Date

4:30pm–6:00pm, Fri Sep 27, 2024

Location

O'ahu

Event Details

Join us for the EDEF Monthly Talk : “Youth Exchanges in Hawai‘i: Research Insights and Implications”

Friday, September 27th, 2024, from 4:30-6:00 PM in Wist 233.

Dr. Manca Sustarsic, Evaluation Specialist at the Center on Disability Studies and Lecturer at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, will be our speaker.

We will be exploring how U.S. government-funded youth exchange programs, FLEX and YES, foster mutual understanding between Americans and international youth. This talk unveils how these competitive, merit-based programs blend soft power, geopolitics, biopolitics, and cultural learning to meet foreign policy goals. Research insights from three years of hosting experiences across four Hawaiian Islands will illustrate how these exchanges impact both youth and host families, highlighting the emerging tensions in public diplomacy. In addition, practical tips on navigating research challenges will be shared—from pilot studies to publication—providing guidance for graduate students on their research journeys.

Pizza will be provided! Please RSVP to help us plan accordingly.