Seven students are studying abroad this semester with the help of scholarships that are expanding their academic and career paths in Japan, South Korea, Spain, Australia and New Zealand. Each of them wrote to Carolina Lam, director of , to share how the experience is shaping their studies, goals and sense of possibility.

“It took the financial burden that I was worried about off my shoulders and in turn, allow[ed] me to focus on my studies,” said Linguistics major Mila Davis, studying in Japan. “I think studying abroad will be a beneficial experience to have for a lot of careers.”

Cassie Gault, majoring in tropical agroecology and studying in Australia, said the scholarship gives her room to focus on academics, extracurriculars and personal growth. When she returns, she hopes to mentor students who want to go abroad but feel overwhelmed by the process.

In Japan, Kensuke Panek is studying English and Japanese studies, building connections with students and faculty. He hopes to help strengthen ties between UH Hilo and Meiji University.

Hawaiian studies and political science major Ku Quanan is studying abroad for the first time. She sees this step as a turning point for her confidence and hopes more local students will see global education as possible for them, too.

Business major Rachael Rush is immersed in life and coursework in Madrid, gaining skills she hopes to use in international business.

In Aotearoa (New Zealand), Kahiau Snyder is exploring the connections between ʻōlelo �鶹��ý (Hawaiian language) and te reo Māori (Māori language).

“This scholarship helped me study in Aotearoa and learn mātauranga (Māori knowledge) that I will carry with me throughout my undergraduate and graduate studies in ʻōlelo �鶹��ý (Hawaiian language) and linguistics.”

Royce Ken Yasutake, studying in Japan, plans to use his growing Japanese language skills in the tourism industry and share practical advice with future participants.

A big benefit of the study abroad program is that students pay UH Hilo tuition when they are abroad and then come home with newfound knowledge and experience to finish their degree program.

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—By Susan Enright

The University of ����ԴDz� Campus Center Ballroom transformed into a colorful hub of games, workshops and music on November 7, as more than 800 people gathered for Nippon Culture Day. The annual event, hosted by the Department of (EALL), offered a full day of hands-on activities highlighting Japanese language, art and community traditions.

Attendees moved from table to table, trying everything from calligraphy and gift-wrapping to traditional Japanese card games such as hanafuda and karuta. Students practiced koto (Japanese string instrument) and sanshin (Okinawan string instrument), folded intricate origami and tested their skills at manga (comic book) character drawing and katakana (character) recognition game. Members of the Japanese Culture Club also supported a station, helping guests of all ages jump in.

“Our department has long been engaged in the study of Japan,” said Hiromi Uchida, a Japanese language instructor. “We see this event as a valuable opportunity for both learning and community building, and we hope to continue making Nippon Culture Day an exciting and enjoyable experience for all students and the community.”

Traditions up close

Nippon is the Japanese word for Japan. Culture-focused workshops ran throughout the morning and afternoon. Visitors sat for abacus lessons, learned the basics of ikebana (flower arrangement) in small-group sessions and experienced the quiet focus of a tea ceremony inside Jaku’an, the campus tea house.

Information tables connected students with academic and professional opportunities tied to Japan. Representatives from UH ����ԴDz�’s (COS), , Japanese Exchange and Teaching Program and spoke with attendees about travel and study opportunities. Japan Airlines also provided details about career tracks.

As the afternoon continued, the event shifted to live performances featuring koto and sanshin demonstrations. The day ended with a bon dance, inviting everyone to celebrate together.

Nippon Culture Day is co-sponsored by the UH ����ԴDz� and COS. Located within the , the EALL department has hosted the free event for more than 20 years.

is growing its international exchange program through a new agreement with in Korea. Starting in fall 2025, students will have the chance to study abroad while staying connected to their home institution.

“Our focus is developing pilina (relationships), and that’s what makes us special—our focus on nurturing relationships with our partner schools,” said Coordinator Kyoko Ikeda.

Kauaʻi CC had already built strong ties with three Japanese universities, with more than 50 students participating in exchanges over the past decade. The decision to expand into Korea was driven by both personal connections and a desire to broaden cultural learning opportunities. Kauaʻi CC English Instructor Ashley Brady, who previously lived and taught in Jeju, helped establish the new partnership.

