Deep cultural ties between �鶹��ý and French Polynesia were highlighted during French Polynesia President Moetai Brotherson’s visit to the University of �鶹��ý at ����ԴDz�’s on February 25.

While in Honolulu for , hosted by the East-West Center, Brotherson made time to connect with UH ����ԴDz�, including a visit to the library’s internationally recognized collections.

Pacific Collection librarians Eleanor Kleiber and Stu Dawrs, along with Hawaiian Collection Librarian and department chair Jodie Mattos, showcased rare and historic materials related to French Polynesia. Items included: 18th-century works from Captain Cook’s voyages, 1844 correspondence from the Queen of Tahiti to King Kamehameha III, signed editions of �鶹��ý’s Story by Queen Liliʻuokalani, and two editions of Brotherson’s own novel, Le Roi absent (The Missing King).

“It was an honor to welcome President Brotherson, and a joy for us to share items from our collections that highlight the historical and cultural connections between �鶹��ý and French Polynesia,” said Kleiber. “He seemed to appreciate seeing these items our library has curated to represent the strong connections between our islands.”

University Librarian Clem Guthro added, “Our collections are vast, global and contain a multitude of treasures that support research, scholarship and teaching. Welcoming visitors from abroad to our collections extends their global reach. Visitors like President Brotherson become our ambassadors; sharing their experiences with our library when they return home, and knowing we are a resource to them.”

Brotherson has served as president since 2023 and is known for promoting sustainable development, cultural preservation and regional cooperation across the Pacific.

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Prospective international students can now learn about the world-class education and unique opportunities at the University of �鶹��ý at ����ԴDz� in their own language. New UH ����ԴDz� microsites in Japanese, Vietnamese, Simplified Chinese as well as an English site tailored for Indian audiences give interested students and their families clear, accessible information about the application process and highlight campus experiences and community.

The UH ����ԴDz� developed the sites due to the additional complexity international students face when deciding to pursue their degree abroad including English proficiency expectations, visa processes and scholarship options. The new microsites provide clear communication, language access, and cultural context essential in helping them make informed decisions with confidence, from their first interaction with UH ����ԴDz� through graduation. Visitors to the sites can also submit questions in their own language for more information.

“We want to emphasize that UH ����ԴDz� offers more than a degree,” said UH ����ԴDz� Interim Provost Vassils Syrmos. “Students gain a world-class education, hands-on research opportunities, and a supportive campus community in one of the safest, most diverse and welcoming places in the world. �鶹��ý is not only a destination but an environment where students can thrive academically and personally.”

Emily Liu, director of international admissions in the Office of Global Engagement, expressed that while UH ����ԴDz� can be a transformational experience for international students, they in turn enhance the campus experience for everyone at UH ����ԴDz�.

“International students make UH ����ԴDz� a stronger and more vibrant campus by bringing global perspectives, diverse academic backgrounds, and rich cultural traditions into our classrooms and community,” said Liu. “They enrich class discussions, contribute to research and student life, and broaden perspectives beyond �鶹��ý while helping prepare students for success in today’s increasingly interconnected world. Their presence strengthens cross-cultural understanding and reflects UH ����ԴDz�’s role as a global university in the heart of the Pacific.”

Encouraging success, future possibilities

Depending on recruitment priorities, student demand and available resources, the Office of Global Engagement may consider microsites in more languages.

“We are already seeing encouraging early engagement and positive feedback from international prospective students, their families and partners,” said Liu. “We look forward to tracking continued interest, inquiries and overall impact as outreach and promotion continue.”

As Mahina ʻŌlelo �鶹��ý (Hawaiian Language Month) draws attention to the growing vitality of ʻōlelo �鶹��ý (Hawaiian language), a recently released mele �鶹��ý (Hawaiian song) offers a compelling example of how the language is taking root far beyond the islands, this time through a rare partnership between a University of �鶹��ý at Hilo PhD student and a young recording artist from Japan.

Award-winning �鶹��ý musician and UH Hilo graduate student Nicholas Kealiʻi Lum composed Waikīkī, a mele recorded as a duet with Tom Noʻeau, a Japan-born musician and trained ʻōlapa hula (hula dancer). Collaborations like this remain uncommon in Hawaiian music, even as hula has flourished in Japan for decades, with an estimated two million dancers nationwide.

