This spring, the Center for Philippine Studies (CPS) at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa is celebrating its 40th anniversary. In 1975, an Act of the Hawaiʻi State Legislature established the Center for Philippine Studies, the first institution dedicated to Philippine studies in the U.S. Since then, the CPS has become the center for intellectual and academic exchange on Philippine and Filipino studies in the region, hosting numerous scholars, sponsoring scholarly exchange and promoting research and graduate education.
To celebrate its legacy and future, the Center for Philippine Studies will be holding a series of academic and cultural events in April and May, including an international symposium, a community banquet and a series of dance performances.
40th anniversary events
- April 8, 3:30 p.m.—Distinguished Lecture by Alfred W. McCoy
A J.R.W. Smail Professor of History at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Alfred W. McCoy will deliver a talk, “Covert Netherworld: An Invisible Arena for Contesting Global Power in the 21st Century” in the Architecture Auditorium. (Read the Center for Philippine Studies news release for more on the lecture.) - April 9–10—International Symposium
Titled “Philippine and Filipino Studies: Forty Years Hence,” the International Symposium will feature prominent scholars in Philippine and Filipino studies, many of whom have shaped the direction of their fields, as well as upcoming scholars and graduate students who are now reshaping these fields through their novel, cutting-edge research. The symposium will be held at the Imin Center at UH Mānoa. - April 11, 11 a.m.—Fiesta Celebration
The fiesta event at the Filipino Community Center will bring academic and Filipino communities together in a celebration of a strong and meaningful relationship over the years. CPS will also welcome a special guest speaker Tony Meloto, founder and pioneering leader of Gawad Kalinga, Philippines. - May 21 and 22, 7:30 p.m.—PULSO by House of Dance
CPS will be hosting, for the second time, the House of Dance, Philippines, in a series of performances titled PULSO (Pulse, Rhythm of the Heart). Through classical and modern interpretations of Philippine dance, PULSO captures aspects of the Filipino’s rich cultural heritage in rural and urban settings from the northern to the southern Philippines. The performances will be held at UH Mānoa’s Kennedy Theatre.
“These events, planned as part of the 40th anniversary celebration, are an expression of the core mission of the center—to reach out beyond the boundaries of UH Mānoa and to redefine the role of an academic studies center in a public university,” said Center for Philippine Studies Director Vina A. Lanzona. “They provide a unique opportunity to bring together the academic, artistic, cultural and Filipino communities in Hawaiʻi, and will make our 40th anniversary celebrations truly memorable, setting the stage for the next 40 years of the Center for Philippine Studies.”
For more information on the anniversary events, visit the Center for Philippine Studies 40th Anniversary website.
