61st Midwest Conference on Asian Affairs hosted at WMU

The Diether H. Haenicke Institute for Global Education at Western Michigan University hosted the 61st Midwest Conference on Asian Affairs (MCAA) from September 21-23, 2012 as a joint conference with the Association for Nepal and Himalayan Studies, at WMU's Fetzer Center in Kalamazoo, Michigan. 

A regional conference of the Association of Asian Studies (AAS), the MCAA has provided a forum for scholars and teachers of Asian Studies in the Midwest to gather and exchange knowledge about the history and cultures of Asia for more than a half-century. The conferences featured 58 panels and roundtables at which nearly 250 faculty, graduate and undergraduate students presented and discussed new research and pedagogical tools.

“The program was a great success thanks to the staff at HIGE and the Fetzer Center, and especially conference coordinators Lee Balcolm and Karen Smith, said Dr. Stephen Covell, chair of WMU’s Department of Comparative Religion and of the MCAA conference. "This is the first time in 40 years that WMU has hosted the MCAA and I have been getting wonderful feedback from attendees.” 

MCAA conference volunteers at the registration table

Covell received these kudos from one of the conference participants: “Congratulations Steve and team on an incredible MCAA. You provided an excellent venue for the conference. You were able to accommodate so many scholars and panels and papers.  From my vantage point it looked like all unfurled without a hitch! And you've given Michigan State University a tough act to follow!”

MCAA 2012 website