Modern mele �鶹��ý

Lum developed Waikīkī through the , which supports his ongoing creative research following his 2023 debut album Pewa. Praised by listeners for its modern vibe and R&B-influenced sound, Pewa reimagines traditional mele �鶹��ý in a contemporary context while centering cultural resilience and linguistic vitality, values that continue to shape Lum’s work.

Lum said the song the pair recorded in a Kalihi studio was shaped with intention toward visitors, particularly from Japan, �鶹��ý’s largest international tourism market. “What would be so cool is when tourists come here that they don’t just go surfing and go to a lūʻau, but they actually have an educational piece, as well,” he said.

• Related UH News: Mele �鶹��ý Reimagined: UH Hilo Makuakāne scholar bridges past and present, October 28, 2025

Learning deeply

For Noʻeau, the collaboration marked a meaningful step in a journey shaped by years of hula training. He grew up dancing in Japan under the guidance of Kahikina Ah Sing and his brother Kalani, who grew up in Kona and opened Ke Ala O Ke Ao Cultural Arts Studio, their hālau in Japan, more than 20 years ago. Through the hālau, Noʻeau has been learning ʻōlelo �鶹��ý, with a strong focus on accuracy and understanding.

“This song taught me a lot. I’m still learning Hawaiian language, and pronunciation is really hard, but it made me want to learn more,” Noʻeau said.

For Lum, that commitment to language was central to the collaboration. “If you pronounce everything wrong, there’s no meaning there anymore, especially in mele, where the poetry carries the story,” he said.

Ah Sing said watching his student step into Hawaiian music has gone far beyond what he once imagined. “I never thought that the younger generation in Japan would root themselves so deeply in our language and culture,” he said.

Noʻeau has also recorded with award-winning Hawaiian musicians Robert Uluwehi Cazimero and Kuana Torres Kahele, further grounding his work in Hawaiian musical tradition.

The Philippine Consulate General in Honolulu visited the University of �鶹��ý at ����ԴDz�’s on January 23, for an official tour of the library’s , offering a close look at rare materials that illuminate centuries of Philippine history and global connections.

Led by Philippine Consul General Arman Talbo, who took office in March 2025, the delegation of 17 consulate staff members was guided by Philippine Studies Librarian Elena Clariza through selections from the Philippine Rare Collections. Highlights included rare maps of the Philippines dating from the 1500s to the 1700s, Philippine Revolutionary Papers from the Spanish colonial period in the 1800s, and a U.S. military photo album documenting Samar Island in the 1940s.

The Samar album is a joint acquisition of Hamilton Library’s Russian Collection and Philippine Collection. It documents daily life on the island and U.S. naval operations during World War II, while also reflecting Samar’s unexpected global ties. Following the Bolshevik Revolution, the island later became a refuge for an estimated 6,000 White Russians—the deposed czar’s supporters who opposed the Red Soviets and fled Russia after World War II.

Talbo described the visit as “calm, inspiring, and quietly powerful,” noting the personal resonance of the materials. He shared that he may have identified a long-lost ancestor while viewing photographs in the Samar album.

The visit highlighted the international significance of Hamilton Library’s Philippine Collection and its role in preserving and providing access to historical materials that deepen understanding of Philippine history and its global intersections.

Read more at .

Georges Frem, a University of �鶹��ý at ����ԴDz� graduate from Lebanon, traded a career in engineering for a future dedicated to science and service, inspired by the deep cultural values he encountered in �鶹��ý.

Frem will cross the stage in December 2025 to accept his bachelor of science in biology from the UH ����ԴDz� , marking the completion of an academic journey that started and ended on opposite sides of the globe. After finishing his first degree in mechanical engineering at the American University of Beirut, Frem made a life-changing decision to pursue his true passion for nature and animals at UH ����ԴDz�.

From classroom to independent research

Frem pointed to his experience with the UH ����ԴDz� (UROP) as the single most valuable part of his academic career. After taking a BIOL 305 course with Associate Professor Amber Wright in fall 2024, he reached out to her about a project.

“We brainstormed ideas and decided to apply for a UROP grant to conduct field collections to gain insights about trophic interactions among lizards on Oʻahu through stable isotope analysis,” Frem said. “I secured the money and managed to conduct my own personal research project from start to finish.”

