Reading time: 2 minutesThe CSEAS team organizes the Asia-Pacific Museum Exchange Program
The Center for Southeast Asian Studies (CSEAS) at the University of Hawaii at Manoa hopes to support museums and cultural heritage professionals at the forefront of preserving the cultures, collections, and traditions of the Asia-Pacific region with a $429,872 grant. Funded by the U.S. Department of State’s Cultural Heritage Center (CHC), the grant will support a two-year Asia-Pacific Museum Exchange Program with a focus on diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility.
“We hope that this project will leverage local knowledge to forge closer collaboration among Asia-Pacific countries, creating new synergies and strengthening museums and cultural heritage organizations,” said CSEAS Director Miriam Stark.
Exquisite Marshall Islands jewelry made from coconut fiber and seashells
The program provides professional development for mid-career professionals working in small and medium-sized museums and cultural centers in Island Southeast Asia and the Western Pacific.
CSEAS aims to guide participants in exploring Indigenous knowledge of conservation, leveraging digital tools to engage communities, and acquiring advanced techniques in collection management. Applications for the program will be accepted from November 4 to 22.
Virtual and In-Person Training
Training will begin with a series of virtual workshops in spring 2025, followed by two intensive in-person workshops in Honolulu in July 2025 and July 2026. The workshops will provide hands-on experience, face-to-face interaction with experts, and the opportunity to build lasting professional connections.
Philippine Bamboo Xylophone
CSEAS invites applicants from throughout the Asia-Pacific region, including Southeast Asian and Pacific island nations such as the Marshall Islands, Solomon Islands and Guam.
The program was made possible through a partnership between the U.S. Department of State’s Hawaii-Pacific Islands Cooperative Ecosystem Research Unit, the U.S. National Park Service, and University of Hawaii at Manoa CSEAS.
“The opportunity to work with the State Department and the National Park Service to strengthen our Asia-Pacific museum network is a true honor for our university and the center, and we look forward to connecting our colleagues across the region through these events,” said Miriam Stark, CSEAS director.
For more information, contact Teri Skillman at [email protected] or visit the CSEAS website.
