance, and Security at the United Nations on December 15, 2016. (Watch video of the book launch.)