page last updated Spring 2024
The University of Hawai’i Summer Session, administered by Outreach College, is among the largest summer programs in the United States, attracting students, professionals, and faculty from around the world. It offers more than 1,100 undergraduate and graduate courses in the two six-week summer terms, which include courses in Japanese language, literature, economics, geography, history, sociology, and Asian Studies. Every summer Outreach College sponsors film festivals, special lectures, concerts, and conferences. In the past, there have been film perspectives of Japanese directors, and lectures by the novelist Oe Kenzaburo and designer Hamano Yasuhiro. For more information, contact Summer Sessions at tel: (808) 956-5666; email: ochelp@hawaii.edu
Pacific Asian Management Institute (PAMI)
The PAMI of the Shidler College of Business offers a certificate summer program that emphasizes business and cultural factors affecting modern enterprises in the Pacific Asian region. The curriculum focuses on international/Asian related courses in management, marketing, finance, accounting, and economics. Participants must complete three PAMI courses and attend four lectures in the Pacific Asian Lecture Series (PALS). Students concentrating on Japanese studies may substitute a Japanese language course or a Japanese area course for one of the Shidler College of Business courses. In addition, one of the courses may be taken in the UHM’s regular academic year immediately preceding or following the PAMI summer institute. For more information, contact: PAMI; College of Business Administration; University of Hawai’i at Manoa; 2404 Maile Way, A303; Honolulu, HI 96822; tel: (808) 956-8041; fax: (808) 956-9685; email: pami@hawaii.edu
Center for International Business Education & Research (CIBER)
Funded by the Omnibus Trade and Competitive Act (1988), the UH CIBER serves as a clearinghouse for international business research and development activities at the University of Hawai’i. As one of 28 such centers at major universities across the U.S., the UH CIBER serves as a national resource for improving international business techniques and strategies, as well as a regional resource providing training and research designed to meet the needs of companies doing business with the Asia-Pacific.CIBER promotes the creation of interdisciplinary business and language courses, funds faculty research projects, provides travel support for faculty to present papers at international conferences, and sponsors workshops and other training activities such as the annual Summer Workshop for the Development of Intercultural Coursework.
National Foreign Language Resource Center (NFLRC)
To improve the nation’s capacity for teaching and learning foreign languages, the United States Department of Education provides grants under the Language Resource Centers program for the establishment and operation of centers that serve as national resources through teacher training, research, materials development, and dissemination projects. In 1990, the University of Hawai’i was granted funds to develop the National Foreign Language Resource Center (NFLRC), one of three such centers at the time–the number has since grown to fifteen.Drawing on institutional strengths at the University of Hawai’i in foreign language teaching, applied linguistics, and second language acquisition, the NFLRC undertakes projects that focus primarily on the less commonly taught languages of East Asia, Southeast Asia, and the Pacific. However, many of its projects have implications for the teaching and learning of all languages, and the overriding goal of all projects is to develop prototypes that can be applied broadly as resources to improve foreign language education nationally. For more information, contact NFLRC at: 1859 East-West Rd, #106; Honolulu, HI 96822; tel: (808) 956-9424; fax: (808) 956-5983; email: nflrc@hawaii.edu
Language Learning Center
The University has particular strength in technical resources to support learning spoken and written Japanese. The Language Learning Center (LLC) located in Moore Hall provides technical support services to enhance language teaching and learning in the College of Languages, Linguistics, and Literature. The Center facilitates research and development projects and the implementation of innovative language teaching methods and approaches.
LLC’s Multimedia Computer Labs consist of a Macintosh Lab, a PC Lab, and a Digital Language Lab. The Macintosh lab consists of 15 G4s running OS X. It also has 6 Windows XP PCs. The PC Lab consists of 23 Windows XP PCs. Both labs are equipped with a high speed printer, a scanner, and an LCD projector connected to the central computer for teaching purposes. Both labs have high speed access to the internet and are networked to a central file server for file serving across both labs. The computers are configured with software for a host of languages, including non-Roman Asian languages such as Japanese. These two computer labs are available for drop-in use by students, for class sessions, and for professional development workshops for faculty and staff. Digitized audio materials for various languages including Japanese are stored on the center’s file server and can be accessed from the computers in both the Mac and PC labs for listening practice. In addition, the LLC distributes audio course material to students on CD.
The Digital Language Lab consists of 12 Windows XP PCs that are configured specifically for both language audio listening and voice recording. Through a web based software tool students can record their speech and send their recording to their instructors and receive feedback. Instructors can listen to their students’ recordings from any computer connected to the internet, record corrections and post them.
The Faculty Development Lab facilitates faculty projects to integrate technology into teaching. Through consultation, training, and support, LLC staff enable faculty to enrich their course delivery through technology-enhanced instruction. The lab is equipped with 12 Windows XP PCs and 2 Mac OSX G4 computers that are specifically configured for multimedia development and desktop publishing. The lab is also equipped with a high speed color laser printer with auto duplexing for double-sided printing. The Faculty Development Lab is also used for professional development workshops which are offered each semester.
The Center’s facilities also include broadcast-standard video and audio production studios and a satellite station consisting of C and Ku-band tracking dishes for uplinks, downlinks, and videoconferencing. The LLC subscribes to several language channels via satellite including AZN Television which has a variety of Asian programming. Additional facilities include language laboratories, a viewing room and multi-purpose media rooms. A variety of audio-visual equipment is available for check out including PC computer carts for use in the classroom. Through an agreement with ACTFL (American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages), LLC has hosted OPI (Oral Proficiency Interview) training workshops for a variety of languages including Japanese. The LLC also regularly hosts national and international events sponsored by various units in the College. For more information, contact the LLC at: 1890 East-West Road, Moore Hall 256, Honolulu, HI 96822; tel: (808) 956-8047; fax: (808) 956-5134; email: LLC@hawaii.edu
National Resource Center – East Asia
The National Resource Center-East Asia (NRCEA) at the University of Hawai’i at Manoa is one of seventeen federally-funded centers focusing on East Asian languages and area studies. The NRCEA at UHM sponsors innovative projects that develop on-line language classes, new area courses (Aging in East Asia, East Asian Relations with Middle Eastern and Islamic Countries, East Asian Technology Transfer), and outreach programs. The NRCEA also supports the expansion of our Asian collection at Hamilton Library through new acquisitions, cataloguing special collections, and funding special projects. For more information, contact the Director of the NRCEA at UHM, Dr. Mary McDonald, Center for Japanese Studies, University of Hawai’i, 1890 East-West Road, Honolulu, Hawai’i 96822; tel: (808) 956-2665; email: nrcea@hawaii.edu
The University of Hawai’i at Manoa was also awarded Foreign Language Area Studies Fellowships for graduate students focusing on China, Japan, or Korea. For more information, please go to the Funding and Financial Assistance page.
Center for Okinawan Studies
The Center for Okinawan Studies, established in July of 2008, promotes the study of Okinawa/the Ryukyus (including culture, language, history and contemporary issues) and the Okinawan diaspora. COS supports the development of courses, promotes academic publications, conducts outreach activities, coordinates exchanges between UH campuses and the University of the Ryukyus, maintains a website and publishes a newsletter, and coordinates fundraising efforts for student scholarships and other projects. COS is the only center of its kind in the U.S. and the only one outside of Japan. For more information, contact COS at: 1890 East West Road, Moore Hall 316, Honolulu, HI 96822; tel (808) 956-5754; email: cos@hawaii.edu