The Association for Asian Studies on the Pacific Coast (ASPAC) held its 2003 Conference in Hawaii on June 19-22, 2003. The overall theme for the Conference was Asian Studies in an Internet Connected World: Evolving an Asia Pacific Community.” The Conference was co-hosted by the East-West Center Association (EWCA), the East-West Center (EWC), and the University of Hawaii School for Hawaiian, Asian, and Pacific Studies (UH).

Members of ASPAC, EWCA members, faculty members, and graduate students who are interested in Asian Studies were all encouraged to submit papers for this conference.

The program included panel presentations, plenary sessions, a presentation on Internet Resources by Dr. David Magier from Columbia University, a Cross-Cultural Training Workshop by Dr. Paul Pedersen, and the annual dinner with special guest speaker Prof. James L. Watson, Professor of Anthropology, at Harvard and President of the Association for Asian Studies. Dr. Watson spoke on “The New Cultural Imperialism? Ronald McDonald in East Asia.”

Special discounted room rates were available in EWC housing facilities as well as at Waikiki hotels.

The Conference Chair was Bill Vanderbok.