Frem has remained a part of the Wright lab and is currently writing a manuscript based on his UROP work for potential publication. “This immersion in the scientific process has served as extremely valuable data for the deliberation of my future career choice,” Frem said. “Having had the privilege to execute science in this manner has definitely incited me to consider a career as a scientist a lot more seriously.”

Inspired by kuleana

Frem came to �鶹��ý partly looking for cultural exposure, but he wasn’t prepared for the commitment he found within the UH community. He was surprised by the university’s role as a Native Hawaiian Place of Learning, integrating place-based science into academics and the collective consciousness.

“The fierce passion expressed by members of the UH community when talking about Hawaiian culture and place-based science was surprising to me,” Frem said. “I was saddened by the realization that we Lebanese, seldom exhibit that same awareness, pride, and responsibility when it comes to our own culture and nation, especially as it relates to our unique ecosystems.”

This realization inspired him to act. He joined community work days and got a firsthand taste of the community’s sense of kuleana (responsibility). These efforts included:

• Helping out at UH’s Ka Papa Loʻi Kanewai and planting kalo (taro) at the Waimanālo Research Station.
• Volunteering at Loko Ea fishpond to remove invasive grasses.
• Assisting the ����ԴDz� Cliff Restoration Project to remove invasive ginger.

“I have been humbled by the deep sense of care fostered by UH and the Hawaiian community in general, and am deeply inspired to promote those same values in my own ʻ�徱�Բ�,” he said.

Returning home

As his undergraduate journey ends, Frem is focused on how he can be useful to his home country, Lebanon.

“I know I want to contribute to Lebanon and bring forth the best in it,” he stated. His future will involve science, although he is still weighing options—possibly as a researcher studying Lebanon’s native ecosystems, or starting science-based businesses to fund community initiatives.

One thing is certain: he is ready for the next step. “I am most likely going to be applying to grad school, and my time here has undoubtedly prepared me very well for that,” Frem said.

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.

For more go to .

—By Susan Enright

University of �鶹��ý at ����ԴDz� Professor Kevin Nute traveled to Japan in November to present a series of six lectures based on his new book, Frank Lloyd Wright and Japan Revisited (London: World Scientific, 2025).

The series, which drew an audience of more than 300 students and professionals, covered venues across Japan. Nute presented at the French and Italian Schools of the Far East in Kyoto, Kyoto University, Hiroshima University and Mie University. He also lectured to the American Institute of Architects in Japan and was hosted by renowned Japanese architect Professor Kengo Kuma at the University of Tokyo. Kuma also penned the foreword to the new book.

“It was wonderful to have the opportunity to share what I’ve learned over the last 30 years about Wright’s creative debt to Japanese culture with Japanese audiences,” said Nute. “They really seemed to appreciate it too.”

The lectures expanded on the arguments in his book, which re-examines Wright’s interpretations of traditional Japanese forms in the context of otherness, appropriation, abstraction and translation.

As a result of the lecture series, Nute is now in discussions regarding a Japanese translation of Frank Lloyd Wright and Japan Revisited, potentially making his work accessible to a wider audience.

University of �鶹��ý at ����ԴDz� Assistant Professor Ho Kyung Lee and Assistant Professor Erin Voss are the 2025–2026 recipients of the Elmer Botsai Professional Practice Fund. The fund supports faculty immersion in the culture and practice of architecture firms outside �鶹��ý, allowing them to bring global knowledge back to the classroom.

Lee: Timber in tropical contexts

Lee will travel to Portland, Oregon, to be hosted by LEVER Architecture, a nationally recognized leader in mass timber innovation and sustainable material systems. Lee will study research and design, observe project workflows and fabrication processes, and meet with sustainability and fabrication teams to gain insight into how to adapt mass timber for tropical contexts.

“I am incredibly excited to collaborate with LEVER Architecture to understand how their expertise in mass timber can be adapted for �鶹��ý’s unique environment,” said Lee. “Observing their integrated design process will provide invaluable, cutting-edge knowledge that I look forward to bringing directly back to our architecture students.”

Voss: Māori design principles

Voss will travel to Tāmaki Makaurau-Auckland, Aotearoa-New Zealand, to be hosted by LandLAB, a design-led studio focused on sustainable landscape and urbanism projects. Her exchange will explore outreach methodologies for co-designing opportunities and incorporating Māori design principles to create a strong sense of place. Voss plans to shadow designers, meet with key mana whenua/iwi (local tribal groups), and visit built projects to develop case studies and methodologies to inform future UH architecture courses.

