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
The Silence of Bones with author June Hur
March 5, 7-8pm ET
Calling all June Hur and Joseon history fans! Join us for this presentation on the 2020 Freeman Book Award honorable mention book.
Korean Education System with Prof. Jamie Moon
March 19, 7-8pm ET
History and Evolution of Korea Wave with Prof. Jamie Moon
March 31, 7-8pm ET
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.
From Joseon to Gen Z: Geographics and Generations of Korean Sound with Dr. Hilary Finchum-Sung
April 28, 7-8pm ET
Summer Programs
Layers of History and Identity in Taiwan 2026
Five College Center for East Asian Studies (FCCEAS)
Program for Teaching East Asia (TEA)
June 21-July 5, 2026
Application deadline: Monday, January 19, 2026, midnight ET. Late applications will not be considered.
The Five College Center for East Asian Studies (FCCEAS) and the Program for Teaching East Asia (TEA) will conduct a summer institute in Taiwan. In this two-week NCTA Study Tour, 14 participants will tentatively explore Taiwan’s history and culture in multiple cities and sites. Group visits and expert talks may include the Taipei 228 Museum, National Taiwan Railway Ministry Park, Maokong tea plantation, Japanese colonization sites, Fort Zeelandia/Anping, indigenous sites, temples, night markets, and more. Time for independent exploration is built into the schedule so that participants may pursue their own curriculum objectives.
Application is open to full-time, in-service K-12 NCTA alumni nationwide. Applicants must have completed at least 20 hours of NCTA programming, preferably an introductory multi-session seminar, conducted by one of the seven NCTA national coordinating sites. Participants will be required to complete a series of online asynchronous pre-departure orientation modules, including readings and online discussion forum responses, participate in a synchronous orientation webinar, and complete a follow-up curriculum project.
The summer institute is administered by FCCEAS director Dr. Anne Prescott, and TEA director Dr. Lynn Kalinauskas. Questions about the summer institute should be directed to Anne or Lynn.
Before completing the application, please download and read the complete application package.
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
