Graduate Degree Fellowship

The EWC Graduate Degree Fellowship (GDF) provides master’s and doctoral funding for graduate students from Asia, the Pacific, and the United States to participate in educational, cultural, and residential community building, and leadership development programs at the EWC while pursuing graduate study at the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa (UHM). Undertaking degree studies at the UHM through an EWC fellowship is not merely about receiving a financial aid scholarship. Since the basic purpose of the EWC is to build a sense of Asia Pacific community and prepare for future leadership roles, EWC graduate student fellows live together and interact with each other in both intellectual and social activities. They are from the very outset an identifiable group committed to the notion of building an Asia Pacific community. Through team-building activities, leadership development projects and internships, learning about the Asia Pacific region, cultural exchange, educational enrichment gatherings, community service and service learning projects, EWC Graduate Degree Fellows establish friendships and lifelong ties to a network of people committed to positive change in the Asia Pacific region.

The EWC Graduate Degree Fellowship covers the cost of general tuition and fees for UHM graduate programs, books, housing in an EWC dormitory, and partial funding toward meals, health insurance, and incidental expenses. Additional funding for field study and conference presentations is offered on a competitive basis during the fellow’s period of study.

The EWC Graduate Degree Fellowship invites applications from:
▪ Citizens or permanent residents of the United States
▪ Citizens of countries in the Pacific and Asia (click link for list of eligible countries, or see "Eligibility" in GDF Award Details section), including Russia

Priority in the student selection process is given to applicants with a demonstrated commitment to the Asia Pacific region.

The East-West Center (EWC) promotes better relations and understanding among the people and nations of the United States, Asia, and the Pacific through cooperative study, research, and dialogue. Established by the U.S. Congress in 1960, the Center serves as a resource for information and analysis on critical issues of common concern, bringing people together to exchange views, build expertise, and develop policy options. The Center is an independent, public, non-profit organization with funding from the U.S. government, and additional support provided by private agencies, individuals, foundations, corporations, and governments in the region. 

The need for regional cooperation and community building among nations has never been greater. This is an era of increasing social, economic, and technological interdependence in which leaders in every arena must possess regional literacy, knowledge based on multi-cultural perspectives, and a shared sense of community. 

The thread of cooperative study runs through all of the Center’s programs, whether conducted on campus or off, in the classroom or in the field, for students or for professionals. At the Center, learning is a collaborative process in which each person contributes knowledge, experience, and perspective to benefit all participants. The Center recognizes the importance of establishing a basis for the comfortable exchange of ideas by building an environment of openness, trust, and shared community. 

The EWC is unique among international institutions in its focus on community building at the campus level as a stepping-stone to community building in the Asia Pacific region. While at the Center, participants learn, work and live together, and extend helping hands to the local community. The East-West Center experience is one of grassroots relationship building, cultural exchange, shared experiences, and preparation for future leadership roles throughout the region.

The University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa (UHM) is the flagship campus of the state university system. UHM was founded in 1907 and is located on 320 acres of land in Mānoa Valley, close to the center of metropolitan Honolulu. It is a comprehensive research university offering bachelor’s degrees in 100 fields of study, master’s degrees in 87, and professional and doctoral degrees in 59 fields. It enrolls about 19,000 full-time students each semester, of whom more than 5,000 are graduate students. UHM and the EWC are separate organizations but maintain close institutional ties through a variety of programs, such as the Graduate Degree Fellowship. All references in this handbook to the University of Hawai‘i refer to the Mānoa campus. Visit the UHM Graduate Division for more information on UHM graduate programs.