“I’m looking forward to seeing how firms like LandLAB collaborate with local and Indigenous communities to create culturally and ecologically sustainable landscapes,” said Voss. “This is a great chance to learn how outreach and the co-design process is adapted with different Māori communities, which is a model students can engage with in their own projects as they think about place-based design in �鶹��ý.”

Students from 35 nations attend the . That global spirit was on full display during UH Hilo’s 2025 United Nations Day celebration on October 22, with students proudly representing places ranging from Ecuador, �鶹��ý and Iceland to Hungary, Italy, Palau and Turkmenistan. Colorful photos of students from around the world highlighted a day meant to commemorate the founding of the United Nations and focused on unity, culture and people-to-people connection.

Each year the campus’s International Student Association and host the event, which features a Parade of Nations, cultural performances and informational displays.

“At UH Hilo, United Nations Day is a time when the university ʻohana demonstrates unity among different people and nations of the world,” said Jim Mellon, director of UH Hilo International Student Services. “Our shared humanity during this time calls for us to stand in solidarity with those who are suffering. Acts of war, hate, and intolerance are in opposition to the values of UH Hilo international students.”

This year marks the 80th anniversary of the organization. The theme, “Better Together: 80 years and more for peace, development and human rights,” guided the program. Mellon said the day invites the campus to reflect on the United Nations’ core values, global peace, cooperation, human rights and social progress, and how those ideals connect to everyday life.

Parade of nations

The celebration opened with Native Hawaiian traditions. Students representing the host nation of �鶹��ý joined Pele Harman, UH Hilo’s director of Native Hawaiian engagement, in welcoming the crowd with music and hula. Japanese taiko drummers followed, honoring the deep roots of Japanese culture in �鶹��ý.

About 80 students took part in the Parade of Nations, each carrying symbols of home. On the Mookini Library lānai, 22 students hosted displays about their countries, student services and global issues. Inside the library, short videos created by students from about 15 language groups introduced viewers to their native languages.

Mellon said the day is about visibility, learning and connection.

“We are truly fortunate to be able to live, study and learn with such a diverse group of students.”

For more go to .

—By Susan Enright

As the University of �鶹��ý at ����ԴDz� celebrates International Education Week from November 17 to 21, a current UH ����ԴDz� student and alumna are reflecting on how their have expanded their academic and cultural horizons across the globe.

Exploring Taiwan’s archives, culture

For PhD candidate Nakota DiFonzo, the Fulbright experience has taken him to Taiwan, where he’s conducting archival research for his dissertation on the history of American education in late Qing and Republican-era China. Based at Academia Sinica in Taipei, one of East Asia’s leading research centers, DiFonzo said the experience has been both academically productive and personally enriching.

“My experience in Taiwan has been great so far,” DiFonzo said. “I am in the company of a great cohort whose research ranges from history to furniture design to medicine. Everyone is supportive of one another, and I have made valuable connections with leaders and rising stars in various fields.”

Beyond research, DiFonzo has embraced local culture by joining a language exchange club in Taipei. Weekend potlucks and casual gatherings, he said, have helped him improve his Chinese language skills and better understand Taiwanese perspectives. He’s also started producing street interview videos to further engage with the community and refine his speaking skills.

Empowering Colombian students through English teaching

Recent UH ����ԴDz� history graduate Kaia Colborne spent the past year in Bogotá, Colombia, as a Fulbright English teaching assistant (ETA). Her work focused on teaching English to university students and leading conversation clubs to build confidence and fluency.

“Living in Bogotá has been a huge highlight,” Colborne said. “It’s a wonderful city with so much to explore, and having other ETAs here has created a great support network. I found meaning and growth in my time in Colombia.”

Colborne said her time in Colombia deepened her appreciation for international education and reaffirmed her desire to help students experience transformative learning abroad.

“The experience has strengthened my commitment to working in the international sphere (ideally in international higher ed) and helped me have a better insight into cross-cultural exchange,” she added.

Both scholars credit UH ����ԴDz� Fulbright Program Adviser Kristen Connors for her guidance during the application process—a common thread in their journeys toward global engagement.

The Fulbright U.S. Student Program will host an information session for students interested in the program on November 17 at 11 a.m. HST. . The webinar will be followed by a brief breakout session by campus where Connors will review steps for applying through UH ����ԴDz� and how to start planning.