Through the exchange, students pay tuition at Kauaʻi CC but can study at Jeju National University, making it an affordable way to gain global experience. However, travel costs such as airfare remain a hurdle.

“Many of our students could use financial support, and I really want our students to see the world and gain perspectives that you can only gain from leaving your home,” Ikeda said. “We want them to come back home with a renewed sense of the world. I want our students to have that understanding of interconnectedness.”

Community members can help support student travel by .

“We have so much to offer as an island community, and we have so much to learn from other island communities,” Ikeda said.

In an inspiring display of global collaboration, University of �鶹��ý at ����ԴDz� Professor Brian Szuster recently brought his expertise to the heart of Bangladesh, empowering a new generation of rural development professionals from Asia and Pacific to help drive sustainable change. This initiative was funded through an $86,600 LuceSEA Transitions grant from the Henry Luce Foundation to UH ����ԴDz�’s (CSEAS).

“I designed my training to be accessible to people. The ideas can still be complicated, but I simplify the way I describe the ideas,” Szuster said. “It was a challenge to simplify the presentation and keep the content sophisticated. But that’s doable when you have students like this group of young professionals who are so eager to learn.”

Development and preservation

Szuster’s two-day intensive training session at the Young Development Experts Connection program in Cumilla, Bangladesh focused on balancing development needs with environmental preservation. The program, hosted by the Bangladesh Academy for Rural Development (BARD) and organized by the Centre on Integrated Rural Development for Asia and the Pacific, brought together more than 30 ambitious young professionals.

Bangladesh is the world’s fifth most populous country and faces monumental challenges in sustainable development.

“Just the logistics of providing everyone with housing, food, water, employment, healthcare, and education is a gigantic challenge,” said Szuster.

Szuster’s innovative program helps align UH with its mission to foster international collaboration in addressing global challenges.

The welcomed 19 students from Japan’s for the Aloha Law Program, an immersive two-week exchange introducing Japanese students to the U.S. legal and political systems, earlier this fall. Funded by the Hakuoh and Sueoka Foundations, the program featured lectures, legal site visits and cross-cultural exchanges.

“The Aloha Law Program reflects UH Community Colleges’ commitment to fostering international collaboration and preparing students for a globally connected world,” said Della Teraoka, interim vice president of UH Community Colleges.

Fourth-year Hakuoh student Ryusei Nagamori said, “As Japan continues to engage in trade with the U.S., a solid understanding of American law will be essential for navigating future business transactions.”

A highlight was a visit to the , where Justice Sabrina McKenna, who earned a law degree from the UH ����ԴDz� in 1982, shared her perspective on U.S. and Japanese legal systems, sparking insightful discussions on comparative judicial frameworks.

Lecturers included other distinguished alumni from UH’s and covered a range of topics from constitutional law to business law.

UH alumni guest presenters included:

• Dara Nakagawa—U.S. Political and Court Systems
• Dawn Nakagawa—Common Law Principles and Contract Law
• Travis Kuwahara—U.S. Political and Court Systems
• Shimpei Oki—Business Law Overview
• Spencer Kimura—U.S. and Japan Legal System Overview
• Charles Crumpton—U.S. Political System History; Mediation and Arbitration
• Brandon Marc Higa—U.S. Constitutional Law Overview, Bill of Rights, Due Process

“It offers a rare opportunity for cross-cultural learning in a legal context,” said Deborah Nakagawa, former UH Community Colleges executive director for international education. “It’s inspiring to witness our future leaders build bridges of understanding between two distinct legal traditions.”

Professor Hiroyuki Yuzuriha of Hakuoh University said, “Our students gained invaluable insights from the lectures and interactions with legal professionals in �鶹��ý.”

—By Brandon Marc Higa

In an exciting step toward international collaboration, the welcomed a delegation from the National Taiwan Ocean University (NTOU) in May as both universities prepare to implement a program for an accelerated pathway to a master’s degree for international students from undergraduate institutions abroad.

