EWCA Blog

By Karen Nunan (ISI 67-68, OG 70-72)

Photo by Bishna Bajracharya

Here’s a photo of our group at our May 14 dinner commemorating EWC Day, held at Jakarta Indonesian Restaurant, Brisbane. From the left around the table: Karen Nunan, Trish Byrne, Jeremy Webb, Iraphne Childs, Ralph Carlisle, Tim McInerny, Edilyn Bajracharya, Bhishna Bajracharya and Peter Nunan.

We are happy to welcome a new member, Tim McInerny, who did the Asia Pacific Leadership Program in 2007, and brings fresh energy to our group.

The May E-newsletter has been released. To view the E-newsletter please click here.

If you are not receiving the E-newsletter in your email inbox and would like to receive future editions, please email us at alumni@eastwestcenter.org.

By Jonathan Jacobs (APLP 03-04)

The EWCA Ontario Chapter inaugural event is officially in the books. On Saturday, May 9, alumni met at the Centre for Social Innovation in Toronto to attend the Chapter’s first event. The diverse group of alumni in attendance included those who studied at the East-West Center during its formative years in the 1960s and alumni who graduated within the past five years.

Chapter Leader Jonathan Jacobs with Dr. Alfred Chan

The group was honoured to have Dr. Alfred Chan speak at the event. We were fortunate to have him lead an engaging discussion on the political and economic future of China, which contemplated a variety of current academic perspectives. Dr. Chan is a professor of Political Science at Huron University College at the University of Western Ontario. His research interests focus on Chinese politics and China’s international relations. Dr. Chan was responsible for encouraging many Chapter members to participate in the Asia Pacific Leadership Programs at the East-West Center.

After the lecture, the group discussed EWCA Ontario Chapter goals and potential activities. Some suggested ideas included annual reunions, providing a forum to discuss Asia Pacific issues and building professional, educational and social networks. We would like you opinion on what you would like to get out of the Chapter.

Thank you to all the members who were able to attend the Chapter inaugural event and to all of you that have expressed an interest in being a part of the Chapter.

By Dr. Ekramul Ahsan (ISI 67-69, FI 76, et al.)

The East West Center Day (14th May) was celebrated in Dhaka, Bangladesh by the EWCA Bangladesh Chapter on Thursday, the 14th May 2009.

The Chapter organized the EWC Alumni Evening which was attended by a number of EWCA alumni in Bangladesh. The activities included the following.

1. Discussion on selected topic relevant to East West Center
2. Community Services Projects
3. Chapter Development Activities
4. Participation of Bangladesh Chapter at the EWC 50th Anniversary Celebration in Honolulu, Hawaii in July 2010
5. Alumni Dinner Continue Reading »

By Dr. Rajesh Aggarwal (POP 96)

The Chandigarh Chapter of East-West Center Association celebrated the East-West Center Day on 14 May 2009 and organised an informal get together over dinner. Six out of the current eight members attended the dinner.

During the dinner meeting, the chapter members discussed various activities that the Chandigarh Chapter can undertake at its level keeping in view the charter of the EWC.

The chapter members also expressed serious concern over the deteriorating political situation in South Asia, especially Pakistan, Nepal, and Sri Lanka that has a large number of alumni from the EWC.

It was further discussed that due to the prevailing political condition in Pakistan, it may not be immediately feasible to have a collaborative effort with Pakistan Lahore Chapter. It was earlier decided that since the chapter is very small, we should collaborate with alumni in neighbouring regions to enhance the EWC mandate. The members felt that the attempts for a collaborative effort should be revived as soon as things improve in Pakistan.

Further, it was decided that the Hawaii Conference should be used as an opportunity to meet with other chapter leaders in neighbouring regions to start a group that keeps in touch and involves in collaborative effort to further enhance the activities mutually beneficial to all.

It was reiterated that since Chandigarh is one of the very active chapters, despite being a small group (only 8), the EWC should be requested to facilitate participation of more than one chapter leader at the Hawaii Conference. This will only be possible with some financial support from the EWC.

Further, the members thought it prudent to ask the EWC of providing it with a list of alumni of the EWC in the region, along with their contact details, so that the group could be expanded to expand the scope of the chapter.

May 14, also known as East-West Center Day, commemorates the founding of the East-West Center in 1960. Each year, people from around the world celebrate East-West Center Day in their own way.

The EWCA Shanghai Chapter met at a restaurant in Shanghai on May 14 to celebrate the 49th anniversary of the founding of the EWC.

Left to right: restaurant staff (in front), Larry Foster, colleague of Vicky Shambaugh from Hawaii, Vicky Shambaugh, Brenda Foster, Ren Xiao, Aynne Kokas, wife of Vicky’s colleague, restaurant staff.

The look of the newsletter has changed. The EWCA Updates Newsletter is now published together with the Observer Newsletter. If you receive a copy in the mail, turn to page 9 – that’s where the Updates Newsletter begins.

The Winter 2009 edition of the Observer and EWCA Updates Newsletter is now online. Click here to view it.

If you do not currently receive the hard copy newsletter and would like to receive it, please email alumni@eastwestcenter.org.

(L to R) Solomon Kantha, EWCA Executive Board member and EWCA Papua New Guinea Chapter Leader, US Ambassador Leslie Rowe, Amanda Malagui, participant of USIE program, Kim Strollo, Public Diplomacy Officer

The East-West Center has selected Amanda Malagui of Papua New Guniea to participate in the United States Institute on the Environment program. Amanda, a team leader at the Rainforest Habitat, will be among the 20 participants of the Institute, spending time in Hawaii, California, and Washington, DC over six weeks to achieve an understanding of the current environmental movement of the United States.

Full US Embassy of Papua New Guinea press release after the jump. Continue Reading »

By Majah-Leah V. Ravago

(L to R) Manabu Fujimura, Susan Stone, Shigeyuki Abe, Nobuhiko Fuwa, Arsenio Balisacan, James Roumasset, Agnes Rola, Kimberly Burnett, Majah-Leah Ravago, Yasuyuki Sawada

“It’s a small world after all!” It may sound cliché, but is true as exemplified by my recent experience of meeting several EWC alumni in the Western Economics Association International 8th Biennial Pacific Rim Conference in Kyoto, Japan on March 24-27, 2009. We organized sessions in this conference and I realized that several participants we invited have one thing in common — EWC. Continue Reading »