Aloha - and all that stuff

I am, for three weeks, on a fellowship from the Freeman Institute. I am part of a group of faculty staying at Tokai University on Kapiolani Street in Honolulu, not too far from Waikiki.

The purpose of this trip is offer information and a structured learning wherein faculty can infuse Japanese studies into undergraduate curriculum. I was excited to apply for this fellowship and, given that there are only 19 faculty here, I am more than thrilled to learn from the scholars who are assembled as our panelists and to have been offered such a prestigious opportunity.

So, what do I hope to accomplish in these three weeks? I am not qualified to teach an entire course on Japanese Art. However, my current research project is on globalism. My goal in teaching is to move beyond the introductory treatment in our
textbooks and provide the students with a fuller understanding of all cultures through examination of the visual arts as a reflection of the cultures under study.

Returning to the definition of "decollage" given earlier, I hope, throughout this process to peel away new meanings of the East and West.

Aloha...and all that stuff....