The initiative, with NTOU stems from agreements signed by the universities in November 2023 during a visit to Taiwan by UH President David Lassner.

“We’re not only enhancing educational opportunities but also building bridges between cultures,” said Lassner. “This collaboration underscores our shared commitment to advancing global understanding and academic excellence.”

The NTOU delegation was focused on research strengths shared by both universities during its visit to UH ����ԴDz�. Those areas include ocean engineering, shipping management, food science, environmental biology and fisheries science.

NTOU representatives met with Dean Chip Fletcher and Dean Brennon Morioka to discuss ways to develop an expanded pathway for NTOU students to earn graduate degrees at UH ����ԴDz�.

More intercampus opportunities

Starting in the summer 2025, NTOU and UH plan to open applications for UH students to intern at the Taiwan university. The short-term program aims to enhance the UH students’ understanding of life in Taiwan and research fields at NTOU.

Opportunities for studying abroad have also been extended to students in the UH ����ԴDz� Chinese Flagship Program. A three-year capstone program, providing students the opportunity to pursue yearlong Chinese language study in Taiwan, was made possible through a donation by NTOU alumnus Chia-Pei Wang, facilitated by the Alice & JP Wang Foundation and the UH Foundation.

The NTOU Chinese Language Center is also considering collaboration with UH in Chinese language teaching.

University of �鶹��ý President David Lassner delivered commencement addresses at Asahi University and Meikai University in Japan in March to about 1,700 graduates. Lassner praised the students for their academic achievements and highlighted the impactful ties between UH and the two Japanese institutions over the years.

“I hope you feel great pride in all that you have accomplished, and are excited about new possibilities that are open to you as you enter into the next stage of your life,” said Lassner in his speeches. “I have every confidence looking at you today that the superb education you experienced here has prepared you with the knowledge, skills, and passion to grow as lifelong learners.”

In September 2023, Asahi and Meikai Universities contributed $20,000 toward UH relief efforts to help students and employees impacted by the Maui wildfires.

Long-term partnerships

Since 2009, 140 students from Meikai’s School of Hospitality and Tourism Management have enriched their education through UH summer programs fostering camaraderie and cross-cultural understanding. UH students in return have gone on short-term and semester-long exchange programs, which have provided them with valuable experiences in Japanese industry and culture.

The partnership with Asahi University has flourished since 2018, when students from the School of Health Science were hosted at the UH Mānoa College of Education Department of Kinesiology and Rehabilitation Science. This collaboration has resulted in successful outcomes for students and faculty, with ongoing research focusing on enhancing the safety and fitness of senior citizens through new technologies.

“As our long-term relationship continues, the University of �鶹��ý will be taking further steps toward building and sustaining our partnership,” said Lassner.

Strengthening ties

During his commencement address, Lassner shared a new initiative to explore the development of a “micro-campus” at Meikai University that will enable respective students to earn credits and degrees while studying at their home campuses.

“This has been successful at other universities, and I have every expectation that with our strong partnership, Meikai and UH can make this work for our students as well,” Lassner said.

To further the exchange support between the institutions, later this year, students from Asahi and Meikai will participate in various short-term programs at UH, including disciplines such as health sciences, business administration, hospitality and tourism management, English and real estate sciences.

Scholarships provided by a generous donation from the Alice & JP Wang Foundation will help University of Hawaiʻi at ����ԴDz� students with the costs of studying abroad in Taiwan as part of the in the (CALL).

The Alice & JP Wang Foundation Student Support Fund for Study in Taiwan will provide monetary assistance to help students with the cost of studying in Taiwan either over a summer or for their final year of the program.

Song Jiang, director of the Chinese Language Flagship Program, said the donation will help to cover students’ travel, tuition and living expenses.

“The ability of our flagship students to continue their studies in Taiwan is crucial as it affords them the opportunity to enhance their language capabilities through living in a Chinese-speaking society, and it provides them with the opportunity to gain a level of cultural competence otherwise not available to them,” Jiang said. “This very generous donation helps us to reach a greater number of students who want to further their studies in Taiwan to reach their academic and career goals.”

