US, Japanese leaders celebrate longstanding relations

Ceremonial drummers at the tree dedication ceremony Photo: Todd Gardiner for Team Photogenic

UW President Michael K. Young and Japanese Consul General Masahiro Omura Photo: Todd Gardiner for Team Photogenic

Japanese General Consul Masahiro Omura spoke today near Drumheiller Fountain today to celebrate a recent gift of cherry trees to the UW American Ethnic Studies department from the people of Japan.

Also speaking at the ceremony were former congressman and U.S. Secretary of Transportation Norman Mineta and UW President Michael K. Young.

The new cherry trees, installed on central campus overlooking Drumheiller Fountain, were presented in honor of longstanding relations between the U.S. and Japan. They also honor the many Japanese and Japanese American students who have attended UW since 1894.

Launch party celebrates book by study abroad students

A May 12 launch party will celebrate the publication of TIPS to Study Abroad: Simple Letters for Complex Engagement, a book by students from Professor Anu Taranath’s 2013 study abroad to Bangalore, India.

Through the unique medium of students’ letters to Things, Ideas and People (TIPS), the book “offers a simple method to help travelers- students and tourists alike- reflect on how moving from one culture to another sparks questions about identity, society and the meaning of travel itself.”

Professor Taranath’s unique approach to teaching abroad integrates on-campus classroom learning with international immersion. Students participate in quarter-long seminars on campus before and after the study abroad to allow time for in-depth preparation for and reflection on the experience. TIPS to Study Abroad is the culmination of the group’s experience and learning.

Community members are welcome at the book launch party at 7pm on Monday, May 12. The event will be held at University Temple.

Study abroad students connect with Roma communities

During winter quarter, Comparative History of Ideas’ (CHID) Legacies of Empires study abroad program took students on a journey to Rome, Budapest and Istanbul to connect with Roma communities through experiential learning.

Michelle Obama praises UW student in Peking University speech

First Lady Michelle Obama praised UW senior Philmon Haile during a recent speech at Peking University, quoting from his remarks at a Washington D.C. event celebrating President Obama’s 100,000 Strong initiative.

Philmon has studied abroad several times, interning at the US Embassy Beijing, conducting field research in rural China and volunteering in Jordan. He was recently awarded the Rangel Graduate Fellowship, which supports graduate study and professional development in preparation for a career in the Foreign Service.

Read First Lady Michelle Obama’s remarks…

Cross-cultural study examines kids’ understanding of intellectual property

Children from the US, China and Mexico participated in a recently-published study by University of Washington researcher Kristina Olson and colleagues from Yale and the University of Pennsylvania. The group examined children’s reactions to a video where puppets make their own drawing or copy a friend’s drawing. Despite cultural differences, 5 and 6 year-old children from all three countries viewed negatively the puppet who stole his friend’s idea. Read more at UW Today…

USAID taps UW and Microsoft to bring Burma new technologies

Burma faces many challenges in its path toward democracy. University of Washington is partnering with Microsoft and USAID to make the transition a little easier. USAID awarded a 1.5 million dollar grant to UW’s Jackson School of International Studies and Information School to bring new technologies and training to Burma. The tools will be used to facilitate policy-making and higher education reform. Microsoft matched the USAID grant and will contribute software and expertise. Read more…

Expanding to China, Seattle firm enlists UW alum

When leaders at Seattle design firm DLR Group needed new talent to reach their goal of winning new projects in Asia, they turned to a UW alumnus with strong connections to Seattle and China. Kevin Zhang, a graduate of UW’s M.S. in Architecture program and a native of Tianjin, China, has put his graduate training as well as cultural and linguistic fluency to work for the firm. With Zhang’s help, DLR Group recently won a bid to redesign a power plant in Shanghai, gaining a new foothold in China for the Seattle firm. Read more from The Graduate School…

President Young presents at Asian Law Lecture Series

UW School of Law is hosting the Asian Law Lecture Series. In January, UW President and Professor of Law Michael Young will present, “Attitudes Towards Law: The Impact of Legal Education and Historical Experience in Japan and China.” Professor Qi Zhang of Peking University Law School will present in February. Read more from the Asian Law Center…

UW Bothell professor gives keynote at international marketing conference

Dr. P.V. (Sundar) Balakrishnan, Professor at UW Bothell School of Business, delivered the keynote address at the International Great Lakes – North American Society for Marketing Education in India (NASMEI) conference in Manamai, India in December. He also facilitated an interactive session on management leadership. Read more…

UW leaders connect with alumni and parents in China

UW’s President Young and Vice Provost for Global Affairs Riedinger visited China and Japan from October 26 to November 7, making stops in Beijing, Shanghai, Hong Kong, and Tokyo. The leaders met with UW alumni and friends, parents of current UW students, as well as key institutional partners.

The trip marked the beginning of an exciting new chapter for UW’s connection with international alumni, students, and parents. In Beijing and Shanghai, President Young and Vice Provost Riedinger connected with UW alumni and parents. Leadership groups of UW alumni living in China provided ideas for how UW can support the development of alumni organizations and deepen international alumni involvement.

In the first-ever meetings between university leadership and parents of international students in their home country, Vice Provost Riedinger was “impressed with the strength of [the parents’] affection for UW… and their keen interest in the success of their daughters and sons, both inside and outside of the classroom.” Feedback from the parent meetings highlighted the need for improved communication with international students and parents about the resources available at UW – from academic advising to faculty office hours.

Meetings with institutional partners focused on strengthening research partnerships, increasing collaboration among faculty, and creating additional opportunities for UW students to engage in research, internships, and experiential learning in China.