In the November 2023 Special Issue Newsletter published by the U.S. Department of Education Office of International and Foreign Language Education (IFLE), the University of Washington’s five National Resource Centers, funded by the U.S. Department of Education and housed at the Jackson School, are featured for their program impact and outreach following a site visit by IFLE Program Officer Brian Cwiek in February 2023.
Excerpt from the IFLE November Special Issue Newsletter:
“Brian Cwiek visited the University of Washington (UW) earlier this year to learn more about the institution’s network of area studies centers. The visit revealed an institution dedicated to fostering global understanding and promoting a more interconnected world. UW’s commitment to supporting teaching and research in diverse fields was on display through its efforts to connect diverse scholarly communities and bridge the humanities, social sciences, professional fields, and the sciences. UW centers play a pivotal role in supporting teaching and research, offering specialized courses and an extensive collection of resources funded by the NRC grants.
Brian was particularly struck by UW’s outreach initiatives, as the university actively engages with K-12 educators and community colleges, fostering articulation pathways from early education to graduate study. Initiatives like the Southeast Asian Pasts and Futures and the Summer Nepali Language Program not only build community and disseminate knowledge of a less commonly taught language free of charge, but also build interest in language and cultural studies. Such programming encourages undergraduate students to consider advanced language and area studies training.”
Expanding global learning: UW’s National Resource Centers
The five federally-funded Title VI National Resource Centers at the UW are:
- Canadian Studies Center
- Center for Global Studies
- East Asia Center
- South Asia Center
- Center for Southeast Asia and its Diasporas
These centers focus on area and international studies, languages and thematic issues, and provide teacher training and critical global education resources for students, K-12 teachers, community college teachers, university faculty and the public at the local, regional, national and international levels.
Four of the five centers also host the U.S. Department of Education’s Foreign Language and Area Studies Program, commonly known as FLAS. FLAS at the UW provides academic year and summer fellowships to students in modern foreign languages and related area or international studies. Applications for FLAS Summer 2024 and Academic Year 2024-2025 are currently open until Jan. 31, 2024.