As part of the Chinese Language Flagship Program, students must spend eight weeks in a summer intensive Chinese language program, UH ����ԴDz� in Taiwan program, and then study in Taiwan during a mandatory capstone year.

The California-based Alice & JP Wang Foundation was established by JP Wang, founder of the information technology firm Golden Star Technology Inc., and his wife, Alice Wang. Their foundation has also supported more than 50 scholarships in California.

“I am grateful to the (Alice & JP Wang) Foundation for their support of our students’ language immersion training in Taiwan, an essential component of the Chinese Flagship program,” said CALL Dean Peter Arnade. “Their gift will make a tangible difference in our students’ ability to complete the Flagship program and achieve advanced proficiency in Mandarin.”

Founded in 2014, the UH ����ԴDz� Chinese Language Flagship program is one of 13 in the U.S.

The (NASPA) recognized Sarita Rai and the at the with the 2024 Best Practices in International Higher Education Award for their exemplary Student Affairs Professional Global Partnership on January 5.

The NASPA Best Practices in International Education Award acknowledges outstanding contributions to student affairs, emphasizing engagement and collaboration in international education programs and institutions.

As the director of the Study Abroad Center, Rai facilitates the development of student programs and participation, and supports faculty in teaching and research.

“I feel honored and humbled to be recognized for my work, this is a national award and also internationally recognized. All U.S. universities and many institutions of higher education overseas are members of NASPA,” Rai said. “Therefore, the award makes people aware of what we do at the University of �鶹��ý at Mānoa and the excellence of the academy.”

Rai and the Study Abroad Center were nominated by Jayme Scally from West Virginia University. “I learned firsthand how supportive Sarita is in all aspects of the Study Abroad Center programs, from supporting UH students and faculty, to building relationships with partners abroad,” said Scally.

The Study Abroad Center offers students opportunities in Asia, Europe, and Oceania while earning credits toward a bachelor’s degree.

Rai and the Study Abroad Center will receive their award during the International Symposium on March 10, in Seattle.

• Related �鶹��ýNews story: Camel rides, labyrinth city explored in student’s ‘surreal’ study abroad experience, February 3, 2023

The and the (OIST) have agreed to a new partnership that will allow students and faculty to participate in research and educational opportunities between the two institutions.

UH President David Lassner and OIST President and CEO Karin Markides signed a memorandum of understanding on November 19, in Honolulu, that formalized the agreement between UH and the leading Okinawan graduate university.

The collaboration has been lauded by top U.S. government officials.

“As we navigate the complexities of global environmental and energy challenges, collaborations like this epitomize the strength of the U.S.-Japan relationship. This partnership symbolizes our shared commitment to tackling global challenges and stands as a shining example of how cross-border cooperation can drive our understanding and solutions in critical fields,” said U.S. Ambassador to Japan, Rahm Emanuel.

Emanuel has been very supportive of partnerships between U.S. and Japanese educational institutions that address pressing issues of concern to both nations.

UH Mānoa Provost Michael Bruno visited the OIST campus in January and began facilitating the collaboration. As globally ranked research universities located in island communities, both UH and OIST are committed to conducting research that matters to those communities.

“We are very excited to partner with an institution that has grown into one of the top research universities in the world. I believe that the combination of our varied and shared strengths will provide lasting benefits to our students and faculty,” Bruno said. “We have identified key areas of collaboration that fit well in a natural way, including marine sciences, medicine, renewable energy and sustainability.”

Several of OIST’s faculty and staff have either spent time at UH Mānoa or have existing collaborations with researchers at UH. OIST leaders have shown interest in several fields such as medicine, microbiome research and the ways in which UH Mānoa is fostering entrepreneurship among students and faculty.

“This collaboration marks a significant milestone in strengthening academic collaboration between our faculty and students, and public-private-university partnership between our complementary local clusters. By combining our strengths and resources with the University of �鶹��ý at Mānoa, we aim to advance research, education, innovation and outreach to new heights,” said Markides. “We look forward to the exciting opportunities and breakthroughs that will emerge from this synergistic partnership.”