As part of our alumni revitalization strategy in the lead up to the 60th celebrations, Center staff are meeting with alumni as they deliver programs in the region.

On his way to the Board of Governors meeting in Washington, DC, Richard Vuylsteke attended a dinner with the EWCA New York Chapter. A total of 21 people attended, representing almost every decade of the Center’s history, ranging from steadfast regulars who studied at the Center in the 1960s to recent alumni. Attendees came from New York, New Jersey and Connecticut. Dr. Vuylsteke gave a progress report on recent developments at the Center, including an increase in the number of students at the Center and changes to the Pacific Islands Development Program.

Amanda Ellis met with alumni in New Zealand, Bhutan, Hong Kong, and members of the EWCA Bangkok Chapter. Pacific chapter convenor Ofeina Manuel-Barbarich has a core of interested EWC alumni across the region keen to engage and would be happy to hear from other Pacific alumni — email Ofeina at Ofeina.Manuel-Barbarich@dia.govt.nz. Pictured here in a planning session in Auckland with fellow APLP alumna from Hawaii Shaaroni Leionaonapoina’ole Wong — yes, daughter of the famous Trudy and Al who generously host so many EWC students locally.

Amanda Ellis also reconnected across generations in New Zealand with former EWC Board of Governors member Kara Puketapu and his grandson, Kara Dentice, who is a 2015-2016 APLP alumnus and an Obama Foundation Asia Pacific Leader. They generously hosted her, along with AsiaPacificEd director Namji Steinemann, former EWC Education advisor Maya Soetoro-Ng, and Zelda Keller (APLP 2015-2016) at the Waiwhetu marae in Lower Hutt, New Zealand which was the site of last year’s Partnerships for Youth school exchange.

Alumni connections everywhere – travel tour owner Thinley Choden (APLP 2002-2003) organized Amanda’s family vacation in Bhutan, where she met with alumni. Hawaiian master artist Meleana Meyer (Cultural Studies, MEd 1992-1993) gave a workshop on book making for alumni and local artists.

Amanda met with alumni liaison Mark Sheldon and Dr. Glenn Shive in Hong Kong and with Chapter Leaders in Bangkok to discuss the Center, activities associated with the Center’s 60th Anniversary celebration, and the EWC/EWCA International Conference June 30-July 2, 2020 in Honolulu.

The EWCA Taipei Chapter was pleased to host the 2019 Asia Pacific Journalism Fellows (APJF) at a dinner in Silks Palace alongside the well-known National Palace Museum in suburban Taipei on March 26, 2019. Led by media program manager Susan C. Kreifels, the participants of 2019 APJF aimed to enhance their understanding of contemporary Taiwan, as well as Taiwan-US relations and Asian issues.

The Leadership Program held Impact XL Lab Exchange 2019 at Inle Lake, Myanmar from March 17-21, 2019.

EWCA Kuala Lumpur Chapter leaders were invited to a meeting of EWC Leadership Program Malaysian alumni with officials from the EWC on Saturday, 23rd March 2019, at Shangrila Hotel, Kuala Lumpur. Dr. Khanif, Dr. Gan and Datuk Saleh turned up to meet the alumni. The chapter hopes that all these new alumni will engage with the chapter and participate in future activities to help to promote the goals of EWC.

EWCA board member Ronnie Adhikarya was a mentor to the latest cohort of the Young South-East Asian Leadership Initiative (YSEALI) Impact eXL in Bali.

In February, Dr. Satu Limaye, Vice President and Director of EWC in Washington visited Jakarta and had High Tea in the afternoon at the Mandarin Hotel with members of the EWCA Jakarta Chapter. Dr. Limaye was briefed on the recent political situation in Jakarta and he also updated chapter members on the latest Washington, as well as overall USA political atmosphere.

Travelling in Nepal, director Jefferson Fox and senior fellow Sumeet Saksena of the EWC Research Program were welcomed by the EWCA Kathmandu Chapter.