ACLS Convenes Scholars and East Asia National Resource Centers at 2026 Association for Asian Studies Conference

ACLS hosted two events at the 2026 Association for Asian Studies (AAS) Annual Conference, which took place in Vancouver, Canada from March 13–16, 2026. The conference provided an opportunity to discuss the far-reaching impact of the elimination of Title VI funding with key stakeholders, and brought together awardees of the Luce/ACLS Program in China Studies and The Robert H. N. Ho Family Foundation Program in Buddhist Studies for a joint reception.

JM Chris Chang, ACLS Program Officer for China Studies, and Morgan Day, ACLS Program Coordinator, worked with Yuting Li, Asia Director of the Luce Foundation, to bring together directors and senior staff of the 21 East Asia National Resource Centers (NRCs) and key constituents to discuss the impacts of the elimination of Title VI funding in 2025 and strategies for preserving vital NRC operations in a time of profound uncertainty. Established in 1961, NRCs were created to advance knowledge of strategically important world regions, and have since shaped the development of area studies in the United States.

Four center directors delivered opening roundtable remarks on how federal divestment has threatened foreign language and master’s programs, graduate pipelines, and staff at institutions of all kinds. In the discussion that followed, participants expressed deep concern about how the loss of grant opportunities such as the Foreign Language and Area Studies (FLAS) program will affect less commonly taught languages and emerging area studies programs that depend heavily on federal support. They also reflected on the loss of NRC-supported research funding, which has historically sustained fellowships and infrastructure for individual and collaborative projects that are difficult to replicate through other means.

At the same time, the discussion looked to future possibilities: participants observed that, post-Title VI, NRC programs may find new opportunities to reimagine area studies beyond Cold War frameworks and forge stronger connections with local communities through expanded public engagement and diaspora networks. Organizers affirmed that the convening was intended as a first step toward collective action, with further steps to be developed in consultation with the broader NRC network.

ACLS also hosted a joint reception for awardees and partners of the Luce/ACLS Program in China Studies and the Robert H. N. Ho Family Foundation Program in Buddhist Studies at the Pan Pacific Hotel, over 100 attendees enjoyed an evening of networking and building connections overlooking Vancouver Harbor. ACLS extends warm thanks to all who attended and supported both events, and to Hilary Finchum-Sung and the staff at the Association for Asian Studies for a successful conference.