The Henry Luce Foundation has granted $50,000 for the planning phase of a transformational initiative on Global Asias at the University of Washington.
The Henry Luce Foundation has granted $50,000 for the planning phase of a transformational initiative on Global Asias at the University of Washington.
The initiative, led by Rick Bonus (American Ethnic Studies) and Ted Mack (Asian Languages & Literature), will map out the current landscape of Asia-related research and community-engaged scholarship within and outside the University of Washington.
Global Asias will focus on communities in Seattle and across the Pacific Northwest that originated in Asia, with the primary objective of creating lasting institutional and community connections, which will allow scholars to leverage their strengths to impact research, teaching, and community engagement.
The planning phase of this initiative will occur in two stages. Stage one will engage cross-campus stakeholders across Asia-related disciplines and backgrounds through interviews and focus groups to understand current scholarship, interdisciplinary collaboration, success stories, and proposed pathways. Stage two will engage community organizations and peer institutions through interviews and listening sessions to understand the landscape of Asia-related cultural activities and existing collaborations. The goal of this planning phase is to develop a framework and establish project objectives and deliverables.
The Simpson Center for the Humanities will serve as the host for Global Asias at UW. With its mission to underwrite initiatives at the leading edge of change and to foster work that is public-facing, the center is a perfect place to house Global Asias.