East-West Center

Join us at the next EWC Insights featuring Roderich Kiesewetter, member of the German Parliament!

The CRINK axis of China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea has a collective goal of expanding “regional” spheres of influence. China’s approach to this, in particular, has been informed most recently by technological developments on the battlefield in Ukraine as well as the war in the Middle East.

In light of US foreign policy’s recent focus on the Indo-Pacific and the shared concern in Europe over the threat posed by China, member of German Parliament Roderich Kiesewetter discusses the critical importance of European capacity-building, particularly in developing SMART power to relieve the burden on the United States as a key transatlantic partner. Kiesewetter also argues that Europe successfully aiding Ukraine in achieving victory against Russia would not only strengthen Europe and NATO, but could also deter China in an invasion of Taiwan. Ukraine’s victory could thus serve as a positive blueprint in which freedom and self-determination prevail.

The views expressed are those of the speaker and do not necessarily reflect East-West Center policies or positions.
Join us at the next EWC Insights featuring The Honorable Roderich Kiesewetter, member of the German Parliament on June 4 at 11am HST.

The CRINK axis of China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea has a collective goal of expanding “regional” spheres of influence. China’s approach to this, in particular, has been informed most recently by technological developments on the battlefield in Ukraine as well as the war in the Middle East.

In light of US foreign policy’s recent focus on the Indo-Pacific and the shared concern in Europe over the threat posed by China, member of German Parliament Roderich Kiesewetter discusses the critical importance of European capacity-building, particularly in developing SMART power to relieve the burden on the United States as a key transatlantic partner. Kiesewetter also argues that Europe successfully aiding Ukraine in achieving victory against Russia would not only strengthen Europe and NATO, but could also deter China in an invasion of Taiwan. Ukraine’s victory could thus serve as a positive blueprint in which freedom and self-determination prevail.

The views expressed are those of the speaker and do not necessarily reflect East-West Center policies or positions.

To register, visit: https://www.eastwestcenter.org/events/geopolitical-power-shifts-and-spheres-influence-ukraines-victory-positive-model-taiwan

We are deeply honored to receive a historic gift from the Daniel K. Inouye Institute .

Presented by DKII President Jennifer Sabas, this photograph of a Kyoto garden symbolizes the deep international friendships and diplomacy championed by the late Senator.

Senator Inouye was a founding supporter of EWC, helping position Hawai‘i as a global hub for connection and collaboration. We are proud to carry his vision forward for a peaceful Indo-Pacific.

Read more: https://www.eastwestcenter.org/news/announcement/east-west-center-receives-historic-gift-honoring-senator-daniel-k-inouye

This week, we had the pleasure to meet the US South Pacific Scholarship (USSP) participants during their trip to Washington DC to learn more about the US government and policy making.

Funded by the US Department of State and administered by the East-West Center, USSP is a competitive, merit-based scholarship program that provides opportunities for Master’s and Bachelor’s degree study at the University of Hawai‘i in fields that are directly relevant to the development needs of Pacific Island countries.

HONOLULU (May 15, 2026) – General Xavier T. Brunson, Commander of the United Nations Command (UNC), Combined Forces Command, and US Forces Korea, spoke at a private roundtable discussion at the East-West Center during a visit to Honolulu for the Land Forces Pacific Symposium last week.

His talk focused on the Korean Peninsula’s role in regional security, alliance cooperation, and the evolving security environment in the Indo-Pacific.

Throughout the discussion, Brunson emphasized the importance of partnerships, readiness, and sustained coordination among allies and partners in maintaining peace and stability in the region.

Read the full news release: https://www.eastwestcenter.org/news/news-release/commander-us-and-un-forces-korea-discusses-alliance-cooperation-and-regional

Congratulations to all our recent graduates! Eighty-two students completed their awards with the East-West Center this spring, representing 27 countries, 17 US states/territories, and over 40 fields of study.

On May 7, 2026, we honored our student participants at the Ho'opuka ("passing through”) Completion Ceremony, and many of these students will receive their diplomas today at the UH Mānoa and UH Hilo graduation ceremonies.

The ceremony featured dynamic and uplifting student speakers, who shared reflections on their transformational experiences living, learning and leading at the EWC: Anita Aravena-Crellin (US/Missouri, MA Asian Int’l Affairs), Pravin Mishra (Nepal, PhD Nutrition), Benjamin Moseley (US/Louisiana, PhD History), and Dipshay Reddy (Fiji, BA Women, Gender & Sexuality Studies), along with emcee & EWCPA President Andrew Kalani Simeona (US/Hawai'i, MA Hawaiian Studies).

Congratulations to this year's Distinguished Service Award honorees — nominated entirely by their peers for contributions spanning new student orientation, student leadership, academic and cultural exchanges, and food security: Stacey Keruwa (Papua New Guinea, MS Nutrition); Helaleh Khoshkam (Iran/US, PhD Civil & Env. Engineering); Hatsuho Kinjo (Okinawa, Japan, MEd Curriculum Studies); Xiaoyun Neo (Singapore, MA Geography); Kalani Simeona; Kanako Yamakawa (Okinawa, MA Library and Information Science); and Cho-Hao “Joe” Yu (Taiwan, PhD Electrical Engineering). In the words of one nominator: "Even when things were hard, they never gave up — they continued to work on our behalf.”

Mahalo to all the students, donors, staff, family and friends for their support of East-West Center!

We’re looking for policy-relevant papers that are rigorous yet highly readable — written in a more journalistic style than a traditional academic article.

About the series:
- Approximately 4,000 words
- Written for a non-expert audience
- Original work (not under review elsewhere)
- Peer-reviewed and indexed in Scopus and ProQuest
- Open access on our website
- Faster publication timeline than most academic journals
- Submissions accepted on a rolling basis

We also welcome timely analyses of political, geopolitical, social, and other economic challenges across the Asia-Pacific region.

Interested? Review the submission guidelines: https://www.eastwestcenter.org/research/asiapacific-issues-submissions-guidelines

Our President, Celeste Connors, recently participated as a featured panelist at the second Indo-Pacific Security Forum hosted by Security & Defence PLuS.

During her panel on Resilience by Design: Industry, Innovation, and the Capability Edge, Celeste spoke on the East-West Center’s vital role creating trusted networks across governments, industry, and communities that can operate together when it matters most - reinforcing the conference’s broader focus on regional resilience, force posture, and operational readiness.

Mahalo to Security & Defence PLuS for having us! Strengthening our regional bonds and shared insights is how we build a stable, prosperous future together.

From January through May 2026, Rattanaphon “Ong-Ing” Pongsri and Tongkamol “Tong” Duangonnam, undergraduate Agricultural Economics students from Khon Kaen University, participated in the University of Hawaii at Manoa’s English Language Program.

Beyond their classroom learning, they actively engaged in volunteer activities with local communities across Honolulu, including supporting floating lantern preparations with Shinnyo-en Temple, removing invasive plant species with 808 Cleanups, and participating in campus clean-up efforts with the Storm Water Quality Division’s Adopt-a-Block Program.

Under the supervision and mentorship of Dr. Phanwin Yokying (East-West Center Research Fellow), their four-month residency focused on improving their English proficiency, expanding their professional networks, and enhancing their research skills through intensive capacity-building experiences.

Their program participation was made possible through the East-West Center’s Vulnerable Deltas in Southeast Asia Program funded by the Henry Luce Foundation Inc.