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
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.
1905 Treaty of Portsmouth with Viktor Shmagin, University of Alaska Fairbanks
Feb. 2, 7-8pm ET
The Treaty of Portsmouth was negotiated from Aug. 6-30, 1905, at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard and signed on Sept. 5, 1905. The treaty recognized Japan’s authority over Korea, the Liaodong Peninsula, the South Manchuria Railway, and the southern half of the island of Sakhalin (Karafuto). Theodore Roosevelt was instrumental in the negotiations and won the Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts.
Viktor Shmagin is assistant professor in the history department at the University of Alaska Fairbanks. His research interests include Japan-Russia relations.
Gambare Hiroshima—Don't Give Up! with author Stephen Miwa
Feb. 18, 7-8pm ET
When the atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima in August 1945, Japanese schoolboy Larry Fumio Miwa faithfully recorded each day’s events in his diary, despite the massive devastation he experienced firsthand. His eyewitness account of the improbable survival of his family and his solitary treks through the abandoned city bears haunting testimony to this unprecedented tragedy. More than 60 years later, Larry—by then a successful banker in Honolulu, Hawai‘i—rediscovered his childhood diary, which has now been reproduced in collaboration with his son, Stephen Miwa, in Gambare Hiroshima—Don’t Give Up!
Free Spirits: Katsushika Oi and Her Father Hokusai
Feb. 25, 7-8pm ET
Brenda Jordan is a Japanese art historian specializing in Tokugawa-period paintings and woodblock
prints. Former Director and current consultant of the University of Pittsburgh’s coordinating site for the National Consortium for Teaching About Asia, she has taught at Florida State University, University of Kansas, Colorado College, and the University of Pittsburgh.
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.
Cycling Taiwan
A Virtual Multi-Disciplinary Introduction to the History and Culture of Taiwan
Created by Anne Prescott and Yurika Kurakata for the Five College Center for East Asian Studies (FCCEAS) National Consortium for Teaching about Asia (NCTA) National Coordinating Site
September 2026
Participants cycle (both virtually and the distance in reality) 612.1 miles around Taiwan, completing readings, viewing webinars/videos, exploring websites, and responding to discussion prompts for an introductory unit and twelve location-based milestones. In addition, text and photos with general information as well as links to information and resources for each milestone can be used independently, or as introductions to or in conjunction with the readings, videos and assignments. The milestone texts are available at the end of this document. Ideally users will explore each location using Google Street View as well.
Individual units may be used independently, and instructors may select from the readings, other resources and discussion prompts as appropriate for their classrooms. Users are strongly encouraged to utilize Google Street View to enhance their learning about the human and physical geography of Taiwan.
Cycling Taiwan will be offered as an NCTA asynchronous seminar using the My Virtual Mission platform in Summer 2026. Registration will open in March 2026. Curriculum available here.
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
