BERLIN, 01 December 2022 — The Philippine Embassy in Berlin graced the launch of the “Philippines in the Austronesian Studies Program” at the University of Hamburg, marking the start of a 3-year pilot program in Philippine Studies at the University’s Department of Languages and Cultures of Southeast Asia on 26 November 2022.
The program is in part funded by the Philippine Government, through the initiative of Senator Loren Legarda, the Department of Foreign Affairs, and the Philippine Embassy in Berlin.
The launch presented a new curriculum on an integrated program in Austronesian studies where Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei and the Philippines are studied from the perspective of their shared history and cultural features, as well as exceptionality. The Filipino diaspora – which forms an exceptionality – is an important component of the program.
Coordinator of the program is Prof. Dr. Elsa Clavé, an active Philippine Studies advocate, under the supervision of Prof. Dr. Jan van der Putten, Head of the Austronesian Studies Program at UH’s Institute of Asian and African Studies.
Also presenting their studies/programs were: Adonis Elumbre (Ph.D. candidate in Austronesian Studies, Universität Hamburg), Vincent Wongaiham-Petersen (Lecturer on Filipino language at Universität Hamburg), Rangga E. Saputra (Ph.D. candidate in Austronesian Studies, Universität Hamburg), and Chelsea Amada and EYEOFBRC (Artist, Curator and Creative Director of “First Batch”, the story of an artwork on Filipina nurses in Austria).
The event was well-attended by the academe, especially those who are doing studies on Southeast Asia and the Philippines. The Federation of Filipino Organizations in Northern Germany (FFONG) also lent their support during the event.
Source: Republic of Philippines Department Of Foreign Affairs