The EWPC quadrennial meeting is a remarkable event for its robust philosophical discussions and is incomparable for how it brings together leading scholars and thinkers in an ideal setting on the University of Hawai‘i campus who represent so many diverse areas of interest, methods, and geo-cultural regions that mix and match in fascinating and creative ways. As a presenter in the opening plenary session on the philosophy of D.T. Suzuki, who greatly influenced numerous early conferences of this prestigious group, I greatly appreciated the opportunity to interact and receive feedback from different points of view that were thought-provoking. This year, the legacy of Suzuki and other eminent pioneers in the field of comparative philosophy continued to live on due to the outstanding efforts of the organizers and participants. All involved are looking forward to the next conference and the propagation of the EWPC’s uniquely important legacy and impact on philosophers worldwide.
— Steven Heine, Florida International University
The international reputation of this periodic conference in Honolulu is enhanced by its 12th version exploring “Trauma and Healing” in a time so affected by biological, ecological, and political up veal because its participants exposed the historical and comparative relevancy of enduring great philosophical East, Middle, and West traditions at the personal and global levels. Philosophers’ contribution to improve the current deteriorating global relations is welcome.
— Luciano Minerbi, UH Emeritus Professor of Urban and Regional Planning
I would like to thank you and your entire team for organizing such an amazing and enriching conference. I learned a lot from various presentations.
I would also like to extend my gratitude to your graduate student team and especially to Nikolas Janowicz for their hard work on making this conference successful.
It was wonderful to reconnect with old friends and make new friendships. I appreciate all the efforts in facilitating that.
— Veena R. Howard, Director, M. K. Gandhi Center, California State University, Fresno
I am profoundly inspired by the depth of insight and the rich exchange of ideas that are the hallmarks of Philosophy East & West. This truly exceptional event underscores the immense importance of global cooperation among academics, fostering a vibrant community dedicated to understanding and bridging diverse philosophical traditions. The vibrant, international community that grows around this cyclical event provides an opportunity and space not only for the enhancement of our collective knowledge but also for building enduring connections that transcend cultural boundaries. I applaud the organizers and participants for creating an event that celebrates intellectual diversity while maintaining a sharp focus on the common traits that constitute the global horizon of philosophical investigations.
— Mateusz Janik, Polish Academy of Sciences, Fulbright Visiting Scholar, UH Department of Philosophy
The conference was academically rewarding for me in many ways. I not only had the opportunity to chair a panel session on “Trauma in the wake of the COVID pandemic” but also to present a paper on “The Pandemic-caused Mental Trauma of Death and Suffering: A Hindu Approach to Human Healing and Hope”. The Imin Center, where most of the panel sessions were held, has proved to be the hub of intellectual gathering. The conference was a great success as philosophers, scholars and independent researchers from across the world gathered to share their insights and reflections on human trauma, suffering, healing and hope. The organizers, Ms. Tamara Albertini (Head of UHM’s Philosophy Department), Roger T. Ames (UHM Emeritus) and Peter D. Hershock (East-West Center)did a fabulous job in welcoming the participants and providing them a global platform for mutual dialogue and discussion. It is no exaggeration to say that the Department of Philosophy at the University of Hawai‘i at Manoa and the East-West Center have been the best example of philosophical diversity and dialogue between the East and the West for decades. In fact, through the East-West Philosophers’ Conference, the UHM has truly been serving as a focal point for meeting and exchanging ideas between the East and the West.
— Krishna Mani Pathak, Professor, University of Delhi
The trip attending the conference, seeing SEVA award winners and scholars and other friends from the past was heartwarming and extremely enjoyable. Thanks go to the organizers for arranging this successful conference and the get together.
