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
Events
The Colby College Museum of Art, the Five College Center for East Asian Studies, and the Friends of Aomori invite K-12 in-service educators to join us for a professional development workshop on Saturday, Oct. 18, 9am-4pm at the Colby College Museum of Art. This is an in-person program and it will not be available online.
The workshop will include scholar Ankeney Weitz, Ziskind Professor of East Asian Studies and Art; Chair of East Asian Studies at Colby College, discussing the history of Japanese printmaking; group tours of the Colby College printmaking studio and a related print exhibition at the Colby College Museum of Art; Alison Johnson, Director of School Programs at Island Readers and Writers on Visual Thinking Strategies and the Whole Book Approach (using Freeman Book Award winners); and a hands-on printmaking activity. Participants may choose to explore the Colby Museum of Art after the workshop ends.
Additional information and registration here.
Webinars
Documentary Film Screening and Q&A with
Director Zhao Wanru
Granny & Me, 2024
Runtime 8’41”
Oct. 29, 7-8pm ET
China’s 2021 “double reduction” education policy aimed at reducing schoolwork places a new burden on a former school teacher and her granddaughter. A poignant and humorous portrait of a “tiger grandma” in contemporary China.
Join us as we learn about the double reduction education policy, view the documentary, and engage with Director Zhao Wanru in a Q&A session.
Granny & Me will be streamed during the webinar, but it will also be available for advance viewing from Oct. 22-Oct. 29.
This webinar is open to anyone who is interested in engaging with the work of a young Chinese filmmaker.
Using Education about Asia in the Classroom: #2
Nov. 5, 7-8pm ET
Join us for presentations by two high school educators who use articles from Education about Asia in their classrooms. Each presentation will be followed by Q&A with the presenter. Recordings of the presentations will be linked on the EAA website to the articles discussed in the presentations.
Lisa Laker, “Teaching about Heian Japan,” HS level. Students engage in a Heian Period "UTA AWASE" Poetry Contest: this includes "left" and "right" teams, (3+) rounds of impromptu haiku writing on themes of love, nature, and a wild card topic such as prom; two unbiased volunteer librarian judges; Hello Kitty prizes; and a festival-like atmosphere.
Diana Mackiewicz, "The Asian Soul of Transcendentalism" and "Facts About Asia: Taiwan and Hong Kong: Economic and Political Freedom," HS level. The “Asian Soul” article sets the foundation for the integration of Hinduism and Confucianism in Transcendentalism and its dissemination through Henry David Thoreau's essay "Civil Disobedience" and non-fiction work, Walden. Taiwan's Sunflower Movement in 2014 is the epicenter for all the research since it was a student-led peaceful protest. The article, "Facts About Asia" provides useful information about Taiwan and Hong Kong and their roles in East Asia. Students will be able to connect many ideas of Western thinking and Asian practices of peaceful activism used by Gandhi-he read the works of Thoreau and eventually these practices were used in the US by Martin Luther King who also credits Gandhi and Thoreau.
Taiwan Today with TECO Boston Director General Charles Liao and Smith College Professor Sara Newland
Nov. 18, 5-6pm ET
Join Sara Newland, Smith College Associate Professor of Government, for a discussion with Charles Liao, Director General, Taipei Economic and Cultural Office (TECO) Boston, about Taiwan.
We welcome advance submission of questions on the registration page. The target audience for this discussion is post-secondary students, but others may also attend.
Free Spirits: Katsushika Oi and Her Father Hokusai
Feb. 25, 7-8pm ET
Brenda Jordan is a Japanese art historian who teaches for the Departments of East Asian Languages and Literatures and History of Art and Architecture at the University of Pittsburgh. Her research interests are early modern and modern Japanese art history, specifically issues of the dynamics of modernization and modernity in Japan.
Spring Programs
Cycling Korea
Jan. 1-May 25, 2026
We're looking for adventurous educators to join us in our new virtual professional development program. Pack your virtual bags and get ready to pedal through a country that is a perfect blend of ancient tradition and modern innovation.
This professional development program takes you on a virtual bike journey along the stunning Four Rivers Bike Path, also known as the Cross-Country Route, from one end of South Korea to the other. Using the My Virtual Mission platform, participants will virtually cycle (and we hope also the distance in reality) 393 miles from the bustling southeastern port city of Busan, through the heart of Seoul, and finally ending up in Incheon in the northwest. Throughout the seminar, participants will stop at 10 cities along the bike path to explore South Korea's vibrant culture, complex history, and breathtaking geography. While you can progress at your own pace, all 12 required units must be completed by Memorial Day, 2026.
No experience in studying Korea is necessary, and the topics covered include Geography, History, Food, Arts and Culture, Democratization, and more. K-12 in-service teachers from all grade levels and all subject matters may participate. Participants will receive all books, materials and other resources, a certificate of completion, and a $150 completion stipend. Several webinars will be scheduled which are best attended live, but which will be recorded and may be viewed asynchronously. A tentative syllabus will be available by late November.
This program is open to 15 teachers who will commit to completing this program starting in early January 2026 and ending on May 25, 2026. Accepted applicants will be notified by Dec. 15, 2025. Additional information and application.
Many thanks to Nia Gipson for her dedication to creating this program.
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
Links to East Asia Departments at the Five College Campuses
Contacts
