About IPLL
Indo-Pacific Languages and Literatures (IPLL) provides instruction in the languages of the Indo-Pacific area to a broad spectrum of students at UH Mānoa. The department’s coverage of these languages is unique in the U.S. This department is the only one to offer programs of study in four Polynesian languages, most of the national languages of Southeast Asia, as well as classical and modern Indian languages as well as Arabic and Urdu. Beyond language, the department offers courses in the literatures and cultures of the area, including literature in translation of South and Southeast Asia, Polynesia, and the Philippines. Opportunities are available for study abroad in certain areas. The department at UH Mānoa provides an opportunity without parallel elsewhere in the country for students to acquire an in-depth knowledge of the languages and cultures of that part of the world that encompasses more than 25 percent of the Earth’s population and an unusual diversity of peoples.
Students of Indo-Pacific languages and cultures can also enhance their opportunities to find a career in international relations; provide service to the community in such fields as social work, public health, nursing, medicine, and law; perform research on Asia and the Pacific; and develop cross-cultural awareness and understanding in Hawai‘i’s multicultural environment.
Vision
To become a national and regional leader in Indo‑Pacific language and literary studies, with graduates who are adept communicators, culturally informed professionals, and scholars advancing knowledge across Asia, the Pacific, and beyond.
Mission
To provide high‑quality instruction in the languages, literatures, and cultures of the Indo‑Pacific region. We prepare learners to achieve linguistic proficiency and cultural insight through classroom learning, literature study, and experiential opportunities that support academic growth and service-related vocations.
Message from the Department Chair
Welcome to the Department of Indo-Pacific Languages and Literatures, the home of many languages and cultures spanning more than fifty countries across two oceans. Our task in this department is to ensure these countries are represented to help us better understand living samples of over 700 languages in this construct we call Indo-Pacific.
Languages—and cultures—are the home of the soul. We say this, too: languages are the home of our bodies.
Languages encompass people, communitites, First Nations, and indigenous groups. This richness of lived experiences is what motivates us to create academic spaces for our students and communities members, whether those communities are virtual or here with us on these islands.
There is so much to learn, and our goal in this department is to expand our programs that serve our communities everywhere, as well as support our students pursuing their undergraduate or graduate studies.
Mahalo nui loa,
Aurelio S. Agcaoili, Chair