HONOLULU (Dec. 15, 2015) – The East-West Center has announced the names of EWC alumni, volunteers and alumni chapters that will be honored at the Center’s upcoming international alumni conference in Manila, Philippines Jan. 15-17, 2016. The honorees are being recognized for their outstanding personal accomplishments and service toward the Center’s mission of helping to promote better relations and understanding among the peoples of Asia, the Pacific and the United States.

Distinguished Alumni Award

Sunday, April 10, 2016

4:00 – 5:30 p.m.

EWC Imin Center-Jefferson Hall

1777 East-West Rd.

Free Admission

Reserve seats at http://ewcarts.eventbrite.com or call (808) 944-7177.

Donations are welcome and will be accepted at the event.

WASHINGTON, D.C.(May 11, 2016) - The Asia Matters for America initiative of the East-West Center today launched a new online resource, Asia Reacts, which tracks Asia’s reactions to important developments in U.S.–Asia relations during and after the 2016 U.S. presidential election. The effort will monitor responses of Asian governments, media, and experts.

HONOLULU (Sept. 7, 2017) –  Peggy Petrovich, a 17-year veteran of the U.S. Foreign Service, has joined the East-West Center as Diplomat-in-Residence. She will be posted at the Center until June 2018.

HONOLULU (Oct. 27, 2017) – The East-West Center has received one of the largest single donations in its history from longtime institutional supporter the Hawaii Pacific Rim Society. The $2.3 million gift will establish the Hideo Murakami Fund for Scholarships and the Arts to support EWC arts programming and scholarships for participants in the Center’s Asia Pacific Leadership Program.

HONOLULU (Nov. 9, 2017) -- To mark this month’s International Education Week, more than a hundred 3^rd - 5^th graders from three O‘ahu public elementary schools visited the East-West Center today to learn about global citizenship and participate in international cultural activities.

View a photo gallery of images from the event.

HONOLULU (Jan. 16, 2018) -- The East-West Center and United States Department of State are currently conducting a three-day regional conference for young leaders from Pacific Islands nations from January 16 to 18, 2018.

The more than 30 delegates are a diverse group of young professionals from Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, Fiji, Kiribati, Nauru, Tonga, Tuvalu, Samoa, Cook Islands, Niue, the Federated States of Micronesia, the Republic of Marshall Islands, Palau, Australia, New Zealand, American Samoa, and Hawai’i. They were chosen from a competitive pool of over 700 applicants to participate in the conference.

HONOLULU (Oct 25, 2018) -- The East-West Center has been awarded funding from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to support the International Research and Applications Project (IRAP), which is designed to support international, decision-based research on climate-sensitive health risks in partnership with the Pacific Regional Integrated Science and Assessment (RISA) program.

HONOLULU (October 31, 2018) -- East-West Center Distinguished Alumnus Dr. Hao Ping, who is also leader of the Center’s Beijing alumni chapter, was recently named president of Peking University, China’s premier institution of higher learning. He previously served as party secretary of the university – often referred to as the “Harvard of China” – as well as a national vice minister of education.

HONOLULU (Nov. 19, 2018) -- East-West Center researchers Abby Frazier and Keith Bettinger are among the authors of a new study published today in Nature Climate Change that provides one of the most comprehensive assessments yet of how humanity is being impacted by the simultaneous occurrence of multiple climate hazards strengthened by increasing greenhouse gas emissions. This research reveals that society faces a much larger threat from climate change than previous studies have suggested.

HONOLULU (May 30, 2019) -- The East-West Center is pleased to welcome Ambassador Karena Lyons, the former New Zealand Ambassador to the nations of Micronesia and Consul General for Hawai‘i, as the Center’s new Vice President, Executive Director of Research, and Director (designate) of the Pacific Islands Development Program.

HONOLULU (Aug. 6, 2019) – Juan “Jay” Avecilla, a 16-year veteran of the U.S. Foreign Service, has joined the East-West Center as Diplomat-in-Residence. He will be posted at the Center until June 2020.

Prior to his arrival in Honolulu, Mr. Avecilla served as Management Officer in the U.S. Consulate General in Milan, Italy. Previously, he has served in various management positions at the U.S. Embassy in Islamabad, Pakistan and in the Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs in Washington, D.C.  His other overseas assignments included tours as Consular/Management Officer in Fukuoka, Japan, Consular Officer in Buenos Aires, Argentina, and Economic Officer in Hanoi, Vietnam.    

HONOLULU (Feb. 7, 2020) – The East-West Center has been awarded a five-year grant totaling $50,000 from the Fish Family Foundation in support of the Center’s Changing Faces Women’s Leadership Seminar and #galswithLEI Forum, which collectively seek to enhance women’s leadership skills and entrepreneurial capacity; experientially explore innovative entrepreneurship; build a sense of self-efficacy; and expand national and regional networks.

As a result of the Fish Family Foundation’s funding, the Changing Faces Seminar will now be able to include female business or social entrepreneurs from Japan each year until 2024. The funding will also substantially increase the Center’s ability to include mainland and international speakers in the associated #galswithLEI Forum.

HONOLULU (Feb 25, 2020) -- The East-West Center has rolled out a major update of its affiliated Pacific Islands Development Program, or PIDP, with the launch yesterday of the program’s new website at PIDP.EastWestCenter.org. The new site highlights refocused priorities and new projects following recent user surveys and strategy dialogues with Pacific Islands leaders and stakeholders.

HONOLULU (April 30, 2020) – Hawai‘i Governor David Ige has appointed former Governor John Waihe‘e III and communications executive Lynn Miyahira to three-year terms as members of the East-West Center’s Board of Governors. They succeed outgoing Board members R. Brian Tsujimura and Richard Turbin.