— Ashok Malhotra, Distinguished Professor Emeritus, SUNY Oneonta, and SEVA Award Donor
It was amazing to see coverage of Indigenous philosophy starting with Citizen Raymond Orr. Then came the evening event with native Hawaiian women community leaders Mililani Trask and Meleanna Meyer. The addition of a younger native Hawaiian to read Nalani’s poetry was dynamite. I never thought the day would when the UH Philosophy Dpt would show interest in us native Hawaiians. I also appreciated the very local flavor (and pain) associated with the Lahaina Fires that was covered by one of the panels. I was able to relate to how they addressed trauma and healing from a native Hawaiian perspective. Mahalo!
— Malia Kealoha, Maui
The EWPC is the only conference that I believe is strictly necessary for me to attend. Many of my mentors and colleagues, who attended the 2024 conference, I had not seen since the previous conference in 2016. This was the first and likely last occasion until the next EWPC for us to share research freely and imagine new collaborative projects. At the conference, were conceived, for instance: an edited volume to which I was invited to contribute; nascent collaborations with other researchers; and new connections with colleagues with whom I am now, already, in regular contact. I also met for the first time prolific scholars in my field of Japanese Philosophy, such as Steven Heine. Talks by other prominent scholars, Steve Odin, Brett Davis, Rein Raud, et al., were major events for the field. But I was similarly inspired by scholars of Chinese, Indian, and European Renaissance philosophy. I have new ideas about art, dance, psychiatry, literature, history, and so on. The pluralistic scope of the EWPC is for me as much a draw as is its singular importance for the field of Japanese Philosophy. It is to my mind the most significant periodic event in global philosophy.
— Benjamin Hoffman, Columbia Psychiatry/NYSPI
I had a great experience at the East West Philosophers’ Conference. I enjoyed the friendly and open-minded atmosphere and saw a number of inspiring talks on a broad range of topics. The venue was terrific! I’m very happy that I had the chance to contribute and be part of this event.
— Benjamin Kiesewetter, Universität Bielefeld, Visiting Scholar, UH Department of Philosophy
The style, ways, and manners in which the 12th East-West Philosophers’ Conference has been carried out embodied and assimilated the essence of its content: Trauma and Healing. It is a formidable event when a conference based on intellectual speculation and philosophical research offers its audience and participants something that goes beyond sharing and exchange of academic knowledge. This conference brought about something that generated authentic humanness and a wholesome human relational experience of support and encouragement within and during its happening.
It has been a reminder and confirmation that the real meaning and purpose of intellectual work is to make us human in the truest sense, as part of a supportive and respectful community.
— Daniela Rocco Minerbi, Architect
Regarding the conference, I thought it went superbly. The roundtable panels among the concurrent sessions were an especially nice addition. Truly, the conference was an example of the sort of community in academia that I miss. That may have to do as much with the aloha spirit as anything, but it was a delightful reminder of what makes the profession so personally valuable.
— Matthew Williams, Lone Star College, Montgomery
I was very pleased with the conference, my first EWPC. I met many great scholars—older scholars whose names I knew but never met and younger, upcoming scholars whose future work I look forward to reading. What struck me as especially encouraging was the tenor of kindness and respect I saw in most of the discussions following the papers. I thought there was a wonderful array of topics and approaches, even if many of them did not intersect much with my own research interests.
— William Waldron, Professor of Religion, Middlebury College
Another thing that the conference did particularly well was to provide an opportunity for scholars to hear the voices of those who have not always been heard. During the week, for instance, I got the chance to hear from young women graduate students talk about women in contemporary Islamic thought, a professor from UH Hilo explain the Hawaiian conflict resolution strategy of Ho‘oponopono, a scholar from Ukraine talk about the impact that the war has had on her people, and Middle & High School students share their p4c experiences with an audience that consisted of p4c practitioners from around the world, philosophy professors who were unfamiliar with p4c, and members of the broader community. Not only did the audience members benefit from learning from the diverse perspectives of these people; the opportunity to share their scholarship and experiences was beneficial to the presenters because it provided a space where they could be heard and where their hard work could be recognized and appreciated.
— Toby Yos, Uehiro Academy, University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa