Center for East Asian Studies

Promoting East Asian Studies throughout the Northeast by supporting the teaching of East Asian cultures in K-12 schools and higher education.

Working with educators in elementary, middle, and high schools, and in colleges and universities, the Five College Center for East Asian Studies provides tools supporting the teaching of and learning about East Asian cultures. The Center draws on the resources of the Five College member campuses to conduct seminars, institutes, conferences, and workshops.

Celebrating 25 Years of NCTA

Did you know that the Freeman Foundation has funded NCTA for 25 years? We are grateful to the Foundation for understanding the importance of including East Asia in the curriculum. As a way to celebrate this anniversary and to thank the Foundation, the seven NCTA national coordinating sites, with the University of Pittsburgh taking the lead, produced this 8-minute NCTA 25th Anniversary video

Upcoming Programs

Webinars

Korean Education System with Prof. Jamie Moon

March 19, 7-8pm ET

Register here.

History and Evolution of Korea Wave with Prof. Jamie Moon

March 31, 7-8pm ET

Register here.

My Mother, the Mermaid Chaser, with author Jamie Jo Huang

April 9, 7-8pm ET

2025 Freeman Book Award Young Adult/HS Winner

San Jose, 2008: Paul yearns to know more about the mother who abandoned his family, but she is the only topic no one discusses. Now’s he’s in Vietnam, feeling displaced and considered an outsider. Plus, a ghost is haunting him even though he doesn’t believe in ghosts. His cousin and the grandmother he’s never met before now keep telling him that he’ll get answers only if he’s willing to open his ears.

Vũng Tâu, 1975: Ngọc Lan is eleven when her family breaks apart: her brother is drafted into the army; her father leaves on the last helicopter to the US. She and her sister are sent from Vietnam on a harrowing journey by boat. Only Ngọc Lan will survive. But what is the American dream when you are haunted by the death of your sister, missing your homeland; seeing ghostly mermaid sightings; lost in an abusive marriage; struggling as a parent?

Told in the alternating perspectives of Paul and Ngọc Lan, My Mother, the Mermaid Chaser is a haunting story about the intergenerational effects of war, estranged family bonds, and how a teenager discovers a new connection to a lost part of himself.

Register here.

From Joseon to Gen Z: Geographics and Generations of Korean Sound with Dr. Hilary Finchum-Sung

April 28, 7-8pm ET

Register here.

 

Junk in Hong Kong Harbor

Receive the Weekly E-Bulletin

The Center publishes a weekly e-bulletin during the academic year. Each issue provides information about East Asia–related events, study and travel opportunities for teachers and their students, and educational resources. If you wish to receive the e-bulletin, please email: fcceas@fivecolleges.edu 

Contacts

A smiling woman with short light brown hair and blue sweater.

Anne Prescott

Director

General Inquiries

fcceas@fivecolleges.edu

Come visit us in person! You can find us at...

 
Young Library, Bass Hall, Room Y102
Smith College
Northampton, MA 01063